Corpus Humanum Externum - External Human Body Parts

This Human Body PowerPoint gives the Latin and English names of human body parts with colorful pictures as visuals. (I have also created a sister slideshow on the internal body parts, Corpus Humanum Internum.)

I used to play a fun game with this PowerPoint during the first week of Latin I that was a great 'icebreaker.' I would show the students the slideshow, discussing derivatives that came from the various body part names. Then I would give them a cartoon handout of the human body with the Latin names labeled and ask students to memorize as many names of the parts as they could overnight. Time permitting, I would play a quick classroom game of 'Magistra Dicit' with the students all standing beside their desks and pointing to the various body parts from head to toe in an organized fashion.

During the next class, I would play (another) quick game of 'Magistra Dicit.' Then I'd tell the students that they were going to draw a 'puer' and a 'puella' on the board, using the Latin names for the body parts without using their worksheets. (This would elicit groaning in unison plus great tension throughout the room.) I would call one boy and one girl to the board at a time, the 'Puer' labeled on one side of the board, and the 'Puella' on the other. Then I would ask the students to draw one body part, giving the directions in Latin, such as a 'magnus nasus,' gesturing 'big.' (Those who had studied the handout, knew what they were to draw; those that didn't, would inevitably turn to their classmates for help, which I allowed.)

To add some added interest and humor to the game, I would scramble the order of the body parts, e.g. First students: 'Pinge/Pingite magnum nasum,' Second students: 'Pinge/Pingite parvum umbilicum,' '...duas aures,' '...duos magnos pedes cum decem digitis,' etc. This game was always a huge success, accomplishing many goals in addition to learning the Latin names of the body parts. The students (and I) got to learn each other's names, begin to follow directions given in Latin, and best of all, enjoy interacting in a foreign language classroom.

(As a side note, the 'puer' always looked like a juvenile delinquent :-), and the 'puella' always looked very feminine, sometimes with an added bow in her hair, nail 'polish,' and jewelry. :-) How appropriate to witness Mars and Venus in action in a Latin classroom.:-)