Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6)

Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6)

Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6)
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.6

Vocabulary

challenging words:

calcium, puberty, fiber, infant, breakdown, elderly, possibly, buildup, meaning, design, actually, easily, cartilage, lighter, fell, percentage

Print Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6)
edHelper.com subscriber options:

	Print Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6) (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
	Quickly print reading comprehension
	Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6)

Leave your feedback on Your Tough, Growing Bones (Grades 4 to 6) (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Your Tough, Growing Bones
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     Did you know that your leg bones could hold a force of one ton without snapping or bending? Your bones are tough and strong. Bones have to hold you while you run, jump, skip, or even hold something during an emergency. Bones are almost as tough as cast iron, but a lot lighter, of course! That's why it's been so tough to design artificial replacements for bones.

²     Bones contain collagen, a tough protein fiber. Collagen comes from Greek words meaning, "glue forming." Mineral salts are on the collagen making it very strong. Calcium and phosphorus are packed tightly. Seventy percent of an adult's bone is made of minerals. The remaining percentage is made of organic matter, giving the bone flexibility. Babies' bones have reversed proportions.

³     Your bones are hard and firm, so they don't stretch or bend. So how do bones grow? Your skull grows slowly. Long bones grow more rapidly. The bones of your arms and legs grow faster than the bones of your trunk.

Paragraphs 4 to 10:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

Copyright © 2008 edHelper