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Full access The human bodyArt and pattern

Skin layer by layer: protection and sensation

The pupil draws an openwork PLA skin cross-section panel, 140x90 mm, with three layers and seven slots, plus four separate structure profiles (sweat gland, blood vessel, two receptors, and hair follicle with hair). They place them in the correct layers, match function descriptions and recognise the structures in an unfamiliar diagram; the extension adds a two-point touch probe.

Age
12–14 years
Length
approx. 45 min
Level
Medium
Where you teach
School
Purpose
Educational
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How to run this session

Stages and timing
  1. Panel: frame and layer boundaries
  2. Second layer and seven slots
  3. Sweat gland: pore at the surface
  4. Blood vessel on the mat
  5. Receptors on the mat
  6. Blood vessel and receptors in the panel
  7. Follicle and hair above the surface
  8. Functions and unfamiliar diagram
  9. Extension: touch probe

What gets built

A PLA skin cross-section panel with three layers and four structures in the correct positions, plus a sheet with matched functions and labels for an unfamiliar diagram.

What it practises
  • Relating a skin structure's position (layer and depth) to its protective, sensory or thermoregulatory function
  • Recognising skin structures in one's own model and in an unfamiliar diagram
  • Distinguishing receptors by position and making a flat PLA model with slots.

Success criteria
  • I identify four skin structures (sweat gland, blood vessel, receptors, hair follicle with hair) and their layers.
  • I position each profile through the correct panel slots, according to its function description.
  • I explain two structure–function relationships, such as a vessel near the surface releasing heat, or a free nerve ending in the epidermis detecting pain.
  • I recognise the same skin elements in an unfamiliar diagram and name them correctly.
  • I explain what the model does not show, such as the sebaceous gland or the real proportions of layer thicknesses.

What you need
Filament
PLA
Colours
One chosen colour: portion for PANEL, One chosen colour: portion for G, One chosen colour: portion for N, One chosen colour: portion for R, One chosen colour: portion for M, One chosen colour: portion for P
Also
3D pen for PLA: 1 per pupil, Transparent working mat: 1 per pupil, T1: 1:1 templates for the panel, profiles and probe: 2 A4 pages per pupil, printed at 100%, T2: task and observation sheet: 1 per pupil, Light-coloured paper sheet under the panel: 1 per pupil, Pencil: 1, Ruler: 1

Files

The files for this plan are part of full access

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Version 23cb4867-0045-4a37-a9fa-6757a692ff91 Updated 2026-10-13

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