Muscles Work in Pairs
Explain that muscles work in antagonistic pairs — one contracts while the other relaxes — to produce movement, using the bicep and tricep as a key example
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If your child bent and straightened their arm, could they explain why two different muscles are needed — one to bend and one to straighten — and which muscle is which?
Explain that muscles work in antagonistic pairs — one contracts while the other relaxes — to produce movement, using the bicep and tricep as a key example
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Check understanding
- Explains why muscles can only pull, not push
- Describes what happens to the bicep and tricep when the arm is bent and straightened
- Gives another example of an antagonistic muscle pair
“If your child bent and straightened their arm, could they explain why two different muscles are needed — one to bend and one to straighten — and which muscle is which?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Organisms & Life Processes
- Age range
- Ages 11–13
Standards