Have you ever wondered why some people use their left hand more than their right hand? Let’s explore this interesting topic together!
Did you know that some famous people are left-handed? Former President Barack Obama, pop star Lady Gaga, Olympic volleyball player Gaila Gonzalez, basketball player James Harden, scientist Marie Curie, and even “Star Wars” character Luke Skywalker all use their left hand for many tasks. Isn’t that cool?
Most of us have two of many things on our bodies, like arms and legs. Try moving your left arm, then your right arm. Now, try writing your name with your finger. Can you do it with both hands? If you have a pencil and paper, try writing your name with each hand. How does it feel?
Most people prefer using one hand for tasks like writing, drawing, or eating. About nine out of ten people use their right hand for these activities, making them right-handed. But about one out of ten people use their left hand, making them left-handed. Some people can use both hands for different tasks, which is pretty special!
In the past, some teachers tried to make left-handed kids use their right hand. They thought it was the only correct way. But that’s not true! Being left-handed is just how some people’s bodies work, and it’s not something you can change easily.
Left-handers might find some things tricky because many everyday items are made for right-handers. For example, scissors are often designed for right-handed people, which can be uncomfortable for left-handers. But don’t worry! There are scissors made just for left-handers, and even some that work for both hands.
Being left-handed can be an advantage, especially in sports. Since there are fewer left-handed people, athletes might not be used to playing against them, giving left-handers a surprise advantage!
Scientists aren’t exactly sure why some people are left-handed, but they know it’s not a choice. It’s just how a person’s body works. Kids usually start using one hand more than the other by age three. And there’s nothing wrong with being left-handed. In fact, it’s something to celebrate!
It’s important to make the world a friendly place for everyone, whether they’re left-handed, right-handed, or can use both hands. By understanding how left-handers feel and experience things, we can design tools and spaces that work for everyone.
So, next time you meet someone who’s left-handed, remember how special and unique they are. And if you’re left-handed, be proud of it!
There are so many mysteries in the world. Keep asking questions and stay curious. Who knows what you’ll discover next!
Handedness Experiment: Try using your non-dominant hand for a day! Pick a few activities like brushing your teeth, eating with a spoon, or drawing a picture. How does it feel? Is it easier or harder than using your usual hand? Share your experience with a friend or family member and ask them to try it too!
Design Your Own Tool: Imagine you are an inventor. Think of a tool or gadget that could be used by both left-handed and right-handed people. Draw a picture of your invention and explain how it works. What makes it special for everyone to use?
Famous Left-Handers Research: Choose one famous left-handed person from the article or find another on your own. Create a mini-poster about them. Include their picture, what they are famous for, and why being left-handed might have helped them in their career. Share your poster with the class!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Doug. I have a question for you. What do the following people have in common? Former President Barack Obama, pop star Lady Gaga, Olympic volleyball player Gaila Gonzalez, basketball player James Harden, scientist Marie Curie, and “Star Wars” character Luke Skywalker. Take a close look here. They’re all doing something with the same hand, their left hand; they’re all left-handed. Someone named Allie has a question about this. Let’s give Allie a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi Doug. – Hi, Allie. – I have a question for you. Why are some people left-handed? – Ooh, that’s a great question. Most human bodies have lots of things in twos, one on each side of the body. Try this: move something on your left side, maybe an arm or a leg. Now move something on your right side. Now let’s try something else. Write your name with your finger. Now try the same thing with your other hand. If you can, grab a pencil and paper, and try actually writing your name with each hand. What does it feel like? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you’re ready? Most people naturally use one hand in particular to do things like write, draw, eat with a spoon, throw a ball, or brush their teeth. About nine out of ten people naturally use their right hand to do these one-handed tasks; they’re right-handed. About one out of ten people naturally use their left hand to do one-handed tasks; they’re left-handed. More rarely, some people don’t have a strong preference for one hand over the other or they use their right hand for some things and their left hand for others. If you’re right-handed, writing your name with your left hand probably feels awkward and unnatural. But if you’re left-handed, you might feel just as awkward writing with your right hand. In some cases, people haven’t always been good at listening to left-handers when they share what it feels like to be left-handed. For example, for a long time, many teachers in the United States tried to make left-handed kids use their right hand in school. Some even thought that holding a pencil in your right hand was the only correct way. Some teachers thought that a left-hander could become a right-hander if they just forced themselves to switch the pencil to their right hand, but it doesn’t always work like that. With months or even years of practice, some left-handers can learn to use their right hand like right-handers do. That’s great news for folks who need to use the other hand for some reason, like if one hand is injured or if they’re doing something that needs both hands. But just because you can do something, that doesn’t necessarily mean it feels good to do it. With lots of practice, some left-handers may eventually feel comfortable doing some things with their right hand. But other left-handers may find that even with practice, it’s just never quite as comfortable to use their right hand. Even if they can learn to write or throw a ball with their right hand, it just feels better and easier to use their left hand. Scientists aren’t sure exactly what causes a person to be right or left-handed, but we do know that being left-handed isn’t something you choose or something you learn. It’s just the way a person’s body works, and it starts early. Kids usually start using one hand more than the other by age three. And even if we could just magically make all people right-handed from birth, why would we want to do that? There’s nothing wrong with being left-handed. Sometimes, left-handedness is even an advantage. Many sports have high numbers of left-handed athletes at the elite level. Think about it. Because left-handers are less common than right-handers, athletes have less practice facing off against a left-handed pitch or a left-handed swing. In these situations, left-handers have an edge. The element of surprise. Still, left-handers can face some annoying challenges in their daily lives, not because it’s bad to be left-handed, but because people have designed a lot of everyday things with only right-handers in mind. For example, this is an ordinary pair of scissors. If you’re left-handed, you might already know what makes these challenging. The handles are designed to be used with your right hand. If you use your left, you have to scrunch your fingers up like this. But there are simple solutions to this problem. This is a pair of scissors designed to be used by left-handers. You see, no scrunching. And check this out. These scissors are designed so both sides of the handles are the same size, easy to use with your right or your left hand. Why try to change left-handers when it’s so much easier, not to mention kinder, to just make the world friendly for all people, no matter which hand they use? So in summary, being left-handed means you find it easier to use your left hand to do one-handed tasks. Handedness isn’t a choice; it’s just how your body works. If we pay attention to how left-handers feel and experience everyday things, we can help design a world that works well for left-handers, right-handers, and anyone in between. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks for asking, Allie. Now for the next episode, we reach into our question jar and picked out three questions sent in to us that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: why do people blink, when were vacuum cleaners invented, or why do fireflies glow? So submit your vote when the video’s over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week.
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