KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
I like to end the semester with high interest engaging learning activities. In my Zoology class, that took the form of a dissection. How did I know it would be high interest? I asked! I surveyed my class and all but one student wanted to do a dissection.
Then I asked a different question, "What do you want to dissect?" I guided their response by clarifying the purposes of dissection. First, we want to know and understand more about the animals with whom we share the planet. Second, we want to understand more about ourselves via comparative anatomy. Most of my students wanted to dissect sharks and a couple wanted to dissect a fetal pig. This gave me the opportunity to differentiate! Students who wanted to dissect sharks were arranged into groups of 4 and given a dogfish shark to dissect. The two students who wanted to dissect a fetal pig were given one. Finally, the student who did not want to dissect was given the option of doing an online virtual dissection (there are several quality free ones on the internet) or doing a paper version. She chose the paper. Aside from purchasing the specimens, I printed dissection guides on colored paper to indicate that students should not write on them. I printed observation and analysis/reflection pages on white paper for students to use. Obviously, I also sprinted one copy of the paper dissection version on which the student had to label every external and internal organ of the fetal pig. The response was exactly as intended. The learning happened as a bi-product of students being engaged in their learning activity. I had to force students to stop their work at the end of each class. Because they wanted to be able to continue, they did their best jobs adhering to safety requirements and cleaning up the instruments and work stations. Some students found the dissection less appealing than they thought it would be while others found it less gross than they thought it would be. The last day of the dissection was the best. Excitement filled the room. Two of the sharks were pregnant and everyone was thrilled to see the babies. One of the sharks had a slightly digested fish still in its stomach. I bet you wish you could have seen these. You can, pictures are included below. Dissections are a high interest engaging learning activity. Be sure to plan ahead, get student input, differentiate, and do not shame those who don't want to participate. Scientifically yours, Nadene
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AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
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