When students decided they wanted to learn more about animals on our planet, one of the top questions was "Can we dissect frogs and other organisms?" Providing them with an emphatic "YES!" is what I hope to do. They are curious and not afraid at this age and this type of exploration will allow them to answer some questions while most certainly developing others.
Our unit will begin by looking at the classification system and the various kingdoms by which we group living organisms and will then move on to an actual hands-on experience of dissection so that they can see the systems that separate us from other creatures.
Organisms to study will include the earthworm with a closed circulatory system like ours and a digestive system that includes anatomy we don't have, a starfish that introduces students to the structure of a skeletal system and a water vascular system unlike ours, and finally a frog to see that our respiratory and digestive systems have some key similarities.
Students will hopefully understand that while there are significant differences, there are also significant similarities and all living creatures deserve our awe and respect.
About my class
When students decided they wanted to learn more about animals on our planet, one of the top questions was "Can we dissect frogs and other organisms?" Providing them with an emphatic "YES!" is what I hope to do. They are curious and not afraid at this age and this type of exploration will allow them to answer some questions while most certainly developing others.
Our unit will begin by looking at the classification system and the various kingdoms by which we group living organisms and will then move on to an actual hands-on experience of dissection so that they can see the systems that separate us from other creatures.
Organisms to study will include the earthworm with a closed circulatory system like ours and a digestive system that includes anatomy we don't have, a starfish that introduces students to the structure of a skeletal system and a water vascular system unlike ours, and finally a frog to see that our respiratory and digestive systems have some key similarities.
Students will hopefully understand that while there are significant differences, there are also significant similarities and all living creatures deserve our awe and respect.