As a teacher of gifted and talented students, I spend every day trying to "pick" my students' brains to encourage deeper thinking. Now, it's their turn - with a twist! Instead of "picking", they'll be dissecting; and instead of someone else's brain, it'll be a sheep brain.
I have approximately 60 students in grades 1-5 who have been identified as gifted/talented, meaning they tend to think differently and at a higher level than many of their peers.
To meet their educational needs, I find ways to take them deeper into the units we study, while encouraging them to be independent thinkers. I am lucky to have students who love learning as much as I do, and I want to provide them with experiences and knowledge they will never forget.
My Project
Each year, we explore three different high-interest units that support student learning beyond a textbook and standardized test. Next school year, one of our units will be Cranial Connections. My students need sheep brain dissection kits, dissections mats, and a sheep brain guide book. Being able to dissect a sheep's brain will facilitate student understanding of the brain's structure. A sheep's brain is very similar to that of a human, so my students will use it to identify the major parts of the brain and their function.
While students can learn by looking at pictures, it becomes a much more meaningful learning experience when they are able to see an actual brain and explore the structure of it in a hands-on environment.
Being able to dissect a sheep brain will allow my students to gain a deeper understanding of how our own brains are built.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Clements and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.