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.
Half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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