My 7th-grade students are awesome! They are a lively group from an urban middle school who enjoy hands-on activities. Science is not always a favorite subject for this age group. Hooking the students and keeping them engaged and curious are the keys to a successful day. I love to see my students' excitement when connections are made between the concept being taught and their own lives.
I believe that as a teacher, I need to spark excitement in my lessons to keep my students engaged.
Frog dissection is the exciting element that I dangle before my students; they look forward to it every year! I show my students the frogs several times throughout the year. At first, most scream and squirm at the site, refusing to even touch the bag! As we get closer to the actual dissection, they grow accustomed to seeing them and even start to touch the bag!
My Project
One component of 7th-grade Life Science involves learning about our body systems. Upon completion of our studies, we would like to embark on our voyage through an actual body system. Since we can't exactly dissect a human in 7th-grade, the next best thing is a frog! You may be, and my kids certainly are, quite surprised to learn a frog's body systems are very similar to ours. As they prepare for the dissection, my students will view a video clip on the procedure and safety, identify and color the frogs inner and outer components, and read informative articles related to various types of frogs (including the poison dart frog). We will also uncover the cause of mutated frogs found in Minnesota, relating it back to our study of genetics and tying it into hazards of environmental pollutants.
As my 7th-graders open their frog's torso, remove the muscular components to expose the organs, their excitement grows!
As you move throughout the classroom you'll hear things like: "Hey, I think these are their lungs!" And if they can inflate them with a tiny straw-AWESOME!! As they get to the digestive system, the stomach usually holds a big surprise! You will hear oohs, ahs and, of course, GROSS!
The memory is a lasting one for me as well as my students.
**For reference, I think it prudent to mention that those students who hold beliefs that would make actual dissection difficult, I offer virtual dissection.
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