By Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado… The science unit on the circulatory system came to life for fifth and sixth-grade students in Paul Bragaw’s “Can-do” themed classroom at H.M.S. Richards school in Loveland, Colorado, when they dissected lamb hearts this month.
For many students, this was the first experience with a dissection.
“At first I thought it was going to be disgusting and I was afraid that I was going to faint,” said Zachary, fifth grader. “But then when we cut it open, it wasn’t so bad, and it was cool that we could actually touch it and move it, so we could understand hearts better.”
It is not often that fifth-grade students can experience a dissection, and it made a big impression.
“It did smell bad,” said Natalie, another fifth-grade student, “but I was surprised how it looked so much like my own heart. I think it was fun learning more about how the different parts of the lamb’s heart relate to the human heart, and how important all the little different pieces are, even though they are so small.”
Bragaw finds it important to include a variety of hands-on activities, especially in science class, because he sees that they capture the students’ attention and make them excited to learn. “They were very careful and took their time with the details of the dissection. Students were in awe of how God has created the body, especially the heart.”
–Jill Harlow is a member of the Campion church; photos supplied
