Anatomy Teaching Idea

November 2007

Just thinking about a way to teach anatomy without dissecting cats.

The theme of the year is building an organism. Students can build any mammalian organism that they want. A whale, a cat, a monkey, etc. Clearly some organisms will be more difficult because the available literature will be limited. It will change the order of the course from exterior of organisms to the interior but the change will be a logical one.

Overarching themes:
--appreciation of the beauty and functionality of the living mammalian organism
--appreciation of life
--yes it is hard to show appreciation so students will need to demonstrate their change in thinking over the course of the year.

Rules about supplies
--teams of 2 or 3
--same money that would have been spent on cat $30 per student
--cannot spend more than that and must have receipts as part of the project

Units:
1. Bones and Joints
--Big Goal--The skeleton is the support and protection system for organisms.
--Learn bones and joints as units. For example bones of the arm, rib cage, leg, pelvic girdle, vertebrae--how they all fit together. Not in isoloation.
--Build skeleton of organism--4 class days (90s)
2. Circulatory and respiratory
--Big goal--circulatory system moves oxygen to needed parts of the body.
3. Digestion
--Big goal is break down of nutrients for use in the body.
--Build 2. and 3. as part of one building session--2 days (90s)
4. Muscles
--Big goal is movement and how it works in the body.
--Build musculature--4 days (90s)
--Zoo field trip or similar--looking at live organisms. It would be best if it could be a petting zoo or something where students could look close up at organisms.
5. Integumentary
--Big goal is the role of skin in protection
--build skin
6. Microscopic
--Big goal is what is happening at the microscopic level.
--immunity
--histology