What's Happening in the Middle School?
Identifying Organs: Seventh Grade Students Dissect Fish
St. Luke’s seventh grade life science classes participated in a hands-on lab project dissecting fish. Seventh Grade Science Teacher Rachel Lang shares more about the experience.
The fish dissection was a great way to cap off our unit on the human body. It provided students a hands-on experience to explore the similarities and differences between humans and other organisms. I planned the dissection project for students to identify some of the internal organs and compare what they saw in the fish to the systems we’ve been studying in class. Dissections are an essential part of life science, and it was important for me to provide this opportunity to middle school students as a fun introduction to the process of dissection. Experimenting with dissection earlier in school helps prepare students for more challenging studies in high school and college, should they choose to pursue the field. Plus, it makes for a really good school memory. I want my students to look back and say, “When I was in middle school, I got to dissect a fish!”
While most of the students jumped at the chance to explore dissection, I knew it wouldn’t be for everyone. For a few students who did not want to participate, a virtual frog dissection option was available.
For photos of the hands-on project, click here.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
