What do you do with Science models?

I feel like there are a lot of unused Biological charts and models sitting in the back of classrooms as decorations.  I have always wanted to have access to these beautiful models, but once I get one, how do you use it with a class full of 25+ students and ONE model? 

I inherited several of these in the classroom I moved into, and I've tried to find new ways to make use of them.
 


One way I've discovered is through station work.  As students move around the room, only 3-4 of them are investigating the model at a time. 



This works well some of the time, but I found recently on one of my models that it has screws on the back and can be taken apart!  This has allowed me to separate it into five parts and use it much more successfully.

I have students rotate through and I ask them to identify specific letters or numbers and then discuss the function of that part with their classmates as they progress. 


You could even ask them to find their favorite YouTube video explaining how that organ works, or connect it to diagrams in their text to make comparisons and find differences.  It's always nice to compare why an author chose to include or leave out certain information in their artwork.


I also have a lovely poster with overlays I use for the same purpose.  I feel like it's helping me get more use out of these resources that previously were just dusty decor.


If you've got access to some models you're not using, maybe you should revisit the options available for students to enjoy them, while getting up out of their seats and interacting with one another to help cement their memory of the information.


If you're interested in seeing what other things I like to do in my class, check out my store on TPT for free and paid items.  Thanks!

Gingerbread Anatomy - New and Improved!

While I have made Anatomy gingerbread men before - see HERE, today was a totally upgraded experience.  I found an amazing activity online by Mr. Stephens where students create a clay gingerbread man, and perform surgery on him.  

I used this as a review of anatomical terminology before their midterm.  We all know reviewing can be very dry and difficult to get students interested in, and this hooked even my most reluctant students.


Here's an example of the instructions from his lab - "The patient's spleen was ruptured during the accident and needs to be removed.  Make a sagittal incision in the lateral portion of the left hypochondriac region.  Which organ must you move out of the way in order to locate and remove the spleen?  Suture the incision by drawing a short line with cross marks on it."


With something as simple as toothpicks, a plastic knife, and play-doh, my students were reminded of planes/sections, directional terms, and abdominopelvic regions.

There is a surgery documentation form where students record all their procedures, and at the end they must determine priority order if they were doing triage on the patient in the ER - bringing in those real life career connections.

They had a great time and were reminded of their terminology in a way that paper and pencil just can't compete with.

Lift a Flap Stoichiometry Practice

When we move from one step conversions to three-step stoichiometry problems, students struggle at first.  The idea that they must combine three different conversions confuses them, and they need some support.  Often, they need individual help more than I can offer, with lots of them needing my help and only one of me available.  One solution I've found to this problem is "Lift A Flap" Stoichiometry Practice.



Students are given a regular stoich worksheet with three step problems (just like our practice the previous day, with new numbers and reaction examples).  Set up around the room are eight stations with the problems worked out for them, but hidden under little paper flaps.  They can peek to see how to set up any part of the problem they want, or they can just check their answers.





This activity isn't for a grade, as that just encourages them to copy the answers without thinking about the process.  They know that tomorrow we're going to be doing a stoich lab, and if they don't understand the process, they won't be successful in their lab.  This is a problem for two reasons - they will lose points tomorrow on the lab AND the lab is edible.  If they don't calculate the quantities correctly, their drink will turn out disgusting.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll take some photos and blog a bit about our Fizzy Drink Stoichiometry Lab.  It was a big hit last year, and I'm really looking forward to trying it again.