Here’s the story in Ms. Wennerberg’s own words:
Dr. Ross teaches anatomy to students studying to be doctors. He offered to bring in human organs that were donated to science in order to help others learn. When I first shared this idea with my class, some were a bit hesitant, wondering if things would be gooey or gross.
After the first session seeing the entire human skeleton, the students were hooked. They became excited to have the opportunity each week to exam different parts of the human body up close. We were not only be able to see them up close, but we were be able to touch them and pick them up as we examined them.
Before distributing the organs, Dr. Ross gave us a description and function of each organ and the system it belonged to in our bodies. After examining the organs, we drew and labeled diagrams in our journal. Dr. Ross brought in examples of healthy as well as diseased organs. We helped the students see how the choices we make on a daily basis can impact the health of our bodies.
This was a once in a life time opportunity for us. We would like to thank Dr. Ross for his time, Science Alliance and the Oak Park Education Foundation for making this possible.
Ms. Wennerberg and her students
Make sure to check out our slideshow of photos here.