Freshman biology classes taught by Dan Lipin and Ryan Brewer recently completed their annual sheep heart dissections in addition to a full-body frog dissection earlier in the year. 

These hands-on experiences not only allow students to see the inner workings of organs but also encourage them to engage in the learning process. Lipin, for example, asked his students to film an informative video detailing their dissections.

“Their instructions were to record a video where they talked me through the outside and the inside of the heart,” Lipin said. “Then, they had to pass probes through the different areas to demonstrate their understanding.”

Although labs may sometimes feel dull, Lipin believes that hands-on experiences are important for visualization and overall understanding.

“No matter how much you look at a heart in a picture, you can’t appreciate its three-dimensional structure without holding it, touching it and passing probes through different spots,” Lipin said.

There is a surprising amount of thought that goes into each of these labs — every assignment has its own purpose in the curriculum.

“You have to judge the value of the experience with the benefit that it (provides),” Lipin said.

Regardless, the heart dissection has proven to such a valuable lab that it will likely become a staple of future ninth grade biology classes.

“(The lab) is just fascinating,” Lipin said. “I’ve heard from many students that they consider (the dissection) to be one of the more enjoyable labs.”