By CHS Students: Mikki Hastings and Brittany Garza
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013, Mr. Bradley's Advanced Biology class got the hands-on opportunity to dissect rats. Through this experience, they learned about the different body systems, and, structures of vertebrates and mammals. These students gained abundant knowledge about the functions of internal organs, glands, and how rats live.
This dissection led for a very positive progress filled hour and a half. Students had fantastic class discussion, and were able to assist each other in a variety of different ways. From helping others pin point organs in the rats, to taking pictures of this memorable experience, each individual was able to lend a helping hand to another student. Dissections like this allows learning to be brought to life and made unique, yet fun, in Mr. Bradley's class. Development, not only in educational skills, but also in social skills were built.
At Chadron high school, each student is blessed to have the opportunity to work, and be trained and taught, by very educated, helpful, caring, and motivated staff. Teachers open numerous doors to inspire children and lead them to success. Without the help of these staff, fantastic learning experiences and hands-on dissection like these would not be possible.
Students first started the dissection process by gathering all of their needed materials such as an apron, tray, gloves, dissection kit, and of course the victim the rat. Second, we laid the rat on to the tray and followed instructions that were given to us. We carefully cut the skin off the rat so we could see the muscular system. After pointing out different muscles we cut through the muscle system and looked inside the rat. There we located the different organs inside the rat such as the liver, kidneys, heart, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, etc. After locating the different systems inside threnody of a rat it was time for clean up. At the beginning of class we were very nervous to dissect a actual mammal, but at the end we were eager and ready to do the next dissection!
