Interactive ways to teach human anatomy

The human body is a complicated subject to both teach and learn. How our bones, muscles and systems interconnect is required knowledge in anatomy class, but there’s only so much you can memorize from a textbook. Luckily, the incredible science teachers in Collierville’s middle and high schools brainstormed some creative ways to help their students learn all about anatomy and reached out to CEF to fulfill these ideas. CEF is proud to support these unique lessons with new grant materials.

Mr. Skeleton Bones

Angela Whitmore-High at Collierville High School received a full-sized, anatomically correct skeleton model. The life-size model encourages interactive lessons and piques students’ curiosity in anatomy. By the end of the semester, students are required to name every bone in the body. With the skeleton model, students physically point out and name each bone. The classroom model helps visual learners see the skeleton up close, rather than trying to memorize from a textbook chart. The skeleton model, now known as Mr. Skeleton Bones to Angela’s class, will be used for many years and lessons to come.

A Heartbeat Away

Monique McKinstry, also a Collierville High School science teacher, discovered a way to personalize a lab for her students. In her anatomy and physiology class, students can analyze their own electrocardiogram, or ECG. Her students spend several weeks examining the heart, its associated blood vessels and common heart pathologies. When they complete the lab, they find a link between the recorded electrical signals to the part of the heart that produces the heartbeat. It’s interesting for students to practice what they’ve been taught in a relatable way. The ECG machines Monique received are portable, so they can easily travel in between classrooms, giving more students access to this special equipment.

Exploring organ systems with stethoscopes

CEF gifted Natalee Wilkinson’s seventh grade class 60 stethoscopes to study the different body systems and their functions. The West Collierville Middle School students get the unique opportunity to actually practice using the stethoscopes on themselves. The stethoscopes fit perfectly with the “medical detectives” unit of seventh grade STEM courses. This grant helps enrich middle school science curriculum, inspiring students to take anatomy classes when they reach high school.

If you’re interested in learning more about the unique grants we’ve gifted to teachers in Collierville, check out our other blogs!