Lansing Middle School students get hands-on experience with pig heart and lungs as part of science unit
Lansing Middle School students were given a hands-on experience when studying body systems this month, thanks to Physical Science teacher and Gifted Facilitator, Mr. Josh Yoakam. After finishing up a unit that focused on how the heart and lungs work together to get oxygen out to all parts of the body, Mr. Yoakam acquired pig hearts and lungs from Bichelmeyer Meats in Kansas City, KS and brought them to the middle school for the students to see the parts and how they function. The students were able to touch them and experience how different the heart and lungs feel. Seventh grade students in Stacey Jenkins and Stephanie Major's classes, as well as the gifted students in each grade, were also able to be a part of the lesson.
"It provided an opportunity for our kinesthetic learners to engage in a way that matches their learning style," said Mr. Yoakam. "When multiple senses are incorporated, students have the opportunity to build stronger connections with the material."
This is not the first time our middle school science students had the opportunity to experience the body systems in a hands-on way. Mr. Yoakam brought in a cow heart earlier this year, which allowed the students to see the difference between a 3 chamber heart and a 4 chamber heart.