In an effort to try my hand at homeschooling, this semester I started doing some supplimental science projects with my kids. I ordered a dissection kit and each week we are tackling one marine creature.
This week it was the squid.
My background is in marine biology, so I was jazzed when the big box came…..several weeks ago. Then illness set in in one form or another, and I put it off for a sunny day when everyone was well.
The kids nagged me. You have never, ever heard such nagging.
First, I had them read about Cephalopods here.
Finally, the afternoon before Valentines day, I dragged out the squid, and we went after it!
We followed the dissection guide, and the kids were facinated by everything. They learned first hand how the squid propels itself through the water, what a siphon is, where the beak is located, what a squid gill looks like and how to tell if it was a boy or a girl squid (based on whether it had papille on its 4th left arm-yes, arm….they only have 2 tentacles, but 8 arms).
Even Mia enjoyed it.
At the dinner table that night, I asked Quinn to tell dad how a squid swims through the water, and he was able to tell Bill, using words such as mantle, syphon and ventral, dorsal and what not.
You know what? I loved it. I loved teaching my kids. I loved showing them something new and exciting. I also loved how it made my mind work like a scientist again……it has not done that in years so was a bit rusty.
I think that not only will this benifit the kids, but I think it will be good for me as well.
We pick one animal a week, and learn about it online, then via dissection.
If you are interested, I found the stuff here. Be sure and order the dissection guides as well if you order any single item specimens…..and get a kit that contains the dissection tools such as this one.
You will also need some latex gloves or something similiar. Household kitchen gloves work fine.
Next week we begin the shark. Yes, I said shark. I have one in my downstairs laundry room. That and a clam, fish, frog, sea sponge, crawfish and a few other fun things!
Have fun!
Parting shot…..Bill, surfing somewhere in Mexico…I think La Ticla
I’m the English person; my husband is the scientist. When I started reading your post, that dissection smell came right back to me. I absolutey hated biology class, especially the frog dissection. Yeech. My sister, an animal rights person who refused to do dissections in H.S. used a computer program that the school purchased for her. She had to do virtual dissections and she said she learned from that too. Maybe when you run out of real ones, you could use something like that for animals you can’t get a hold of. While I admire your efforts, I think I’ll stick to acting out Caesar or something.
I loved the dissection part of all my science classes. You’re on your way to inspiring future biologists. I’ve been wondering about homeschooling as a way to teach my girls more english. It’s possible to do just part of the curriculum?
oh that is so cool!
I’m too squicked out to dissect things. I have friends who mummify and dissect, but ick. We’ll have to come to your house for that if we move down there!
You will so rock as a teacher!
Going on four years I’ve been doing it, and no dissections yet. I’d like to get some owl pellets, though. That would be a riot.
That is so awesome! I plan to avoid the dissection part of schooling by finding some other homeschooling mom to host dissection parties at her house. Ew.
Ewwww. You are a brave mommy. I didn’t like dissection in high school and deliberatly didn’t take biology in college to avoid having to cut open a baby pig. I don’t have that strong of a stomach especially after four rounds of morning sickness.
It is fun to teach your kids though isn’t it!? I love helping them discover new things. Fun!