The 4th graders started their day last week playing a brain anatomy-themed game called -Ectomy. They then analyzed what worked about the game and what didn't, and we used that to develop success criteria for them to design their own brain anatomy games. The games needed to teach about brain anatomy or function, aid in memorization, be fun and easy to understand, and include clearly written instructions. We were able to test out a couple of the games and practice giving positive and productive feedback at the end of the day.

This week, we spent the first half of class playing and providing feedback for the rest of the students' brain games. Before lunch the 4th graders took a brain anatomy post assessment, which they will compare to their pre-assessments next week. THen after lunch we FINALLY completed the sheep brain dissection. The students did a great job following safety instructions and even got to pursue some of their own curiosities at the end of the lab. This will definitely be an experience they will never forget! Dissection photos can be found (or skipped) at the very bottom of the page.

If you'd like to check out any photos from my Thanksgiving trip to Panama, you can find them on the site home page.