Labs are held from September through April, excluding December, when most families are too busy to participate. In most of the following labs, students will dissect BOTH specimens unless otherwise noted. Families may purchase as many specimens as they wish. Students may also share with other families if desired, though I will not assign students "to share". Please see lab cost page for explanation of student lab fees . Each lab offered is a duplicate of the other labs. Students usually stay with the same class each month, though may switch according to space availability and, with instructor approval, if participants are ill, are to be out of town, etc., on their usual time and date. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED, PREFERABLY 10 DAYS IN ADVANCED TO ALLOW FOR ADEQUATE SPECIMEN ORDER TIME!
The SECOND Tuesday of each month 2 --a morning lab will meet from 9:00 a.m. until approximately 12 noon OR on the THIRD Tuesday of each month, a duplicate evening lab which meets from
6 p.m. until approximately 9 p.m.
SEPTEMBER
Lab 1—Intro to Dissection/Classification & Arthropod Dissection
This is a very important class because we will learn about classification, the various tools we will be using through the course of the year, and microscope work. We will also look at some of the preserved specimens of smaller animals which we will not be dissecting, but are, none the less, important. Both crayfish and grasshoppers are arthropods, and we will compare and contrast the similarities and differences. By the way, the grasshoppers we use are not our typical little Michigan ones, but these Lubber grasshoppers are usually 3+ inches long! We also see how metamorphosis occurs in the grasshopper.
Grasshopper $1.25 each AND Crayfish $ 2.25 each
OCTOBER
Lab 2—Mollusks
You may notice a pattern here—our specimens will get larger and more complex as the year goes on. Mollusks, though, come in quite a variety of sizes. During this lab we will learn about Mollusks, which include the snail, slug, clam, oyster, squid and octopus (as well as a few other odd creatures!). The specimens we will dissect are the clam and the awesome squid. Calamari, anyone?
Clam $ 3.85 each AND Squid $ 11.75 each
NOVEMBER
Lab 3—Birds
This lab is quite an awesome experience! Did you know that barn owls stomachs are able to sort the digestible from the indigestible parts of their prey? When the process is completed, they “upchuck” the non-digestible fur, feathers and bones in a neat little pellet. Our owl pellet supply source fumigates them, and then wraps them in foil before sending them on to us. (DO NOT try dissecting owl pellets you may find in the wild...they can carry some nasty diseases if not properly treated!) We will dissect and sort the bones onto bone guides to try to find out just what the owl had last eaten! During this lab we will also dissect preserved pigeons. The respiratory system of a bird is very unique, which allows it to efficiently fly for long periods of time. In addition, we will study a mounted pigeon skeleton (affectionately known as “Midge the Pidge”)—a truly unique part of creation!
Pigeon $ 19.50 each AND Owl Pellet $ 4.50 each
JANUARY
Lab 4—Fish
Of the three types of fish—bony, cartilaginous, and jawless—we will dissect the bony Perch or Freshwater Drum (according to availability) and the cartilaginous Dogfish Shark. This is generally a very popular lab because it’s not often one gets up close and personal with a shark. Even if it is only around 2-1/2 feet long, it is still a shark! In addition, we will examine a jawless fish—either a hagfish or a lamprey, as a well as one or two different ray specimens which show us what incredible creatures fish are.
Dogfish Shark $ 23.00 each AND Freshwater Drum $ 10.00 each
FEBRUARY
Lab 5—Reptiles & Amphibians
This lab never fails to awe the participant. We study materials on turtles, lizards, and crocodilians, and then we get to get to the real excitement—dissecting a turtle. Until you’ve had the opportunity to really study a turtle, it’s difficult to imagine how unique this creature is. Often we have at least one gravid (pregnant) female, complete with eggs in varying degrees of maturity. We also will take a close look at a preserved snake, a snake skeleton, a preserved crocodile head, and check out the metamorphosis of a common amphibian—the grass frog.
Turtle $ 22.00 each (One specimen only this month)
MARCH
Lab 6—Cardiopulmonary Lab and Heart Dissection
This lab typically runs longer than 3 hours. For students who have been studying the human body, this is an especially important month. In it we deal with many different hands-on facets, including:
Blood Typing—ABO & Rh factor Viewing Blood cells under the microscope Taking blood pressure, pulse and respiration Viewing models of obstructed veins & arteries Finding out how a heart attack happens—and what can be done about it Lung volume measurements Sheep heart dissection Examining a “sheep-pluck” (sheep lung, heart, trachea and larynx….all in one! and more!
Sheep heart $ 13.00 each
ABO Rh Blood testing $5.00/person (if desired)
APRIL
Lab 7—Mammal Dissection
As a year end wind-up, we go to the most complex animals—the mammals. Because of the high cost of the fetal pig ($20+) or cat ($40+), I have opted to offer students their choice of dissecting either a mink or a lab rat. Both are excellent examples of the mammal, and are also great specimens when studying basic musculature. By having various students doing one or the other during the same lab time, we get to further our knowledge of the varieties in life. Sorry—the minks’ fur has been harvested, which is why we can get them so reasonably priced! In addition to the dissection, students will be able to handle various mammal pelts, including coyote, skunk, mink, beaver, bobcat, and others. We will also view replicated wild animal tracks and scat. My most recent acquisition is a fully articulated and mounted rat skeleton!
Mink $ 18.50 each OR Rat $ 16.50 each
SEPTEMBER
2011
Sept 13--morning Sept 20 -- evening
OCTOBER 2011
Oct 11--morning
Oct 18--evening
NOVEMBER 2011
Nov 8--morning
Nov 15--evening
JANUARY 2012
Jan 10--morning
Jan 17--evening
FEBRUARY 2011
Feb 14--morning
Feb 21--evening
MARCH 2012
Mar 13--morning Mar 20--evening
APRIL 2012
Apr 10--morning
Apr 17-- evening
