Science Project

Our home school has been exciting. We have recently been studying Time, Space, and the Solar System. However, before we got to this unit, we studied the Brain.

This was an exciting unit for all of us. We got to dissect a brain and study the various parts of the brain. Here are some pictures of our experience.



Obviously this is not a human brain! This is a sheep's brain. Our curriculum called for a cow's brain. It also suggested that we get a fresh one. Ugh! All I could imagine was this slimy blood covered brain. No thank you!

Well, I called every butcher I could to see if they had a brain. No one had one. All the better for me. I found a place online that has preserved sheep brains and all the tools and instructions to help with dissecting a mammalian brain. You can look here for any supplies you need at Home Science Tools. I love this web site. It has tons of information that can help you understand just about any science project. I am now thinking of purchasing a new microscope from them. The one that we currently have, one person has to hold a flashlight under the slide while the other looks at the slide. Not fun!

After examining the cells under the microscope (see the flashlight?), we drew a picture of what we saw. Being that this was our first time slicing a sample to put under the scope, I don't think we did too badly. However, let me make a suggestion... if you decide to do this project, don't skimp on supplies by not buying a microtome. A microtome is designed to securely hold specimens and expose them in tiny increments so that they can be thinly sliced for slide preparation.

You guessed it... I don't have one, so I had to slice as thinly as possible with just a scalpel. Not easily done. I think by the third try I had a thin slice...yet we found that it was not thin enough.

Here is what we saw. Now remember, only a flashlight to light our slide... Although our sample was too thick... I think gave my boys a really cool show. In fact, they drew out what they saw...

This was an interesting experience for all of us! We learned all the different parts of the brain. We still have the brain! It is preserved in formaldehyde. My boys want to slice it in quarters and in every other direction... not to be sadistic, but learn about other parts that connect to the brain. I am not ready to "slice 'n' dice" yet.

Well, I hope to write more soon about our next adventure in home school.

See ya soon!!

Heidi