Kestrel Class Dissect Pigs' Hearts - November 2022
As part of Kestrel Class's science unit for this term, The Circulatory System, we were lucky enough to welcome Clare Fox and James Ferguson into the school for a hands on practical afternoon involving pig plucks and hearts. We began the afternoon by considering the relative position of the heart in relation to other organs including the trachea and the lungs by observation of a pig's pluck. Mr Ferguson seemed to thoroughly enjoy inflating the lungs using a straw, not something we all rushed to do! When handed our own pig's heart to explore, some of us were a little apprehensive but we became more and more adventurous as the session evolved. Here we are identifying and exploring the aorta, the vena cava and comparing the thickness of the right and left ventricle. We asked whether the tricuspid valve was composed of three separate valves or three valve leaflets and found ourselves 'digging deep' to reveal that it does indeed have three leaflets. How cool to be able to answer our scientific questions through a hands on experience. With resident experts Mrs Fox and Mr Ferguson on hand to guide both our scalpel blades and our eyes, a truly informative, inciteful and inspiring afternoon was had by all!
