After dissecting fetal pigs, and holding the heart, identifying the different chambers, arteries, veins, and other parts, we can now really understand and can say how and where the blood enters the heart and then obtains oxygen from the lungs and then returns to the heart to be pumped throughout the body.
Don't take my word for it- check out these awesome kids in our class!Here are some videos of a few of our students identifying organs and discussing their uses and functions:
Circulatory System:
Richard explains the heart
Luke explains the heart
Casey explains the heart
Owen explains the heart
CJ explains the heart
For the Digestive system, we talked about how when we eat, food enters the mouth and goes down the esophagus. It then enters the stomach where stomach acid breaks it down. Then the small pieces of food (kime) move into the small intestine (which is actually 20-30 feet in humans when stretched out). In the small intestine, the nutrients get absorbed in the walls oft he small intestine and that nutrients is then sent into the blood. The left over food, now waste, moves to the large intestine. In the large intestine, water and salt are absorbed and then poop is made moving from the rectum to leave the body through the anus.
Many wonder what is the function of the liver. When the small intestine absorbs nutrients and sends that nutrients to the blood, the blood is sent to the liver. The liver cleans the blood to remove toxins. Once the blood is clean it can be sent throughout the body. Pigs have very large livers because they eat so much trash. They need to really clean their blood. A human liver is the largest whole organ in the body and can be the size of a football.
Digestive System:
Hayden explains the digestive system
Owen explains the digestive system
Richard explains the digestive system