The Brain Dissection

We finished up our ExploraVision projects with a sheep's brain dissection. Of course no brain dissection is complete without some food first! First pizza, then brain dissection.

Image is from our co-op's site: I-HOPE. Used with permission.

The sheep's brain honestly felt much smoother then what any of us imagine. That really was a shock for all of us. Even the outside of the brain where it looks all wrinkly was relatively smooth.

Doing the ExploraVision project hasn't been exactly easy for us, however I'm glad we decided to do it. Web-princess and Superstar really did get to learn a lot about the brain, ADD, ADHD, cochlear implants, and other learning disabilities and what effect they have on the human brain.  Dissecting the sheep's brain was just icing on the cake so to speak. After spending weeks learning about the different lobes and their functions they got to see the different lobes on a real brain!

ExploraVision!

My world has been slightly consumed with ExlporaVision! Hopefully the team projects will be done this week and life can go back to somewhat of a normal life! LOL What is ExploraVision? ExploraVision is a science competition that encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. It's a hands-on, minds-on project that inspires students and fuels imagination. The competition is sponsored by Toshiba and NSTA. First place teams will receive a $10,000 savings bond for each child on the team. National finalist will also recieve a trip to Washington DC.

This has been a good and fun project for the kids and I. It has really stretch us! I'm coaching a K-3 team. I can't share exactly what the project is, but I can tell you it involves AIR! It's amazing to see what these girls have come up with in regards to air.

Web-Princess and Superstar are on the same team. Their team consist of kids of a more broader age range. The oldest child in their group is in 7th grade. So even though Web-Princess and Superstar are in 4th/3rd their project will be competing in the 7th-9th grade age range. It's totally acceptable that their group has that wide age range, but it also means they have to compete in the grade level as the oldest child. I can't share much about their project either. I can just say it involves the brain and on Friday we will be dissecting a sheep's brain!!!

Seeing it's a group project we are going to be dissecting the brain with the group! We will be doing this Friday Night. It will be a pizza and dissecting party! That's going to be fun!!!!!!

Watching Molly The Barn Owl

Sometimes sitting around the computer can be tough, that's why I'm thankful we have the computers and TV that allow us to hook up the the TV to the computer. So what's on the computer screen shows up on the TV. The kids enjoy setting on the couch much more then trying to squeeze around the computer.

Our TV was bought in 2003 so it's not like it's super new. Our computer is a few years old too. It just so happens they both have s-video capabilities and we just connect the 2 with a s-video cable. In addition we connect sound with a sound cable that connect into the computers headset output and into the TV's left and right sound input.

You really can't see the connection I mention above, they are both connected into the back of the TV and that back of the computer. The wires in the front are for the playstation 2 or the VCR. We could connect the VCR in the back, but would have to unconnected it anytime we wanted to use this set up with the computer. So for us it's better to connect the VCR into the front as needed.

We only have 2 video inputs in the back of the TV and only one has th s-video option. So we use that for the computer and the 2nd on in the back for the DVD. Then the one in the front for either the playstation 2 or the VCR. Whatever we are using at the time. We don't have the computer connect to the TV all the time, it's just easier to leave the wires connected and use them as needed then to try to reach behind there.

Right now we are watching Molly the Barn Owl that way. In the past we have done things like virtual dissection.

Science: Animal Dissections

A while back I did a post about virtual dissections. Thanks to the archives and this IM box in my side bar:

this is just a picture taken from the right hand side bar.

I was able to learn about a NEW site (NEW TO ME) that allows people to buy dissection kits at an affordable price: Home Science Tool.  (The dissections kits are listed here)

How was the IM box and the archived post able to help me? Well I had a visitor and she was viewing the virtual dissection post and decided to IM me to ask if I knew about Home Science Tool, etc. Pretty cool, uh?

Okay, so that may not be the sole reason she IM'd today, but it was one of things we talked about today :)

UPDATE 10/18/09: FYI: I have removed the IM chat box from the site. You can still contact me via email. Just click on the contact button above. :)

Frog and Toad

We had a little visitor in our yard over the weekend. Seeing this little toad (both pictures are of the same toad) gave me a chance to explain to the kids the difference between Frogs and Toads. Even DH learned a thing or two.

While observing the toad DS was able to point some thing out on him that he seen on the virtual frog dissection. DH was impressed!

Dissection: frogs, cow eyes, squids, oh my!

Granted my kids are still a little young for those dissection labs, or are they?? Hmm, after becoming aware of this VIRTUAL dissection tool, I'm starting to wonder. I came across Froguts yesterday, during my internet surfing.

Froguts states that their home program ($30 per year) can be used as a stand alone instructional tool, it can be used as a cost effective alternative to dissection materials and specimens, and can be repeated as necessary. However, as a supplement to actual dissection, our service helps students make the most of their limited laboratory time and improves their level of comprehension.

I've done their demo. At first I was a little lost, but very soon I got it! Of course the demo was very limited and I wasn't able to get the whole perspective of what the product has to offer. However, based on what I was able to do with the demo I think it can be very helpful and a good tool for those homeschoolers that are need of labs! Or for those homeschoolers that are wanting to dissect things.

I don't think there is much difference between the home version or school version other then cost. Clearly a home subscriber isn't going to need the product loaded a bunch of computers. The fact that they give the home subscriber the ability to load the program on not 1 but 3 computers is a good deal for me. Not to mention that you can use the program for a whole year and do each dissection as often as you like during that year. So if you have multiple kids no big deal, they each can take the time to do their own dissection! That's a big benefit too!

The fact that you are allowed to do a dissection multiple times to me seems like a good deal. Each kid can do their own virtual dissection, or the child can do it over again and again and again. Some kids get more out of something if they can do it again and again and again.

The only downside I see is the fact it's virtual. Can't touch the item, no funny smells, no messy clean ups, not worrying about the 2 year old getting a hold of the specimen. Well, maybe they aren't downsides unless you really WANT those things! So check froguts out!