Dissection Time!

Around ten years ago, we embarked on rather an adventure, using the KONOS curriculum.  We enjoyed it - the curriculum has some fantastic suggestions for hands-on activities, and we can all still remember building a castle out of boxes and creating a huge, crawl-through model of the ear.

One experiment that we did not do, however, was dissecting an eye.  There is no way I could have stomached it, and my girls thought the whole thing would be 'disgusting'.  I can't say I was sorry.

Fast forward ten years.  Now I have a twelve year old who simply loves that sort of thing!  When I stupidly mentioned dissecting an eye one day, she jumped at the chance!

Next step - going into the butcher to order one.  THAT took a while.  We live in a small town, and the people think we are nuts already -

1 - for having a large family, and

2 - because we homeschool (how dare we do that, when we have a perfectly good school in our town??)


But eventually, I worked up the courage and waltzed into the butcher to order our meat, and while there, I asked for the eyes as well.  All the guys froze - 'Did you say the eyes?'   Yep - we're doomed to be weirdos for life now!  I did explain what I wanted it for, but still...

Anyway, the eyes arrived.  I had hoped for a cow's eye, but I got pigs eyes instead - smaller, but we'd make do.

After a few weeks of looking at me whenever I opened the freezer,  I finally worked up the strength and courage to pull them out, and begin the experiment.  My Lizzie was delighted!  And she had a ball sifting through all the bits, and putting the empty shell on her finger afterwards.  (Yuk, yuk, yuk!)  I was quite grossed out by the end of it, and very keen to literally wash my hands of it all!

 

But, at least that is done, and I can finally tick it off our 'to do' list.  Actually, there are still two more eyes in the freezer - might just keep them aside in case someone visits that I really don't like - I'm sure they'll come in handy!  :)


Linda.