Image created with Canva.

Please note: Images of the dissection are included at the bottom of this article. Viewer discretion advised.

On Friday, October 25th, 2024, students in Mrs. Lori Kretten’s Fundamentals of Psychology Honors class had the opportunity to dissect sheep brains. This incredible experience occurred during the Biology unit of the course where students explored the link between brain structures and functions. 

Through this experience, students were able to visualize and identify important structures within the sheep brains to apply their knowledge. By observing the brain’s many structures, students gained insight into the influence of different regions on behavior and cognition. This opportunity allowed students to apply their knowledge, visualize information, and participate in an enhanced hands-on learning opportunity. 

During the dissection, students focused on the parts of the brain previously studied in class including the pineal body, thalamus, ventricles, corpus callosum, gyrus, olfactory bulb, optic nerve, hypothalamus, hypophysis, midbrain, pons, medulla, spinal cord, central canal, cerebellum, and cerebral aqueduct. Mrs. Kretten said, “I love to do activities where we can reinforce what we talked about [in class] and really bring it to life.”

Students taking the course were excited to apply their knowledge to the dissection. Kassy Patino ‘25 said that the dissection allowed her to visualize what she had learned in class. Patino said, “I was excited to be able to see all the structures and their connections with one another […] distinguishing between the functions and the different areas of the brain made me feel empowered by knowledge gained in class.”

Katherine Chandler ‘26 said, “We got to truly see what we had been learning in class and apply it to real-life examples.” Even though Chandler had never completed a physical dissection she said, “I was interested to see how it would go [and] Mrs. Kretten gave very helpful instructions that eased the process.” 

Mrs. Kretten said, “[The Dissection] encapsulates learning: we talk about [various concepts], learn about [various concepts], and do activities but to be able to participate in experiential and hands-on learning and truly apply these concepts is incredible.” After being able to participate in this incredible opportunity, Patino said, “I encourage [students not to be] scared away by the smell– the experience is worth it!” 

This wonderful opportunity not only enhanced students’ understanding of the brain and various structures but further evoked curiosity and passion. Allowing students to apply their knowledge, the dissection encouraged exploration and learning through engagement in hands-on experiential learning.