by Carmen Burke
“…For
You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:13-14a).
Ask any sixth grader at Granite Classical Tutorials, and he’ll vouch for that
claim without hesitation. And how do I know?
I’m the tutor for 6th Grade Science—and we have the coolest
of all studies: The Human Body. Thanks to past tutor, Sharon Ihde, this class
is probably the most looked-forward-to course in Granite’s program. (And I am totally unbiased when I make that
unscientific observation!) Years ago she
had the idea to go “hands-on” with human body systems and, literally, brought
the cow to us. So where else can an 11-year-old carve open and examine real
gray matter? Or where—short of medical
school—can you trace the path of life with your own fingers through the
chambers of a flesh and blood heart?
Ever looked into an eye? I mean
really snipped one open and checked the iridescent inside of the mirrors of
one’s soul? We do it all in the 6th
grade.
“Marvelous
are your works, and that my soul
knows very well. My frame was not hidden
from You, when I was made in secret, and
skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (Psalm 139:15). Sixth grade science class is where it all
happens. Our course considers the human body as eleven distinct but related
systems, and real organs are used for study and dissection at least five times
a year for specific units of study. Yep,
bones, brains, hearts, eyes, and kidneys. Er…not people organs, but close representations from a variety of farm
animals—discarded, reclaimed, and sanitized for the pursuit of knowledge.
“Your
eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them”
(Psalm 139:16). An introductory study of the human body begins with cells, life’s microscopic
universal building blocks. And right off
the bat we’re having a ball with cake, candy, clay, and other cool combinations
as students create their cell models that we sometimes even consume! We continue with the skeletal system and a
look at bones, then on through the remaining organ systems that make up the
human body—muscular, sensory, digestive, and immune, to name a few. Occasionally, we rein in and delve into
serious readings on the vastly interesting history of medicine. (Believe us when we say, “Be ye thankful—things
have come a long, long way!”) Finally, so
as not to make it seem like too much fun, at the end of each unit, students are
required to research a disease or disorder of the organ system studied, and a
few times during the year, each is asked to present her report to the class. In the end, my sixth graders will tell you, “It’s
all fun in learning. Really! …But please, please, don’t tell Mrs.
Schult.”
