North Shore students learn heart smarts

• Dissection

Nora Hubbard, Andrew Hulst and Ahni Johnson-Jennings look on as parent Mike Hubbard slices their deer heart open. Photo: LaReesa Sandretsky
• Dissection

Blayne Bruckelmyer, Jake Tikka and Brock Johnston inspect their deer heart closely. Photo: LaReesa Sandretsky
• Heart art

Robbie Tietge’s 5th grade science students drew and painted the cardiovascular system on T-shirts. Photo: Submitted

Talk about it

Last Thursday, fifth and sixth graders at North Shore Community School in Duluth Township dissected deer hearts as part of a unit on cardiovascular health. The dissection is an annual tradition and the students typically react well, according to their teacher Robbie Tietge. The deer hearts, which were donated by local hunters, serve as models for the students to learn about their own hearts, including how they function and what keeps a heart healthy.

The lesson is taught in conjunction with a physical education unit called “Jump Rope for Heart,” and the students painted models of hearts on t-shirts, thereby incorporating the lesson into their art curriculum.

Parents and community members volunteered to handle the knives during the lab, dissecting the hearts and guiding the students in their exploration of the organ.

Tags: deer hearts, north shore community school, science, health