Animal Physiology
Rising Grades 7 to 9
Dissect preserved specimens to learn about anatomy, physiology, and organ structures.
This course is ideal for students who are fascinated by how bodies work and are eager to understand how different species survive, move, and adapt. It'd for students who enjoy hands-on exploration, detailed observation, and discovering the connections between structure and function in living organisms. Students build confidence as they study anatomy, physiology, and evolution through direct investigation.
Students compare body systems across many species and uncover how animals evolve specialized structures for their environments. Through a series of guided dissections including earthworms, grasshoppers, crayfish, perch, frogs, sharks, and rats, they examine organ systems, adaptations, and evolutionary patterns. They reconstruct skeletons, analyze tissues, explore musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems, and investigate how environmental pressures shape physiology. Each activity deepens their understanding of biodiversity and the science behind animal form and function.
Families receive photos and videos capturing students’ lab work, dissections, and comparative anatomy projects. Students leave the course with stronger scientific skills, a clearer understanding of animal biology, and excitement about studying life sciences at a deeper level.
"This was a well-run and interesting course. My daughter enjoyed the experiential learning, particularly the dissections."
- Robin and Louis S, Reston, VA
"The dissection was a blast."
- Andrew L, Arlington, VA
"My 12-year-old son loved this class and came home every day excited about what he had done at camp."
- Tom M, Herndon, VA