No other class dives deeper into their school work than Marine Ecology.
Literally.
On Friday, April 12, Leesville’s second ever Marine Ecology class dissected a crayfish. In pairs, students followed the guidelines of a packet to cut open a preserved deceased crayfish.
“It smelled so bad, and I was really freaked out at first. After getting over the smell I enjoyed it though because it was really interesting. We had to rip its arms off! That was very strange, but by the time we had to cut its abdomen, it was easy,” said Abby Hilyer, senior.
Ms. Reathaford, Marine Ecology teacher, instructed students to pick up the supplies she laid out for them and to follow the directions on the packet. Tasks such as these require critical thinking from students.
“I think it is important for students to actually see what they are learning in class. It teaches students critical thinking because of the step-by-step process that must be followed for a successful dissection,” said Reathaford.
“I haven’t dissected anything since my freshman year biology class, so it was cool to do it again. It was fun, and it helped me understand its anatomy better. I was surprised to see that on the inside it all pretty much looked the same,” said Sarah Noga, senior.
The curriculum for Marine Ecology has two more dissections planned. Many students who signed up for the class signed up specifically for this reason.
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