Let’s Talk Science volunteer Nina Milidrag (l.) helped the sixth grader Morgan Curtis (r.) examine a sheep’s brain during St. Anthony Catholic School’s field visit to UWindsor, June 17. Let’s Talk Science volunteer Nina Milidrag (l.) helped the sixth grader Morgan Curtis (r.) examine a sheep’s brain during St. Anthony Catholic School’s field visit to UWindsor, June 17.

Grade school students explore biology at UWindsor

Morgan Curtis, a sixth grader at St. Anthony Catholic School in Harrow, got her hands on a sheep’s brain for the first time during a field trip to UWindsor’s Biology Learning Centre, Wednesday, June 17.

“I only saw fake models before; this felt squishy,” says Curtis. “I saw where the spinal cord is attached and what is inside the brain. We also learned about the nervous system—it is very cool.”

Through fun neuroscience activities led by science teaching and learning specialist and tutor Kirsten Poling and with the support of Let’s Talk Science volunteers, students were introduced to what stress does to the brain, hormones and heart.

“We had students do a couple of activities were they pretended to be either brain cells or the body passing hormones to visualize how stress effects the body,” says Dr. Poling. “They also did a couple of counting races and measured their heart beat rates and electricity using physiology equipment.”

Teacher John Lee arranged for his students to visit UWindsor. He says he wanted to find an opportunity where students would become more comfortable with post-secondary education, and learn about science at the same time.

“I wanted students to see that the university is not a mysterious place: it is a possible reality for them," says Lee.