Erin Parlett takes a closer look at parts of a dissected squid while her lab mates, clockwise from left, Jodie Parlett, Alison Inderrieden and Mary Kate Dinneen listen to her observations and await their turn. The squid dissection was just one of the activities the girls and their camp mates participated in during their Land and Sea Adventure class, part of CSM’s Kid College and Teen College offerings. Photo courtesy CSM.
LA PLATA, Md. - The students are surrounded by science: jars of pickled animals, plastic worm segments, an abandoned wasp nest, milkweed pods, charts and diagrams. Yet, despite all of the potential distractions, the students are huddled together and focused on a dead fish.
As part of the College of Southern Maryland's Teen College offerings, the Land and Sea Adventure class explored the wonders of the natural world - the things they could readily see and the workings below the surface. The class of 22 students delved into the life sciences by performing lab tests to determine whether common foods contained starches or lipids (fat), and walking a horse trail to identify regional plant and animal species. They learned how to use real scientific tools including beakers, slides and three types of microscopes, and they participated in the penultimate scientific task, dissection.
From left, CSM Land and Sea Adventure students Robert Geomaere, Joseph Parker and Johnna Harris demonstrate the stretchiness of Atlantic Croaker intestines to camp counselor and Jack Parker. Fish dissection was just one of several dozen life science activities students participated in during the week.
"What is that green stuff?"
"That's the remnants of the fish's last meal," answered instructor Ron Thomas, a.k.a. Mr. T, as he helped the students identify the internal organs. Prior to cutting, the students used marker pins to identify the external parts of the fish. This was the second dissection for the class, having dissected a squid two days before.
"I try to teach the students that even though all plants and animals are made of the same building blocks such as carbon and amino acids, and many animals share the same type of organs (heart, brain, stomach), there is a great deal of diversity to be discovered and it is really elegant when you think about it," said Thomas.
"Brandon (Spangler), look under the gill cover; it's nasty," said Paige Beck.
"I want to be a veterinarian," Beck said. "I like naming the parts and learning how they work. I have three cats, a dog and 10 fish at home. I have dissected a frog, a mouse, a cat and a couple other things in my grandma's lab at Westlake High School," Beck continued, before turning to help her lab mates.
From left, students Jared Lohnes and Brandon Spangler examine the inner workings of a gill flap as part of their Land and Sea Adventure, Teen College class at the College of Southern Maryland. The college offers over one hundred summer enrichment courses for students ages 5 - 18 at their Leonardtown, Prince Frederick and La Plata campuses.
"Mr. T, I think I found the intestine," Joseph Parker pronounced with delight as he pinched the thick, purply-gray mass with his gloved fingers and stretched it up near his head.
"I get to poke the (identification) pin in the stomach," a student noted, as Weber Geomaere sat at a nearby table and examined a pile of organs. "That other table split open the stomach, why didn't we do that?" he asked, and soon all four were hovered over the other lab teams table examining the green, sticky goo inside.
At another table, Erin Parlett convinced her sister, Jodie, to peek into their fish's mouth. "Look at its tiny teeth. There are so many, and they're really close together."
"We're busting out the eye," announced Abigail Oesterling, who sat at the next table.
Meanwhile, the future veterinarian was holding her dissection pan out to show the class. "Isn't it cool? I took out all the organs," Beck said with a huge smile.
"I think I preferred dissecting the squid," said her lab mate Emily Bailey, as she wrinkled her nose.
The College of Southern Maryland's Kids' College and Teen College offer more than 100 summer enrichment programs for students ages 5 - 18. Classes are offered at CSM's La Plata, Prince Frederick and Leonardtown campuses with schedules that allow for morning, afternoon or all day attendance. Class fields include engineering and information technology, arts and crafts, health and medical, personal development, foreign language, sports and athletics and math, and encourage an engaging, hands-on summer of fun. For information on the Land and Sea Adventure or other CSM Kid/Teen College classes call 301-934-7634 or 301-870-3008, Ext. 7634 for Charles County; 240-725-5499, Ext. 7634 for St. Mary's County or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7634 for Calvert County or visit http://www.csmd.edu/KidsCollege/.