Cassady Bleskie, Ponoka Outreach School:
“I see dead people!” This is not necessarily the thing you want to find your kid running home to tell you after a school field trip. Not to worry; it’s not as bad as it sounds. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, students of the Ponoka Outreach School attended the “Body Worlds” exhibit located at the TELUS World of Science - Edmonton.
Trip organizers promised an exciting and breathtaking opportunity for all students to enjoy. The turnout was very impressive, considering the entire concept of Body Worlds has that “icky factor”, though most students didn’t seem to mind. It is an exhibition that has been viewed by more than 17 million people worldwide as of Oct. 1. All anatomical specimens on display in the Body Worlds exhibitions belonged to people who had donated their bodies to science and research upon their untimely demise. So, it is safe to say no graves have been dug up in the process, as it is no secret that the thought has probably crossed a few minds.
Body Worlds is a highly informative exhibit that goes a long way towards the teaching of anatomy, physiology and health. The unique form of body preservation makes it all possible. The process, known as plastination, was developed by Dr. Gunther Von Hagens, a German anatomist, in the late 1970s. It’s a very time consuming process, but the results are amazing.
All who attended this great field trip had a great time and learned a lot. Mr. Halbert is a teacher at Ponoka Outreach School, and was one of the trip organizers. “I think the students were in complete awe as the mysteries of the human body were unraveled before their eyes,” he said.
He’s right – the students really did find it fascinating. Keenan Cattleman, a junior high student, was very impressed, stating, “It was pretty cool. I got to see the insides of human bodies. I thought it was interesting also because I got to see the insides of a horse. I think everybody should go see it because it’s really interesting.”
Ponoka Outreach students have a great reputation for excellent behavior on field trips, and our trip to Body Worlds was no exception. Mr. Lewis, acting principal, commented: “I was really impressed with our students, that they took the time to read the information in the displays. They paid close attention to the effects of smoking. When they saw black lungs and diseased hearts, it seemed to really hit home.”
Learning opportunities of every kind are important at the Ponoka Outreach School. Mr. Hrycan, principal, believes that our students leave our school with an exceptionally good, well-rounded education for life, and field trips are big part of that success. “Field trips are an important aspect of our students becoming more knowledgeable while learning life skills. The Outreach School involves students not only in academics but in becoming quality citizens.”
We all look forward to future field trips. We’d like to thank all the trip organizers and supervisors for doing another excellent job on a very memorable trip.