Pros: Effective, Engaging, Saves Time, Grade Level Appropriate
Carolina Biologicals sheep brains are excellent for neuroscience outreach projects. I have used them in several outreach projects with people ranging in age from middle school students t adults. Because the sheep brain shares so many gross anatomical features with our own it never fails to captivate people of any age, and inevitably they bring up very interesting questions about their own brains- which are often difficult to answer! The interest of some is mitigated by their being "grossed-out" by the smell, look and feel of the brains- That being said, Carolina's sheep brains are SO MUCH LESS GROSS than other sheep brains I've dissected in the past- meaning people are less focused on being disgusted, and more open to learning something about the brain. In addition, brains with the dura intact are particularly interesting, as most views of the human brain in the media (or indeed any brain!) usually show it with the dura removed. But having the dura removed can save A LOT of time in the dissection, which is useful if you have a big group of middle-school kids working with the brains. In addition, with the dura removed the only tool necessary to dissect the brain is a blunt spatula, which is also useful for young kids. The packaging in bags is very useful if you are going to dissect the brains immediately, and don't want to have a large pail of perfect solution to dispose of- it does contain some formalin so don't pour it down the drain! Also, the pails can be QUITE difficult to open. Overall, I whole-heartedly recommend these brains as a simple and effective tool for teaching basic neuroanatomy.
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