The students of Susan Monahan’s AP Biology course recently took a break from the classroom and went on a field trip to the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center. Trip attendees had the chance to compare their own anatomy to a sand shark in a dissection and study the internal and external anatomy of a vertebrate commonly found in Long Island waters.
“My students studied human systems in class, so they could relate what they have learned and apply their knowledge of comparative anatomy to a real specimen,” Monahan shared. As a part of the dissection students removed the liver of the shark to test its buoyancy/oil content and then dissected the contents of the stomach to determine the shark’s last meal.
“The students were then taken on a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium,” said Monahan, “where they saw the coral and anemone culture beds, a close up look at the shark tank, and got an in-depth look at the other tanks in the main aquarium.”
The District would like to thank the Aquarium for being a “partner in education” with RCSD students.
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Source: Press release issued by Riverhead Central School District, May 29.
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