Biology Students Dissect Worms and Crayfish

Ninth graders taking Mr. Hatfield’s biology class this year got to see what worms look like on the inside when they did dissections on Thursday, February 14th.  According to Dylan Park, a ninth grader at Springville Junior High, ironically enough, they dissected their worms on Valentine’s Day.  It was a long-awaited day for many SJHS students. In fact, according to Betsy Vega, another ninth grader at SJHS, the date for the worm dissection was pushed back about two weeks.  After dissecting the worms, the classes also got to dissect crayfish on the 21st of February. 

According to Mr. Hatfield, his students first got an introduction to the subject and then learned how to cut the worms open.  From there, they learned what to look for inside the worm, such as the brain.  Finally, they got to start dissecting.  The students had to be very careful when opening the worms.  “We had to scratch open the worms with pins,” said Allyson Smith, a ninth grader at SJHS.  Though getting to dissect worms can be very thrilling, it wasn’t just for fun.  “The purpose [of the activity] was to help students to learn what the anatomy and systems of worms look like, and how they develop as living things as they become more complex,” said Mr. Hatfield, who does the activity with his biology students almost every year.

SJHS students may have noticed that Mr. Hatfield’s room smelled a little bit like pickles on February 14th.  According to Mr. Hatfield, that is because the worms must be preserved in vinegar before being dissected.  “I ate a few of the worms; they were delicious,” joked Dylan Park.  Even though the biology class is done dissecting worms and crayfish, they still have a few more dissections to look forward to, including rats and frogs.