During a field trip on Tuesday, May 14, Kent School biology students had the opportunity to utilize the knowledge they had acquired in the classroom. At the “Real Bodies” exhibit at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, Connecticut, cadavers — the scientific name for dead human bodies —were strung up in a variety of positions and orientations for students to learn more about human anatomy.

Along with the various different formats of dissection, most of the bodies have had their skin and some layers of their top muscle removed so that the audience, often consisting of local schoolchildren, can see major muscles, tissues, and organs. A group of about one hundred students from the Biology, Honors Biology, A.P. Biology, and Anatomy courses of Mr. Eric Houston ’80, Mr. Connor Wells, Mr. Jeremy Sokolnicki, Ms. Hannah Gousse, and Mr. Andrew McCloskey left the Kent School campus around 8:00 A.M., and drove the one hour, twenty minutes to the Hartford-based STEM center.

There, they completed worksheets on the various bodily systems which were showcased in the exhibit, from the skeletal system to the reproductive system. Additionally, they learnt about some of the techniques used to preserve these bodies, which often include plasticization through a polymer coat in order to keep organic material well preserved.

Shortly after they finished their activities regarding the dissection of the human body, Kent School students were allowed to explore the rest of the famed Connecticut Science Center. The CSC had exhibits on topics from flight to forensics, so many students enjoyed the extra time. Others, however, chose to spend the extra time at the in-house Subway before returning to Kent for an educational activity period.