Set Expectations

The day before dissection day, spend some time reviewing by showing specimen photos or videos, demonstrating the proper use of tools, and going over lab safety rules. Share a classroom horror story (like the kid who thought pretending to eat part of a sheep eye specimen was hilarious) – and let it highlight exactly why lab behavior matters.

At the beginning of the year and even before each dissection, consider having students sign a safety/behavior contract, and remind them that dissection is a privilege, not a right. Anyone who acts out can be moved to another assignment – and nobody wants that. Here’s a perfect lab safety contract (printed two per page) for dissection days that’s all yours to download:

Teacher Tip: Frame safety rules with a little humor. Kids will remember—and respect—them more.

Quiz, Then Team Up

Another dissection day best practice is to wrap up your prep day with a quick quiz covering dissection and lab safety, and toss in some questions about the organism’s classification. Use your quiz results to create balanced groups of leaders and kiddos that need a little support – depending on your class size, stick to 6-7 groups total or the chaos will grow exponentially. 

Dissect in Phases (for Your Sanity)

Just. Don’t. Don’t try to cram the entire dissection into one block (unless you somehow have a two-hour block of time). Split your dissection into two days – avoid scalpels if possible – just scissors, pins, probes, and forceps.

• Day One: Focus on the external anatomy. One life-saving technique is to have a checklist to help guide students in identifying and keeping track of external features, as well as having their models or notes handy. Once they’re ready, come by and verbally quiz them, asking each student to identify something. If they are struggling, let them “phone a friend” and ask a group mate for assistance. Initial their checklist and let them move on with their exploration. Wrap up with cleanup and store specimens in plastic bags.

• Day Two: Stick with the same groups. Start with a quick safety reminder, then move into internal anatomy. Use the same flow—explore, quiz, cleanup, store.

Why it Works: Students learn more deeply, and you keep control of the pace. Breaking it up gives students more time to digest (pun intended!) what they’re learning, and gives you less mayhem to juggle at once, and the verbal quizzes take the pressure off of the kids to know everything right then and there, while still allowing you to make informal assessments of their learning experience.

Test in Style—On Your Terms

The best advice for lab practical days is to keep the specimen that the kids dissected (if they didn’t destroy them). Create stations around the room, keep specimen moist with damp paper towels, and clearly pin internal and external parts for identification. Add some 3-D paper models into your station rotations as a way to test your students on their assignment as well. Some helpful differentiation ideas and best practices:

• Offer a multiple-choice or word-bank format for students who need support.

• Challenge advanced learners with short-answer questions.

• Rotate groups through stations every couple of minutes- keeps the pace snappy and the focus sharp.

What If Students Can’t (or Don’t Want to) Dissect?

In my first year of teaching, I had a student who refused to dissect, and I think it’s important to respect the fact that not every student is comfortable with dissection… that’s okay. Be prepared with alternative options that provide a similar learning experience like:

• Virtual dissection tools

• A detailed 3D model like a paper dissection model from Inside Out

• A step-by-step video walk-through

This ensures all students learn the anatomy—even if they’re not hands-on with a specimen.

Classroom Management Hacks That Save Your Sanity

Dissections are messy, no way around it. But you can minimize the chaos with a few simple systems:

• Have a set method for completing dissection. Using a dissection exploration template like the one below will surely keep your dissections on track.

• Pre-label cleanup stations and assign jobs (wiper, sprayer, bag-sealer).

• Have a dedicated “specimen trash” bin.

• Stock each station with extra gloves and paper towels so you’re not running around like crazy.

• Keep a stock of hair-ties for your students with long hair. 
• Laminate checklists so that they can be reused and wiped between classes – saves on paper!

Your future self will thank you…

Make It Memorable with Reflection

A great way to wrap up your dissection is to ask students to pause and reflect. A quick 5–10 minute activity will help to make the experience stick:

• Have them sketch one organ and label it.

• Ask: “What’s one similarity you noticed between this specimen and humans?”

• Or try: “What surprised you most about this dissection?”

These little reflections turn a hands-on activity into a true learning moment.

Things will get a little messy, and that’s totally normal! The goal isn’t a picture-perfect dissection, it’s bringing those dissection day best practices to your classroom and giving your students a chance to explore, ask questions, and see the incredible connections between themselves and the organisms they are exploring. Lean into the chaos—it’s all part of the magic. Your students will remember the experience, and you’ll walk away knowing you turned what could’ve been mayhem into a memorable learning adventure.

Getting ready for your first frog dissection? Check out this blog post on how to prepare your students for their very first frog dissection!

I know… I’ve been where you are. You want to give your students the excitement of a real dissection — minus the budget headaches, chemical smells, and risk of finding a stray specimen part under a desk three days later thanks to the chaos of dissection days. That’s where hands-on paper dissection alternatives, or Scienstructables™, come in. Dissection can be hard just in and of itself, and I get it… and then there’s all the other stuff…

• Maybe your school can’t afford enough specimens for every student, or even enough for you to dissect in groups.
• Maybe there’s a few kids in your class who prefer a humane dissection alternative to or can’t participate for personal or religious reasons.
• Or maybe you’re a homeschool parent who’d love to bring real science into your house without wearing all the hazmat gear and dealing with disposal nightmares.

It’s for these reasons and more that Inside Out Science (with roots in Getting Nerdy) continues to design paper dissection Scienstructable™ models for every learner. The hands-on, anatomically accurate experience you crave, with the ability to be used anytime, anywhere. Now you can give your students an authentic, interactive anatomy experience without the mess, expense, or time constraints of traditional labs.

What’s Inside a Paper Dissection Model Lesson

Use them for:

• Dissection-free exploration for those who opt out, are absent or prefer a humane dissection alternative

• Pre-dissection preparation so students know where to make incisions and what they’re looking at throughout their entire experience

• Summative assessments for anatomy units in class or at home

Why Teachers (and Students) Love Them

Mess-Free Learning

Dissections are one of those milestone activities that all students either look forward to or dread when they hit middle school; however, they can be a lot. From the smell of preservatives to the scramble for goggles and gloves, making sure there’s only one pair of hands in a tray at a time, to trying to figure out what you’re actually looking at – there’s plenty that can distract from the actual learning.

With hands-on paper dissection models, the focus stays on anatomy—not cleanup. And when dissection day finally arrives, your kids know what they are looking at and where to find it. One middle school teacher said that after switching to paper models for prep, “there were no groans, no wrinkled noses, and definitely no ‘flying organs.’ Just kids leaning over their desks, debating which part of the circulatory system went where.”

Friendly to Small Budgets

Specimens, gloves, replacement blades, trays – it all adds up quickly. Imagine a world where you buy a specimen ONCE and reuse it year after year. That’s the beauty of paper models – they only require a printer, some paper, glue and scissors – standard classroom supplies. You can even laminate models before assembly and reuse year after year, saving hundreds over time.

A homeschool parent once said she used a model as part of her science portfolio and it doubled as a beautiful work sample to share with her district contact. “It looked so good,” she laughed, “it almost felt like cheating.”

 Environmentally Conscious

How about not having to harm any animals, avoid the chemicals, and the subsequent disposal of all the byproducts of dissection? When dissection isn’t always necessary, paper models allow you to bypass the animal harvesting and skip the preservatives entirely – no formalin, no phenol, no chemical waste. Finished models can be recycled, so your “lab waste” is just a stack of colorful paper.

 Anatomically Accurate

These aren’t just arts-and-crafts projects. They’re anatomically correct, meticulously researched models, complete with organs layered and oriented exactly as they are in the real organism.

That accuracy means students can compare multiple species and see how structures evolve across different forms of life. Boom. Comparative anatomy at your fingertips.

 Flexible for Any Teaching Situation

Whether you’re using them before a live dissection, as an alternative for students who opt out, or in place of dissection altogether, these models adapt to your needs.

One teacher said she used them with her 7th and 8th graders before an actual lab:
“By the time we started dissecting, students knew exactly where to cut and what they were seeing. It completely changed the pace and quality of our lab time.”

 Notebook-Friendly

Every model folds up to fit into a folder or a spiral or interactive notebook. No missing pieces. No lost instructions. Just a complete anatomy lesson that students can revisit anytime. Over the years, I often have students reach out telling me that they still have their model from when they were in seventh grade. These things make the time capsule, every time. 

Teacher Tips: Getting the Most Out of Hands-On Paper Dissection Models

The Result?

Instead of spending days and days just teaching students how to dissect, you can really hone in on what they need to know – connecting form and function.

Students end up talking about organ systems, not just “eww, that’s gross.” One teacher shared that listening to her students debate the function of a certain organ was “one of those rare classroom moments where you just stand back and smile.”

With paper dissection models, you can teach any organism – from earthworms to more complex vertebrates – and give every student a chance to explore biology in a way that’s humane, budget-friendly, and easy on the planet.

Ready to Bring Mess-Free Dissection Into Your Classroom?

Click below to browse my collection of hands-on paper dissection models and find the perfect fit for your students. Whether you teach in a traditional classroom, homeschool, teach elementary level students, or run a science club, these models make hands-on anatomy possible anywhere – no gloves required.

Learning about living things should feel just like the things you are studying… “alive”. Activities should be hands-on, not just flat on a worksheet, and they should always aim to demonstrate the interconnectedness of science. With roots in Getting Nerdy, Inside Out’s 3-D Scienstructable™ paper dissection models help students to connect the living thing to the life science concept, allowing students to explore anatomy and biology with an interactive, eco-friendly twist. They’re mess-free, reusable, and a fantastic tool for making abstract concepts tangible. All this to say, dissection models aren’t just for your classification and human body units! Here’s how you can incorporate paper models into all seven major life science topics with three easy to implement activities you can adapt to any grade level. Check it out! 

⭐ Variable Swap Investigation

• Give each group of students a paper model, then pose a question like “does the number of folds in the small intestine impact nutrient absorption?” or “if all the chambers of the heart are the same size, will the heart pump more efficiently?”

• Have students change one variable on their model to address the question (draw larger/smaller organs, add/delete features, alter connections using sticky notes).

• Students can write a hypothesis about how the change would affect the function.

• Each group presents their ideas to the class for a great discussion about how altering one variable at a time affects overall outcomes.

Cells

Paper models show the whole organ or organism, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take it to the cellular level. Try these anatomy-based life science cells activities to show how cellular function contributes to the overall function of the entire organism.

⭐ Scale Connection

• Have students assemble an organism and choose an organ or another structure from their model.

• Students then draw what they imagine the cells inside the structure might look like, based on the function of the structure.

• To sum up the activity, you can create microscope stations where your kiddos can observe cells from those structures and compare their hypotheses with the real images. 

⭐ Organelle Match-Up

• Give each student an organelle to research and have them present how it relates to an organ in the model (e.g., mitochondria as the “powerhouse” for muscle cells in the heart).

⭐ 3-D to 2-D Translation

• Have students choose and trace an organ from the model, then in a larger diagram, have them draw and label its cellular layers as if creating a textbook diagram.

Classification

Having an arsenal of models at your fingertips is perfect for your life science classification unit. Students can compare organisms from across the kingdoms, across phyla and even within the same taxonomic groups. 

⭐ Sorting Challenge

• Provide students with several different types of organisms and have. them classify them according to their kingdom, phylum, class, etc.

• Create a Venn diagram showing which traits each organisms share.

⭐ Traits Detective

• Provide your kiddos with a few different paper dissection models (frog, fish, mammal, etc.).

• Prepare a traits checklist with observable features such as: number of limbs, presence of lungs or gills, skin covering (scales, fur, skin), type of heart (2-, 3-, or 4-chambered), reproductive method (egg-laying, live birth), etc. and provide it to your students. 

• Have students carefully examine their model and record each trait on their checklist. 

• Once they have their traits, groups can share their findings with the class. Compile their lists on the board.

• As a whole class (or in small groups), students work to decide which organisms share traits and how they could be grouped.

⭐ Missing Link Debate

• Give students a fictional “mystery model” with a mash-up of traits and have them figure out where it fits in the classification system.

Genetics

You might think that paper models aren’t a great fit for teaching genetics, but they actually make a great tool for developing Punnett Squares or visualizing mutations in life science.  

⭐ Trait Tracking

• Students choose several traits from their models and create Punnett square problems based on those traits.

• Have students trade their problems and solve them. 

⭐ Mutation Scenarios

• Give students a “mutated” version of a model part using a paper alteration. 

• In groups, students discuss how that mutation would impact the organism’s survival. 

⭐ Build Your Own Hybrid

• Let students get creative by combining parts from two models to create a hybrid organism.

• Have them explain the genetic reasoning behind the combination and how the new hybrid will be better suited for its environment. 

Why This Works

A lot of life science is unfortunately memorizing facts about living things, and sometimes that info just doesn’t stick. By combining hands-on 3-D models with core science topics, students get a multi-sensory learning experience that builds both their content knowledge and their curiosity. They aren’t just memorizing – they’re investigating, connecting, and thinking like scientists. It’s a win-win.

Ready to take your life science curriculum to the next level? Ramp these ideas up even more by taking a look at these Life Science Extensions – a new resource from inside Out that offers 21 MORE ideas complete with differentiated topics and student response pages. Come explore the collection of eco-friendly paper dissection kits at the Inside Out Science store and bring your lessons to life – one fold at a time.

the Best Practices for Teaching Anatomical Directions

1. Have Students Start With Their Own Bodies
   The best learning tool in the room is a body, so why not have students practice on themselves! Instead of jumping straight to diagrams, let them practice terms by pointing to their own body parts.
2. Go Back to Your Roots
   Your root words, suffixes and prefixes, that is. I can’t stress enough about making connections to vocabulary in science, and especially when it comes to medical terminology. Learning or reviewing prefixes, suffixes and root words is especially helpful for when students encounter a word they don’t know, that base knowledge will help them figure it out. 
3. Keep It Consistent
   When talking about directions, you should always reference the body in anatomical position – so standing upright, facing forward, palms out – so that students will always make the connection to their anatomical “compass” and avoid confusion when left/right orientations get tricky. 
4. Make It Physical
   Learning is always more effective when students can move their bodies. Be sure to incorporate gestures, games, and even silly gestures to reinforce vocabulary. 

Activities to Make It Fun

1. Simon Says: Anatomy Edition

A twist on the classic game where one person gives directions using the command “Simon Says” while the others listen to follow the right directions. For this game. your students will stand up and listen for anatomical directions to describe their different movements. Make it your own by saying “Mr./Mrs./Miss ____ says”. Here’s a few examples to get your brain thinking… 

• “Simon says touch your superior hand.”

• “Simon says point to your distal toes.”

• “Simon says touch your hands to your cranial region.”

• Mix in both correct and tricky commands (like using non-anatomical words) to keep them sharp.

2. Partner Directions Challenge

Pair students up: one student is the Model standing in anatomical position (feet together, facing forward, arms at sides, palms out), while the other student is the Navigator giving instructions about the Model’s body using anatomical terms. The Model will respond to the navigator by pointing to or touching the correct body part on themselves. After 2–3 minutes, have students switch roles. The navigator can use prompts like…

• “Point to the anterior side of your arm.”

• “Touch the lateral side of their leg.”

• Make it trickier by mixing terms: “Point to your posterior inferior leg.”

🎶 Mix it up with these fun variations:

• Add Music:
  Play music while students walk in place at the center. When the music stops, you call out a term and the students must rush to the correct wall.

• Elimination Style:
  If a student goes to the wrong wall, they have to sit out until the next round. (Or give them a “second chance challenge” question.)

• Student Leaders:
  Let students take turns calling out the terms for their classmates.

• Combination Commands (for your challenge students):
  Call out two terms: “Posterior and Inferior!” Students have to crouch near the back wall.

• Quiz Mode:
  Instead of the vocab term, give a description:

  • “Toward the midline of the body” → students must go to Medial.

  • “Farther from the trunk” → students must go to Distal

5. Anatomy Charades

Just like regular charades, but anatomy style. In this activity, students act out movements using anatomical directions. Students must act out the term they are illustrating, while other students guess what term they are demonstrating. For example…

• Pretend you’re moving your arm laterally.

• Show a distal movement with your foot.

Making It Age-Appropriate

Differentiation is key. Make sure that the activities you use for your classroom are relatable to the student population you teach. Here’s some tips to ensure you’re keeping it on the level with your kiddos:

• Elementary: Stick with simple directional words (front/back, top/bottom, inside/outside) before layering in the Latin-rooted terms.

• Middle School: Introduce the formal vocabulary, but keep it playful with lots of kinesthetic activities and be sure to learn or revisit roots, suffixes and prefixes.

• High School: Expect more precision — incorporate anatomical models, dissections, or diagrams alongside movement-based activities.

Final Tip: Keep It Moving

Your kiddos will remember anatomical terms best through relevance and application, not so much from reading them off a worksheet. Turn your classroom into a lab, a game board, or a dance floor, and you’ll be heading in the right direction.