Resources

Lesson 2 Anatomical Illustrations

RETURN TO CLASS RESOURCE OVERVIEW

Choose Another Lesson

close

Lessons

  1. Lesson 1 Anatomical Metaphors

    Read More

  2. Lesson 2 Anatomical Illustrations

    Read More

Introduction

Students compare anatomical illustrations and their narratives in two different sections of the online Dream Anatomy exhibition and examine changing knowledge of the human body's interior among those illustrations.

Read More

Materials and set-ups

  1. View as a class the full composite of 5 ‘metaphorical anatomy’ collages from previous lesson.
  2. Engage students in discussions about the importance of anatomical knowledge. Note students' responses on the flip chart. Summarize their responses then let them know that the anatomical illustrations reflect evolving knowledge of human body through history.
  3. Project the introduction statement of the online exhibition and briefly discuss how this curatorial statement provides insight into the interpretive approach to the anatomical illustrations featured in the online exhibition.
  4. Tell students that they will explore the early development of anatomical illustrations in Dream Anatomy.
  5. Put students in groups of 2–3 (optional) and provide each group with the following instructions:
    • Visit the "Anatomical Primitives" and "Anatomical Arts and Sciences" sections in the Dream Anatomy exhibition.
    • Read the texts in each section and list main ideas related to each section. Compare the main ideas of the two sections and note their similarities and differences.
    • View images in each section and note how each image illustrates the ideas presented in the main statement of the section. List characteristics of each illustration, such as accuracy, purposes, origin of the anatomy, etc.
    • Compare the main ideas and images of the two sections and note their similarities and differences.
    • Identify specific contributions of the anatomist, Andreas Vesalius.
  6. Ask each group to write a paper (3 pages) describing their findings from the studies conducted above and to make a 5-minute presentation to share their findings.
  1. Lesson 2 Evaluation: Allow groups to revise their papers based on the shared findings then collect the papers for evaluation.

  • Students view online “Anatomy and Print Timeline” and Dream Anatomy then select a print technology used in anatomical illustrations to research (3 or more sources). Using their research findings and illustrations from Dream Anatomy, students prepare presentation about the role of the print technology in creating anatomical illustrations that reflect the knowledge of human anatomy and its functions of the time.
  • Students examine and compare "Anatomical Arts and Sciences" section in Dream Anatomy Anatomy health topic in MedlinePlus to create a comparative summary of tools and technologies used to visualize, illustrate, represent the human body in the 16th and 21st centuries.

  • Evaluate and communicate information to analyze anatomical structures of the human body.
  • Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
  • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
  • Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
  • Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.