If you're studying bones and muscles and nerves in your classroom, consider the memorable experience of a chicken wing dissection. Here students will see how tendons attach muscles to bones and how ligaments connect bone to bone. If you're lucky you may find a blood vessel. Dissections allow for a depth learning that's hard to capture using photos or even videos. 
 
Questions Answered:
Why do muscles come in pairs? 
What connects muscles to bones? 
What connects bones to each other?
 
Topics Addressed:
Muscles can only pull, they cannot push 
Muscles come in pairs 
Tendons connect muscles to bones 
Ligaments connect bones to bones 
Contracting muscles may either flex or extend limbs
 
Materials Needed
raw chicken wings, dissection (or small, sharp) scissors, tray
 
Answer Key
Yes! Plus extensive teacher notes address the many questions that come up. You shouldn’t have to do outside research on this topic unless you want to. Specific charts and graphic organizers have keys. 
 
Teaching Time 
About 20–30 minutes, longer with included writing assignment
 
Preparation Time
purchase chicken wings
 
Target Audience
Middle School Students, Ages 11-14
 
Student Sheets
Scaffolded writing prompts & lab reporting 
Diagrams for labeling