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We're All Animals (Grade 6 program)

Live show:

Kids and animals may not look a lot alike, but they still have many similarities, especially in how they move and live. Join Purdue scientists as they take you on a LIVE virtual visit to the Purdue campus. Look inside a state-of-the-art horse treadmill laboratory. Meet real-world scientists who use scientific inquiry every day in their work. Become a scientist, too, by using scientific inquiry to learn about animals, humans, and their body systems.

Program includes:

This program supports 2006 Indiana Academic Standards for science and the National Science Education Standards.

Indiana: 6.1.2, 6.1.3, 6.1.4, 6.1.5, 6.1.6, 6.4.11

National:

  • A, Science as Inquiry
  • C, Life Science
  • F, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
  • G, History and Nature of Science

Preview

If you're a "Try before you buy" kind of person, then you'll love this. Here's a preview of what you'll get when you sign up for this Purdue zipTrip:


E-mail Questions

Cow and goat

Purdue zipTrips™ really get students thinking! They want to know more about science careers, animals, and scientific inquiry.

During the LIVE show, students can e-mail questions to the scientists (ziptrips@purdue.edu), and scientists answer some questions on the air. Then, after the show, we will post the list of FAQs for students and teachers to have and discuss.

Here is a sample of some e-mail questions received from student audience members during We're All Animals!:

 

Student: What tips can you give a student who wants to be a vet?
Dr. Lori Corriveau, Wellness Veterinarian: Volunteer at places with animals (such as shelters, kennels, veterinary hospitals) to make sure it is what you really want to do. It will also help to form relationships for future letters of recommendation. Study hard – veterinary school is very competitive to get into.

Student: Human doctors learn about only one animal. How do you learn about so many animals?
Dr. Lori Corriveau, Wellness Veterinarian: There are some similarities among species of animals that are helpful. We learn about the most common species through school (dogs, cats, horses, pigs, small ruminants like goats, cows, and a little on exotic or non-traditional species. Lots of studying). Upon graduation there are continuing education seminars that we must attend to stay up with the latest medicine and perhaps learn more about different exotics in order to keep our veterinary license.

Student: What is a typical horse heart rate versus a human?
Dr. Laurent Couëtil, Horse Specialist: A horse's heart rate ranges from 30 beats per minute (bpm) at rest to 250 bpm at maximum speed. On average, a teenager's heart rate ranges from 60 bpm at rest to 180 bpm at maximum speed.

Student: Do you use the treadmill for any other kinds of animals besides horses?
Dr. Laurent Couëtil, Horse Specialist: Yes, we have used it for dogs (greyhounds), a camel, and cattle as part of some studies and teaching labs.

Dog bones

Student: How do you figure out which animal is which just by looking at the bones?
Lisa Hilliard, Anatomist: There are often distinctive characteristics or features on the bones that can aid in identification. For example, the appearance of the shoulder blade of a horse does not have an expansion on the spine like yours.

Student: How many models of animal skeletons do you have at Purdue?
Lisa Hilliard, Anatomist: In the School of Veterinary Medicine anatomy area, we have around 100 skeletal models.

For a more comprehensive list of Scientist questions and answers, download this PDF (79KB).