Introducing Children to Anatomy: "Getting to Know Our Bodies: The First Step Toward Becoming a Scientist"

Area of Science:

• Anatomy Education
• Museum Studies
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Museums are vital for scientific collection, classification, and education.
• An anatomy museum at Bahçeşehir University has hosted events for four years.
• There's a need to make anatomy education accessible to children, not just undergraduates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess age-appropriate anatomy education activities for children.
• To raise awareness about the importance of early anatomy learning.
• To evaluate children's engagement and feedback on museum-based anatomy sessions.

Main Methods:

• Organized four distinct educational sessions at an anatomy museum and laboratory.
• Included activities like lectures with models, playdough organ sculpting, puzzles, cartoons, and microscopy.
• Administered a survey to 64 children aged 10-12, with no formal assessment for younger children.

Main Results:

• 93.75% of surveyed children enjoyed microscope activities.
• 84.37% found playdough activities highly enjoyable.
• 18.75% suggested the activities could be extended in duration.

Conclusions:

• Interactive anatomy museum activities can effectively engage children in learning about the human body.
• These programs have the potential to contribute to a healthier society through early health and body awareness.
• The study highlights the success of hands-on and visually stimulating methods in pediatric anatomy education.