By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Young ‘surgeons, scientists, and explorers’ were at work recently at Union City Elementary School.
First graders transformed their classrooms into lively learning labs while wrapping up their Knowledge Domain on the human body with an exciting and educational event named ‘Operation Day.’
Students explored the body from head to toe through several fun hands-on activities set up in each classroom.
During ‘Operation Day,’ students became surgeons, scientists, and explorers all in one. They performed “sentence surgery,” carefully putting jumbled sentences back in order and writing them correctly — just like fixing a patient’s chart.
They then moved on to the skeletal system, assembling bones piece by piece to build a complete skeleton.
Next, students tested their brainpower in a nervous system memory match — connecting body part words to their corresponding organs. Their rooms buzzed with excitement as they also took part in a word search scavenger hunt, hunting for ‘Operation Day’ vocabulary hidden around the classroom.
A few days earlier, students prepared for the big event by making their own hand muscle manipulatives, using Q-tips to design skeletons, and crafting colorful brain hats. They even conducted a hands-on digestive system experiment, watching how food moves through the body and learning how each organ plays an important role.
By the end of the week, the classroom was filled with smiles, laughter, and new knowledge. ‘Operation Day’ was a perfect way to celebrate the students’ hard work and curiosity about the incredible human body.
“This is our second year doing Operation Day, and it’s always a hit with the students and the teachers,” first-grade teacher Angie Conley said. “It’s probably one of my favorite days all year, and it’s not only something students will remember for a long time, but also something upcoming students can look forward to.”