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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 6 - 8

Surgical Resident for a Day

Materials List

Three grasping devices with handles that look like scissors handles.Example laparoscopic devices used in surgeries.

  • cardboard shoe box, one per group
  • foam sheets
  • scissors
  • glue
  • flashlight
  • stopwatch
  • laparoscopic surgical tools, or some other kind of tool(s) to manipulate inside each box; obtain real laparoscopic devices from a manufacturer or local hospital; if actual instruments are not available or donated, use kitchen tongs and enlarge the box and adjust the task to accomodate the tongs size; or use chop sticks attached with rubber bands at one end; or use pliers
  • some way to record live video inside each box and view it in real-time on a screen, such as a web camera and a computer, or a digital camera that works like a web camera, or a video camera and a TV
  • assorted materials needed to conduct various manipulative tasks inside each box, such as pom-poms, beans, cups, nails, hooks, rings, beads, little plastic toys, Velcro pieces, string, etc. (see the Procedure section)
  • Laparoscopic Surgery Worksheet (PDF), one per student