Middle School Science Lessons

This is a classic activity for students to do before they dissect actual specimens such as the earthworm, perch, squid, and frog. Most students have never used a scalpel before and when cutting something, cut all the way through the item like when they are using a knife.

When using a scalpel, they have to learn to NOT cut through something and to make precise incisions at the proper depth. Using a pickle as a specimen is a quick, easy, and inexpensive option. The pickle has already been preserved, much like the specimens they will be using in class, but smells much better.😌

Students will also practice using the proper terminology for dissections (such as anterior, posterior, dorsal, ventral, etc.), sketching the specimens during the dissection, and taking measurements.

Materials:

• Jar of pickles, any store brand that is about finger length
• scalpel
• dissecting tray
• pins
• tweezers
• dissecting probe

Here are sample versions of this activity to choose from:

1. Simple Version – wrote this years ago using Apple Works (pdf)
2. Autopsy of a Pickle – for a fun spin on dissection

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Updated 4/25/25