Squashing sheep’s eyes and prodding lungs is increasingly off the menu in science classes. Hearts and kidneys lurk in the freezer but dissections are messy, the materials can be difficult to obtain and students’ ethical objections mean that alternative activities should be available. The use of models can help students to build up an understanding of the structure of body organs. So it is disappointing that the Book Plus models are little more than flat slices through the ear, eye and a tooth.

They are made of durable, 1.5cm-thick foam and show cross-sections through the organs with foam pieces coloured to indicate the various internal structures, which fit together like a jigsaw. They do not show the anatomical detail and three-dimensional structures of more expensive models, and so seem to offer little more than the cross-sectional diagrams found in standard class textbooks.

In North America, the internal structures of the eye, ear and tooth are dealt with earlier than in our national curriculum. These models were designed for the North American market so they have the look and feel of primary resources while dealing with KS4 material.

They could be used as jigsaw revision aids on the internal structure and function of the various organs, but would do little to improve a student’s understanding of the organs’ real-life three-dimensional form or help in assembling mental images of the structures. Arguably, “cut-out and stick” diagrams could be more effective here.

There are some omissions in structures and ambiguities in the representation of others. In the eye model, blood vessels appear to grow into the vitreous humour, the choroid layer is not shown at all and the notes incorrectly describe cataracts as forming in the cornea. In the ear model, two rather than three semi-circular canals have been printed on to the piece representing the inner ear. In the case of the tooth, the notes describe the function of the cement incorrectly.

On a positive note, they are brightly coloured, attractive and much more affordable than traditional anatomical models. Foam feet allow each one to be displayed upright and they would brighten up any laboratory. Besides their revision function, they might be best used at key stage 2 or 3 as an extension activity to show inquisitive students that organs have internal structures not normally visible.

Cliff Porter is a freelance science writer