Your heart may not be pumping, but there are still many chemical reactions that continue in your body. An installment of a video series on chemical reactions describes the decomposition process of our bodies after death. It pays particular attention to the chemical decay of solids, liquids, and gases involved in the process.

Concepts

cells, fungi, decomposers, decomposition, decomposition reactions

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

science

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Have pupils create a list of postmortem chemical reactions
• Invite a mortician to speak about the process they use to slow decomposition

Classroom Considerations

• Consider monitoring YouTube comments if making the video available for independent viewing

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Consults an expert in the field to provide accurate information
• Offers closed captioning to aid in note taking

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RST.9-10.7 RST.11-12.7