About This Resource

Introduction

The collection of anatomical illustrations in this resource is designed to encourage exploration and spark a learner’s interest in anatomical function and structure. Associating colors with structures helps to create strong visual cues for memory and knowledge recall. The integration of text with images reinforces the connection of the structure to the related terminology. When you encounter the term later, the colored image often serves as a mental trigger. Anatomy is not isolated parts; it is more about how each part fits together. As you work through the illustrations in this resource, you are mentally processing information about each anatomical part.

How the Colouring Book is Arranged

This book is intended as a resource to accompany the main text, Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e. This resource follows a similar arrangement to the main text. Most chapters are arranged by body system. This resource can be accessed online, or a downloadable PDF format is available. The table of contents provides a roadmap for navigating and locating illustrations.

How the Digital Colouring System Works

This book offers black lined illustrations with a white background. The illustrations are numbered in sequential order as they appear in the resource. The illustrations are designed for the user to colour anatomical organs and structures. Select illustrations contain anatomical labels or require the user to correctly identify the anatomical structures where indicated. Each illustration contains instructions for the user. To use this resource offline, there is a downloadable PDF option available. All illustration activities in this workbook are easily available for downloading, printing, and saving via the buttons in the toolbar.

Faculty and Teaching Staff

We are pleased to introduce the Anatomical Colouring Book as a valuable tool to enhance student learning, recall, and assessment in your medical terminology courses. Here are some guidelines to effectively integrate this resource into your teaching:

Engagement: encourage learners to actively complete the illustrations during lessons.
Reinforcement: use the resource to complement the main resource. Completing the activities serves as a visual aid for recall.
Memory aid and repetition: colouring illustrations helps to create visual memories for learners. Suggest learners revisit the illustrations repeatedly to support their memory recall.
Group activities: promote peer to peer collaboration where learners create groups, review the illustrations, and discuss the anatomical structures and features.

Credits

Building a Medical Terminology 2e: Anatomical Colouring Book cover art created by Cecile Michniewicz, Instructional Designer, Open Learning at Conestoga College; licensed under CC BY-NC-SA.

Illustration Attribution

All illustrations contained in this resource are sourced from OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology OER by Betts, et al., which is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Following OpenStax’s leadership and in the spirit of open education, we have licensed this OER with the same license.

Accessibility Statement

This resource has been provided in two formats (PDF for print and web-based) to improve access. Students are encouraged to review both versions of the book and select the one that works best for them.

Efforts have been made to provide detailed image descriptions for all images in this resource. Due to the complex visual nature of anatomy images, labels, and diagrams, colouring book activities may be difficult for some students to complete. Students are encouraged to work with their accessibility advisors or adaptive technologists if they encounter barriers with this resource.

License

The contents of this resource are copyright © 2024 by Kimberlee Carter, Marie Rutherford, and Connie Stevens, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Anatomy Colouring Book is the companion to Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e, copyright © 2024 by Kimberlee Carter, Marie Rutherford, and Connie Stevens, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.