Abby and Brittany Hensel

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/abby-and-brittany-hensel

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Abby and Brittany Hensel born?March 7, 1990
2. What was Abby and Brittany Hensel's job?Educators teaching in Minnesota since 2013
3. What is the specific type of conjoined twins?Dicephalic parapagus twins, characterized by two heads and one torso
4. What does it mean that Abby and Brittany share one body but have two minds?Abby and Brittany are dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins, meaning they have two heads on one body. Each twin has her own heart, stomach, lungs, and spinal cord, so they can think and feel separately.
5. How do Abby and Brittany move their body?Abby controls the right side of their body, while Brittany controls the left side. They must talk to each other all the time to move together smoothly.

Conjoined Twins: Identical twins who are physically connected at birth, sharing anatomical structures.
Dicephalic Parapagus: A rare form of conjoined twins with two heads and a single, fused torso.
Symmetry in Conjoinment: The degree to which the conjoined twins' bodies are mirror images of each other.
Neurological Autonomy: The ability of each twin's brain to independently control specific bodily functions and limbs.