The purpose of this project was to develop guides to assist in the examination of a fixed cadaveric hearts and evaluate their effectiveness for assisting students in identifying pathologic lesions. A thorough anatomic examination was performed on 36 cadaveric hearts to determine the "normal" characteristics of an embalmed cadaveric heart and to identify gross pathology. Comprehensive guides with detailed images were prepared and disseminated into two gross anatomy courses, one in the medical school and the other in nursing. Both student groups were assessed to evaluate the effectiveness of the guides as an educational resource. Students who used the guide had a significantly better ability to identify pathology in a cadaveric heart than students in the control group. Implementation of this guide in the gross anatomy laboratory will advance the educational utility of the cadaver. It will also assist faculty and students to identify more learning opportunities from cadaveric tissue that is ultimately sourced from willed-body donors. [This article is the first of a three-part series. To view the second article, "A New Resource for Integrated Anatomy Teaching: The Cadaver's Kidney PG (Pathology Guide)," see EJ1227997.]