Dissection questions?

[angela in ohio]

ETA: If you do dissections in your home and you have high school students...

 

Which dissections did you do in junior high/ middle school?

 

Which did you do for high school (and for which courses - Biology, Aat/Phys, etc.)?

 

Either when you were in school or (preferably) what you have done with dc.

 

TIA!!

Edited May 7, 2010 by angela in ohio

[newbie]

No dissections til high school. But we are an anti dissection house. We use virtual dissection.

 

Save the animals. Plus the stuff they are stored in, is severly toxic.

 

Commence tomato throwing.

[angela in ohio]

No dissections til high school. But we are an anti dissection house. We use virtual dissection.

 

Save the animals. Plus the stuff they are stored in, is severly toxic.

 

Commence tomato throwing.

 

 

That's fine. :001_smile: I guess I better go amend my post...

[Susan C.]

They're already dead, so we buy them :) but you are so right about toxic, it smells!! Our poor frog was not preserved correctly this year, I had to open the entire first floor up during the freezing winter, it was 60 in the house and we had to dissect with coats on....

 

We do the earthworm, crayfish, frog and perch in Biology. We are also doing anatomy for the first time the year after next, and will probably do some with that, but I don't know what.

[jg_puppy]

No dissections til high school. But we are an anti dissection house. We use virtual dissection.

 

Save the animals. Plus the stuff they are stored in, is severly toxic.

 

Commence tomato throwing.

 

I have been wondering what we will do. I really don't like the idea of dissections for many of the same reasons as you. I would prefer to use virtual dissections. I still have some time to think about it. My oldest is going into 5th, and I don't think we will do any dissections until she is older.

 

If I remember correctly when I was in high school we dissected an earthworm, crayfish, and a frog. We might has also dissected an insect, but I can't remember. My friends in honors biology did all of the above plus a fetal pig. My friends in anatomy dissected a cat. That was many years ago I don't know how much of this is still the same.

 

Jan

[newbie]

How would you feel if you or a friend lost a pet? Say, a cat. One day, you (or your friend) come home to find that the cat is missing. Of course, both you and your friend are devastated at the thought of losing a close friend/family member and are even more disturbed when you begin to wonder… “What might happen to her?†You know the most likely event is that poor Kitty will die of starvation or get hit by a truck; the overly-optimistic might suggest that she was found by a loving little girl and is now living in a good home. But did either of you imagine that Kitty was stolen by a greedy money-maker to be sent away and destroyed for a lab experiment? Probably not…and how would you feel if you found out that you might be cutting up Kitty in biology class next week?

Odds are, you weren’t too thrilled about that, either. But the truth is that hundreds of Kitties and other pets are stolen from various parts of the country (and around the world) for high school and college experiments. Other supplies for these “mandatory†experiments include slaughterhouses, pounds, and even the wild, which can have a negative effect on the already-depleting wildlife populations of the globe. As you’ll soon find out, there are other reasons that make classroom dissections both offensive and unnecessary, reasons that will have you saying “No!†come your class’s next dissection.

Of course, by now, you are already familiar with pet theft (or the Case of the Vanishing Kitty) but there are even more ways in which animals are acquired for these types of experiments and why these processes are so immoral. First and foremost are your own beliefs. Personally (and I applaud you), you may already have moral convictions against dissection, perhaps because you find it is disrespectful or offensive to the animals in question. You may also realize that animal dissections harm the environment and are a form of indirect support for cruel practices and industries. Because suppliers get many of their specimens from the wild, it has upset the natural balance. For example, as the most commonly dissected animal, about 6 million frogs are killed and destroyed every year for lab experiments. (NAVS) In South America, where the rainforest ecosystems are extremely fragile, frog populations are disappearing due to these projects. This can increase the population of insects.

Because experiences with dissection can be rather traumatizing for students, they are often discouraged from careers in science and medicine. In fact, a 1997 survey of 7th graders found that most were “dissuaded…from pursuing science careers.†Dissection also fosters desensitization in students who are repeatedly exposed to the violent and sickening procedure. This has been proven by psychologists and other researchers who have linked high school dissection to increased violence and criminal behavior. (NAVS) Then there’s the way the animals are preserved – we’re talking about some serious stuff. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical used to preserve the bodies of animals and can be smelled during classroom dissections. Worse, the Environmental Protection Agency says that formaldehyde must be at 0.8 ppm to smell, and that the suggested maximum amount for formaldehyde exposure is only 0.5 ppm. Exposure to this chemical can cause serious health damage to students including aggravation of the eyes, skin, respiratory system, headaches, allergy irritation, cancer, and birth defects later in life.

By now you should be convinced that not dissecting is the way to go. You’re ready to stand up, speak out and say “no.†But how do you do that? Simply talk to your teacher about why you don’t want to dissect. If you’re confronted with the argument that you’re simply trying to slack off, do another assignment or extra credit. If they suggest that you’re squeamish tell them that “Believing something is unethical is not ‘squeamishness’ nor lack of interest. It shows that you have a greater sensibility towards animal life.â€(Animal Alliance) Some teachers may also point out that you are not a vegan or wear leather. Your response? “If a student believes it is immoral to wear fur or dissect animals but OK to wear leather shoes, no one can dictate a different set of moral values to that student. Everyone has the right to draw the line where their conscience tells them to.â€(PETA Kids) If your teacher agrees and offers alternatives – good for you! If he/she refuses to comply, it’s time to get to work. Contact your principal or school board; research student choice policies in your county or state. If that doesn’t work, get the government involved, spread the word, and ask for the assistance of animal rights groups such as PETA, NAVS, or AAVS. They’ll give you more information and possibly media coverage to help the cause. Your efforts may be worth it. Through government legislation your school may even ban dissection and create laws in your – and the animals’ – favor.

Okay, so now we know that we can and should avoid dissection and instead choose the alternatives. But what exactly are the alternatives, anyway? Most dissection alternatives include books, videos, and models. The most common and updated alternative includes CD programs that incorporate interactive 3D modules with graphics and text to bring you the ultimate learning experience. How cool is that? The best part – of course – is that these alternatives are reusable. That means not only have you saved thousands of lives just by purchasing a few CD-ROMs, but thousands of dollars, too, since your school wouldn’t have to buy new materials and supplies every time a dissection lab came up. Some programs – like the BioLeap Lending Library and Animalearn – offer loans to schools and students or will send you the materials for free! Another site about virtual dissection and CD programs is http://www.froguts.com. Field trips to observe a real veterinarian or surgeon at work could also provide an alternative to dissection. Finally, using alternatives may actually improve a student’s comprehension of the subject in question. Some studies have shown that certain pupils learn just as well as - and often better than - those who dissected dead pigs in their senior year. Large medical associations state that high school dissections are not required for a successful career in science or medicine, and graduates of some of the top medical schools in the country, including Harvard and Stanford, never had to dissect a single dead animal. Nancy Harrison, a pathologist of the San Diego Chula Vista Scripps Memorial Hospital, said of dissection and virtual alternatives, “I’ve come to regret those dissections and have since studied computerized alternatives…I can assure students that computer images look more like the ‘real thing’ than the squishy gray organs of a formalin-fixed specimen. Simulated dissection is very realistic, the accompanying text is elegant, and the graphics are superb…My heartfelt gratitude goes out to science teachers everywhere who are creating a passion for humane scientific study. Tomorrow’s great physicians and researchers depend on it.â€

So there you have it: just about a million reasons not to dissect and why it’s better to go for the alternatives. Remember, if a student is “…qualified enough to participate, they are ‘qualified’ enough to object to participation.†(PETA Kids) What are you waiting for? Take action, spread the word, and say “No!†to animal dissection! Make the world a safer place for animals to live and students to learn. Don’t dissect an animal…dissect a digital image.

To learn more about animal dissection and what you can do to help the cause, check out the cool sites below. They include contact numbers, alternative suppliers, and even sample letters to write to your school:

Animalearn: http://www.animalearn.org/home.php

PETA Kids: http://www.petakids.com/index.asp

The National Anti-Vivisection Society: http://www.navs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ain_edu_education_main

The American Anti-Vivisection Society: http://www.aavs.org/eduAbout.html

Frogs are Cool!: http://www.frogsarecool.com/

Dissection Alternatives (PCRM): http://www.dissectionalternatives.org/

 

Sorry , I could not do a link, this is article dd did. You can see how we feel about it. In both their schools they are exempt from dissections and do virtual or alternate projects. I had to cut out the middle b/c it would not fit.

[rwjx2khsmj]

We did biology this year with all four of the dc. This is the dissection kit we used. It worked perfectly for our study of animals.

[Heather in VA]

So far we have done a sheep's eye and a cow's heart as a family. Next year my oldest will do an earthworm, crayfish, perch, frog and pig as part of her Biology class. I haven't lined up what we will do for Anatomy/Physiology which she will be taking in either 11th or 12th.

 

Heather

[angela in ohio]

Thank you to those who have answered my question so far. :001_smile:

[elegantlion]

We're in middle school and are not doing dissections. I remember doing the frog and earthworm in junior high, I didn't take Bio in high school. My sister did a cat in Adv bio.

 

I'm not sure how we'll handle dissections. Currently we live in a veritable nature habitat, we find dead insects and creatures all over the yard. I offered to help ds dissect them, he refuses, which is fine with me. I worked for a vet for five years and have no problem with the surgical portion of the dissection, it's the emotional aspect, and some conviction against dissection. I hadn't thought about the toxicity of the chemicals involved. I'm very sensitive to smells, I probably would end up sick. Okay, after typing this all out we'll probably do virtual dissections with some hands-on models.

 

Newbie, thanks for the links.

[newbie]

We're in middle school and are not doing dissections. I remember doing the frog and earthworm in junior high, I didn't take Bio in high school. My sister did a cat in Adv bio.

 

I'm not sure how we'll handle dissections. Currently we live in a veritable nature habitat, we find dead insects and creatures all over the yard. I offered to help ds dissect them, he refuses, which is fine with me. I worked for a vet for five years and have no problem with the surgical portion of the dissection, it's the emotional aspect, and some conviction against dissection. I hadn't thought about the toxicity of the chemicals involved. I'm very sensitive to smells, I probably would end up sick. Okay, after typing this all out we'll probably do virtual dissections with some hands-on models.

 

Newbie, thanks for the links.

 

No prob, I will let dd know she helped out in a small way.

[salinda]

My dd will be taking Biology next year. I can't stand the smell of the specimens and hated doing dissection when I was in school.

[newbie]

links below in my post.

[Kareni]

Some who prefer not to dissect animals, do plant dissections.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Hunter's Moon]

I know you asked about parents who did this with their children but I just did a disection this year in PS. We disected a pig.

 

We had the choices of a rat, a fetal pig, or a frog. They also did cats this year but he did not give us this option.

 

Rats are best for their veins, I believe, though they are quite small and I am sure many people would prefer not to disect a rat if given the choice.

 

Pigs are best for their hearts and in my opinion, their other main organs as well. They were large and very easy to see and disect. I in no way enjoyed disecting and unborn baby pig, but it sure was an experience I am glad I did not miss.

 

Frogs are best for there muscles.

 

 

I would really suggest the pig, but then again, they're probably more expensive and they do take quite a long time. We took 2 weeks! Then again, there were about 15 pairs of students with many questions.