Biology dissection...

[Cheryl in NM]

What are the most important animals to dissect in highschool biology and why? I don't have much time to devote to this and even less money.Ds is a hunter and has killed, gutted and cleaned mammals before. I was looking at the http://www.homesciencetools.com dissection kits and don't know if I need a whole kit or if I should just order a few things. We are using LIFEPAC Biology from Alpha Omega and they don't have any dissection activities so this would be an add-on for us. TIA!

 

Here are my choices:

fetal pig

dogfish shark

earthworm

snake

squid

turtle

rat

pig

pigeon

perch

grasshopper

frog

crayfish

clam

Do I need to include mammal organs? Option there are sheep brain, kidney, heart, cow eye

[raceNzanesmom]

IDK what's most important, but my ds did a cow's eyeball (free from farmer), fish (free from a nearby lake), and a frog (from the above site). I felt it was enough. He learned a lot, got to experience the joy of dissection (yes, he loved it), and it wasn't too $$.

 

Here's a good site I have bookmarked:

http://biology.about.com/od/onlinedissections/a/aa112805a.htm

[FrogMom5]

It's my understanding that the anatomy of a rat is closest to a human. If you can stand the idea of a rat in your house, even a dead one is too much for me, then I would choose the rat.

 

After that, a shark and/or fetal pig for interest and variety. Plus, they're larger animals so it's easier to see the organs.

Denise

[Aurelia]

We did the fetal pig in high school and the dogfish shark in my first semester of college biology. I remember doing a grasshopper at some point, but can't recall if it was high school or middle school. The earthworm and frog were definite middle school dissections. A pig's circulatory system is the most like a human's, but if he's seen them before and can label the parts, it might not be necessary. (I remember none of us had to learn the male parts for our exam because all our fetal pigs were female except one, which was a hermaphrodite. Everyone in my class, all 14 & 15 year olds at the time, were blushing when our teacher had to explain it. Of course then everyone had to go look. :lol:)

 

If I had to choose, I'd go with shark and/or pig. They're more complex than some of the others, and the organs are easier to see.

[Cheryl in NM]

It's my understanding that the anatomy of a rat is closest to a human. If you can stand the idea of a rat in your house, even a dead one is too much for me, then I would choose the rat.

 

After that, a shark and/or fetal pig for interest and variety. Plus, they're larger animals so it's easier to see the organs.

Denise

 

Thanks. The rat is out because we've had them as pets before and absolutely loved them. They were so sweet! We raise our own food, but can't imagine dissecting a rat~there's got to be something wrong with that!

 

I was thinking the shark or fetal pig as well.

[Cheryl in NM]

IDK what's most important, but my ds did a cow's eyeball (free from farmer), fish (free from a nearby lake), and a frog (from the above site). I felt it was enough. He learned a lot, got to experience the joy of dissection (yes, he loved it), and it wasn't too $$.

 

Here's a good site I have bookmarked:

http://biology.about.com/od/onlinedissections/a/aa112805a.htm

 

Thanks! Way to be creative with the financing of bio experiments!

[Cheryl in NM]

We did the fetal pig in high school and the dogfish shark in my first semester of college biology. I remember doing a grasshopper at some point, but can't recall if it was high school or middle school. The earthworm and frog were definite middle school dissections. A pig's circulatory system is the most like a human's, but if he's seen them before and can label the parts, it might not be necessary. (I remember none of us had to learn the male parts for our exam because all our fetal pigs were female except one, which was a hermaphrodite. Everyone in my class, all 14 & 15 year olds at the time, were blushing when our teacher had to explain it. Of course then everyone had to go look. :lol:)

 

If I had to choose, I'd go with shark and/or pig. They're more complex than some of the others, and the organs are easier to see.

 

 

:o:o

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

The rat is out because we've had them as pets before and absolutely loved them. They were so sweet!

 

 

:001_huh: You just called a RAT sweet?? :svengo:

[Cheryl in NM]

:001_huh: You just called a RAT sweet?? :svengo:

 

Oh, we LOVED our rats! We tried hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs. None of them had any personality or wanted to be handled. The rats each had their very own definite personality. I wasn't for rats before we got them, but I went to the store and watched them and handled them. It was still months before I fully accepted them. They love human interaction and they are super smart.