AK_Mom4 Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 DD14 is in raptures this morning unpacking her Biology lab kit. It's currently spread all over the kitchen table as she inventories each item, matching it to the appropriate labs, and rebagging with a lab tag so we can find the pieces later. Now, I'm no wimp. I've killed and butchered moose for the table, which is a horrendously messy job by anyone's standards. But the thought of eyeball and piglet dissections is squicking me out a bit. High school is not for the weak-of-stomach. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I was just reading, "A year of Living Danishly". According to the author many places in the country have dissections stages in different places for entertainment purposes. Not my cup of tea. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 My boys won't be doing the dissection until Late Spring so I haven't bought the kit yet, I refuse to have the the carcasses in my house until it is absolutely necessary. I'm even considering handing that particular job over to my mom if we haven't moved out of state yet. I can do the frog and other creatures but I love pigs, I'd probably cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 FWIW, no dissections are done in our public school basic Bio classes. It's become a thing of the past. They are still done in anatomy (quite a few there) and Advanced Bio (a college credit course), but not all that many in Advanced Bio. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 FWIW, no dissections are done in our public school basic Bio classes. It's become a thing of the past. They are still done in anatomy (quite a few there) and Advanced Bio (a college credit course), but not all that many in Advanced Bio. We were doing dissections yesterday. I mentioned it to a friend and she came over to watch and hang out (biology and exercise science major). She mentioned that her kids had done numerous dissections including worm, frog, sheep heart and cow eye. Some of these were done in middle school and some in high school. This was from one of the better districts in Southern California. I was a little surprised to hear how many her kids had done. I didn't do any dissections until high school biology and then only worm and frog. I wonder how much of the choice to dissect or not comes down to cost. Those dissection kits weren't inexpensive. If you had to buy them for 100+ freshmen every year (or 400+ freshmen) that would really add up, even if students were doubling up with lab partners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I want a nicely roasted suckling pig which is a delicacy by the way :lol: I wonder how much of the choice to dissect or not comes down to cost. Those dissection kits weren't inexpensive. If you had to buy them for 100+ freshmen every year (or 400+ freshmen) that would really add up, even if students were doubling up with lab partners. My district have a curriculum expenditure quota per student and they use the free FOSS portion for science. Add on the top up by PTA and science is comfortably funded for 4th-8th which has a dedicated science teacher and room. There are also outreach programs by the museums and parks to help cover some costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I was just reading, "A year of Living Danishly". According to the author many places in the country have dissections stages in different places for entertainment purposes. Not my cup of tea. I have not yet read this book, but I am on the library waiting list for it.While zoos and museums have public dissections (Maurius the giraffe is an infamous example), classroom dissections have been banned below the university level according to PETA. ETA: I suspect the intent is education more than entertainment. Whether people find it entertaining or upsetting is a separate issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I have not yet read this book, but I am on the library waiting list for it. While zoos and museums have public dissections (Maurius the giraffe is an infamous example), classroom dissections have been banned below the university level according to PETA. ETA: I suspect the intent is education more than entertainment. Whether people find it entertaining or upsetting is a separate issue. The idea behind it being mentioned in the book is that according to the author Danes like doing educational things and this was one of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 We did the fetal pig and young pig this year. My kids and I got through it. You will be okay. I am dreading AP Biology in 2016-17 just a little. Biology at 3 levels gets interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I want a nicely roasted suckling pig which is a delicacy by the way :lol: My district have a curriculum expenditure quota per student and they use the free FOSS portion for science. Add on the top up by PTA and science is comfortably funded for 4th-8th which has a dedicated science teacher and room. There are also outreach programs by the museums and parks to help cover some costs. I'm glad they are covering the cost, because I think doing some hands on work is a worthy part of science. But the fact that the cost is covered doesn't mean there was no cost to budget for. When we lived in VA, we lived in one of the top school districts in the country. They are currently projecting a $50-80 million budget shortfall and are talking about cutting school sports, most afterschool activities, elective activities like school newspaper and yearbook (that are done as an elective class rather than extracurricular), etc. They get a sizable portion of their funding from the country, which is running nearly a $200 million deficit. Five years ago, the county and the district were doing well and the mantra in the schools seemed to be that if it could be had for money, it was possible. In a setting like this, I wouldn't be shocked to see optional dissections fall right off the budget sheet in favor of a powerpoint lecture or a link to a virtual lab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 The idea behind it being mentioned in the book is that according to the author Danes like doing educational things and this was one of them.Interesting...I can't wait to read the book! I was thinking that perhaps the public dissections were done b/c they are not done in the schools. FWIW, we will be compliant :) We will use virtual dissections. DS went to Marine Bio camp in NC this summer, and they did several dissections as part of the camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 We are planning to do virtual dissections. The dc are pleased with this decision. I have a hard time getting them to touch raw meat to help make dinner. I can't imagine what a dissection would be like. :ack2: Also, I'm no animal rights activist, but I have always had a problem with the raising of animals for the primary purpose of being dissected by people who really don't care if they learn anything from it or not. I understand the purpose of dissections in med school, for instance, but not for my history-loving kid who would rather not learn any science at all. I'm all for it if the student wants to do it and will learn something from it, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 We're not doing animal dissections either. Dd has been adamantly anti-dissection since her brother took bio eight years ago! We will, however, dissect the heck out of flowers and fungi :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdesigns Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I have the pig, right here, still in the box. We haven't even been able to open the box. We might donate it to a local coop or something. I don't see this happening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I have the pig, right here, still in the box. We haven't even been able to open the box. We might donate it to a local coop or something. I don't see this happening. Turns out that they didn't use it. The box is still unopened, and I really don't want to open it. What am I going to do with this stuff? (LOL) Too bad both of you aren't near enough for me to drive by and pick up. My youngest love dissections. My kids enjoyed the cow's eye and the frog dissection. The science museum near to us would love such a donation though. They have drop in events and school groups where they do dissections demos and hands on. Is there a hands-on science/tech museum near to you that could use the kit for outreach programs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 DD14 is in raptures this morning unpacking her Biology lab kit. It's currently spread all over the kitchen table as she inventories each item, matching it to the appropriate labs, and rebagging with a lab tag so we can find the pieces later. Now, I'm no wimp. I've killed and butchered moose for the table, which is a horrendously messy job by anyone's standards. But the thought of eyeball and piglet dissections is squicking me out a bit. High school is not for the weak-of-stomach. Could you share what curriculum or class you are using this kit for? Or did you buy it independently to use on your own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 We are using Miller Levine (Dragonfly version) for Biology this year. The kit is from Quality Science Labs and it comes with the correlation to most of the major Bio texts, including this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Dd1 and ds2 had a great time with the dissections (adv. biology) last year. Most of dd1's friends only did virtual dissections at school. Or the teacher led the dissection and they watched. My friends were grossed out by the fact I had the kit in the school closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Also, I'm no animal rights activist, but I have always had a problem with the raising of animals for the primary purpose of being dissected by people who really don't care if they learn anything from it or not. I understand the purpose of dissections in med school, for instance, but not for my history-loving kid who would rather not learn any science at all. I'm all for it if the student wants to do it and will learn something from it, though. Ditto. I supervise oodles of dissections at school and am not the least bit squeamish about it, but I see no need for the masses to do individual dissection "just because." If they are interested in it, fine. If not, virtual works just as well and saves animal lives in many cases. My own kids got enough critter dissections from their hunting and fishing experiences and critters we raise for meat. We never ordered any kits. Youngest had more curiosity and went to ps, so opted to take Anatomy I & II there. He did the dissections, but those are optional courses, not required of all students. I have no problem with ps cutting out routine dissections for all students. I prefer that they keep them in optional courses for those with more interest due to career plans or just pure interest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Ditto. I supervise oodles of dissections at school and am not the least bit squeamish about it, but I see no need for the masses to do individual dissection "just because." If they are interested in it, fine. If not, virtual works just as well and saves animal lives in many cases. My own kids got enough critter dissections from their hunting and fishing experiences and critters we raise for meat. We never ordered any kits. Youngest had more curiosity and went to ps, so opted to take Anatomy I & II there. He did the dissections, but those are optional courses, not required of all students. I have no problem with ps cutting out routine dissections for all students. I prefer that they keep them in optional courses for those with more interest due to career plans or just pure interest. So glad that someone in the profession agrees with me. When I was in high school, the main reason I didn't take advanced biology is that the class required cat dissection. :ack2: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I doubt my boys would want to do a dissection. They are both vegetarian, and don't even like sitting near the turkey my mom makes for Christmas and watching my Dad carve it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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