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Should Students Dissect in School?
By Eliza Bicknell of Lotus Petal Yoga
Thousands of earthworms, clams, starfish, frogs, fetal pigs, mice, cats, mink, squid and perch are dissected each year in middle schools and high schools. This is the way it has been done since the 1920’s and many believe this is the way it should continue to be done. Most of these specimens are grown in a laboratory, farm or breeding center specifically for the purpose of school dissection but some are collected from natural habitats.
The question is, should this practice continue or is it outdated and unnecessary? I teach high school biology and all students coming into the class assume we will be dissecting something. Many want to, many do not. You never find a class full of students that is either all for it or all against it. I have had my students in the past dissect clams, starfish, fish, earthworms, rats, fetal pigs and cow eyeballs. We dissected not because it was a critical component of learning the material because truthfully it is not, but because it was expected by students, parents, other teachers and administrators, its what you do in biology for crying out loud! I do admit that I liked dissection when I was a student, at least to a point. I thought it was interesting and easy, (though I was traumatized when my frog was pregnant with eggs as a 7th grader.) I didn’t need to do it in middle school, high school, college and graduate school over and over and over again. (In graduate school mammalogy class we had to trap animals and then stuff them, as in taxidermy. I saw absolutely no point in this activity.) Currently in my classroom we do not dissect. I have moved away from it for a few reasons. First, it is expensive. Second it makes my classroom smell for weeks. Third, as an instructional tool, the students don’t actually get that much out of it for the huge amount of classroom time it takes. For the purposes of basic, broad scope learning as is found in our public schools, it’s unnecessary. Finally, I personally believe that all life deserves respect. Dissection teaches students how to mutilate and dismember animals instead of teaching a respect for life. Every living thing from the tiniest insect to the mighty elephant has its part, its role in the very life and fabric of the planet. Frogs are in decline worldwide, is it right to dissect one without regard for species depletion? Is it morally ok to raise an animal just so it can be cut up by a high school student then tossed in the trash? I personally believe we should be shifting our teaching toward an appreciation of natural life-cycles and the beauty and connectivity of all living creatures. It is possible that through dissection students may emerge with an attitude that some creatures have little, to no value. They are disposable. This is the very last thing I wish to teach my students. Alternatives to dissection exist and they are generally much cheaper. As a teacher giving a dissection and an alternative at the same time to those students who objected to the dissection meant twice the work for me and for this reason most teachers do not offer this choice. Alternatives to dissection include overlapping transparencies, histology slides, 3D models, zoology and marine biology coloring books, computer simulations that actually have pictures of real animals, and interactive video presentations. If dissection is really necessary to learn anatomy adequately, I believe it can be saved for professional school. Fewer animals will suffer and die in the name of education.
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Animal Abuse Is Not Entertainment
| The Captive Wildlife Crisis
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There's no time like the present to start a change to protection of wildlife species. Perhaps those bred for the class rooms should be released into preserved or restored habitat areas.
I was all ready to possibly disagree with you until I read your last paragraph concerning saving it for professional training. They need the experience of "doing". But otherwise, you're probably right.
Well written and good sound advise, Eliza. Maybe this idea will spread as we all have to change with the times.
Thank you for sharing.
Best to you.
frederick
I'm ok with high school kids not doing dissection. If they do, it should only be on non-living animals...meaning embryos I guess or fetal pigs. I never liked killing anything, worms, rats, frogs, etc. As you said, save this for future professionals who do need that experience.
If they want to dissect boa constrictors I hear Florida has an ample supply.
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