Dissections in Science Class- Are they Helpful or Harmful?
By: Cate
This year, the eighth graders at PVJH are dissecting different organisms in science class. Their reactions to this unit vary from “Gross!” to “This is so fun!”, but it has yet to be determined whether this project is helpful or harmful to the students.
A panel of students were asked about their views on dissecting different organisms. Whitney Cozad said, “I am easily queasy, so I have trouble looking at the dissection or helping with it. But I’m glad we’re in a group so we don’t all have to dissect things. Overall, I don’t find it very interesting”. In contrast to Cozad’s opinion, another student has stated that he finds dissection to be interesting, “I think it’s interesting because it lets you visually learn”.
“Animal Dissection – Top 3 Pros and Cons” says that, “Dissecting a real animal provides students with more learning opportunities”. The source also describes methods used to supply animals for dissection as inhumane, “Methods used to supply animals for dissections are bad for the environment and inhumane”.
In conclusion, there are many different sides one can take on the discussion of dissection. Some enjoy it, while others disagree, and some even say it’s inhumane. But it’s more of a personal opinion on the matter. Overall, dissection may be a debated topic on the ethical treatment of animals, but there are pros and cons to any topic.