Girl, 16, forced out of anatomy class

Baltimore Sun ^ | 9-25-2002 | Jonathan D. Rockoff

[Cagey]

A 16-year-old student at Kenwood High School who refused to dissect a cat was forced to abandon her honors anatomy and physiology class Monday, even though her mother offered to buy a computer alternative.

Jennifer Watson, an A student from Essex who cares for a pet cat named Fluffy, resisted dissection as inhumane.

The girl wanted to remain in the class, and her mother proposed buying software for performing simulated dissections on the computer, according to the girl and her mother, Maria Watson. But the teacher threatened to fail the college-bound student if she didn't participate in the dissections.

[discostu]

We learned how a frog makes their croaking noise (if you did your extraction just so you'd get a kind of zombie-oid croaking sound as the lungs deflated), about the glotal flaps the protect the throats of almost all living things, and about the elasticity of lung tissue both in reptiles and mammals (if you were good and blew slow giving the lungs a good chance to stretch rather than tear you could inflate the lungs to a good 6 or 7 times the size of the frog). We also learned the importance of healthy lungs because even the slightest nick in either lung caused by sloppy disecting caused all the air to go out the hole and thus caused you to fail that particular excercise of the lab (not a lot of lost points, but at the end of the year every lost point counts).

[raygun]

I don't believe that it is entirely non sequitur for PETA to stipulate that all dissections must be done on human cadeavers. THEN the fast-track students can whine that their cadeaver resembles Aunt Margarette or their favorite Uncle (this one reminds me of Grandpappy, or Grandmamma). Oh, I can't do that one; looks like Mom or Dad. Hmmm, well then there's no alternative, we'll just have to just give you a waiver. What's this asterisk besides the magna cum laude on my diploma? Oh, that's signifying you've a waiver and been exempted from all dissection labs requirements that everybody else has had to go through. We make a special allowance for your ethical principles, otherwise that'd be discrimination.

[Huck]

And I've seen some very realistic computer simulations of battle. But, know what? Ain't the same. No way, no how.

Right. It's similar. But you totally missed the point.

[discostu]

Dogs aren't commonly dissected because they're too big, providing a class of students with 30 120 pound German Sheppards is a little rough on freezer space. Though eventually if your doing vet training you probably will dissect them.

[Huck]

most students taking an honors or AP course in anataomy is probably thinking medicine or research. While I think it's important to remember these people are still just "kids," I also feel it's important for these students to "get used to the idea" so to speak, especially if they are planning careers in the areas I described

It's even simpler than that. The course should be designed to meet certain learning objectives. These objectives should be communicated to the student/parents in advance. And then the instruction that takes place in the class should be designed to meet those objectives.

The next question is this: How do you know if the student has met those objectives? You test them. When I took high school biology, we were graded (tested) on our performance in dissecting a fetal pig, according to specific criteria. By the time you are teaching the class, there really is no debate over what learning exercises will take place. Technically speaking, the objectives dictate the activity. We were tested on our ability to perform a dissection using specific techniques of cutting and pinning and so on. So there was no question we would be using a real pig. And we knew it from day one.

There can be choices. As I said before, if the only objective is to be able to identify certain organs, then dissection, while preferred, is not entirely necessary. That is, you could get by with pictures and drawings if you had to. It's not as good as using a real animal, because there's nothing like the real thing. But if the learning objective contains performance measurements such as "learner will be able to remove the liver from a fetal pig" then you need a scalpel and a pig.

What you state is a strong rationale for including that type of learning objective. And unless there was a breakdown somewhere, the parents should have known what the objectives were in advance. They should have known that the student would be performing a dissection on an animal.

[sneakers]

LOL!! OK, fess up! You're really my brother-in-law, right?! You biology guys must all think alike! Scary!

[Doe Eyes]

most students taking an honors or AP course in anataomy is probably thinking medicine or research.

You and I do not see 16 year old high school girls in the same light.

[mathurine]

Every time the little sweetie has to do anything she doesn't want to will the rest of us have to hear about it. If she wants to wallow in ignorance despite a superior IQ that's her privilege. Spare me the whining. Spare me the woe. Spare me the wierdo.

[Enough_Deceit]

A few years ago, I was at the community college doing the prerequisites for the nursing program. We had to study these cats as well. Some students had to cover the cats' faces in order to get the assignment done. It is not that I don't love cats (I have my own kitties.). It was truly a situation of biting the bullet and doing what had to be done. What do they think that they are going to find if they are going into vet scienc? I know that some may think it sounds sick, but it was really a fascinating part of the class. I learned a great deal. Take care and God bless.

[nmh]

I personally couldn't disect anything. I grew up with dogs and currently have three cats HOWEVER if the intent is to learn about them with the motive to promote care for animals, I don't object. How else can you do surgery on an animal if you haven't done this? On the other hand if it is being done with a lust for gore and sheer sport of multilating an animal for no purpose but the sport of it, then I find that intolerable.

[Dianna]

People are animals....they should just dissect a dead person....no diff...right? Guts are guts.

First year med students do dissect cadavers.

If she didn't want to dissect a cat she ought not have taken an ANATOMY class.

[Hila]

They also are using baby pigs now. Yuk.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

I though about doing my mother in law but my counter isn't big enough. (gasp! did I just say that?!)

I know *I* didn't hear a thing....

;)

[MissL]

Totally....we did the same. If you can't do it...I would say you should not be in that class. Everyone knows what is expected going in !!! If she wanted to be a MD, this is a good way to make the cut...and if she wanted to be a Vet...she would need to know her way around a cat's body. A computer program is just not the same. You have to gauge the cut, the thickness of the tissue and know what you are doing or signs to look for...in med school they actually use "dead people". PLEASE !!! She needs to grow UP !!! Or just become a liberal arts major !!!

[Dianna]

There can be choices. As I said before, if the only objective is to be able to identify certain organs, then dissection, while preferred, is not entirely necessary. That is, you could get by with pictures and drawings if you had to. It's not as good as using a real animal, because there's nothing like the real thing. But if the learning objective contains performance measurements such as "learner will be able to remove the liver from a fetal pig" then you need a scalpel and a pig.

We dissected a cat while doing the "muscle" part of the curriculum. Sure, you could learn muscle names and locations out of a book. But it was more interesting to separate them all out on the cat. (This was the only part of anatomy I did poorly on. My partner and I had a heck of a time separating the muscles and were weeks behind before the teacher noticed that our cat was not cooperative. We never did finish the dissection and I think I flunked the test. Maybe I really did need the darn cat to learn it? LOL!)

[hosepipe]

"When the Korean restaurant moved in down the street."

LOL...That was good, real good. Caught me unaware as I was reading she should'a, she should'nt'a, she should'a then wham you gaf'ed me.... good gaf!.

[gc4nra]

You are dead wrong. When this student signed up for Honors Anat/Phys she entered into a contract, if she is not willing to fulfill the contract she deserves to fail.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Mine right now is sitting next to me on the desk. :)

Ha...mine does the same thing. That's why I got a larger desk eventually.

<^..^>

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

One really cool thing we did: get one of those big eyedropper thingies (it's got some technical name but I forgot it) and we put them down their throat then blew in the other end and inflated their lungs.

Ahhh...you bring back my fond memories of LCHS class of '90, cat cadavers, bubble liquid, and bulb syringes...

[gc4nra]

"Do you really think a High School level biology course should fail a 16 year old girl that is not emotionally capable of dissecting a
cat? This is High School, not Med School."


An honors anatomy and physiology class is a college level course. This is not H.S. biology, she had to volunteer for it!