ore than12million animals，including frogs，cats，rats，fetal pigs，fish and a variety of invertebrates are used for dissection in the US each year。在时间when numerous interactive and immersive alternatives are available，it’s time to end this outdated practice once and for all by adopting non-animal teaching methods。
Non-animal methods are not only more humane，but also more effective，more inclusive，safer，and more economical.A literature review conducted by the Society for Humane Science（SHS；formerly Animals in Science Policy Institute）indicated that in 88 percent of studies，non-animal methods were superior equivalent to dissection.Non-animal methods reduce the emotional，ethical，and religious barriers to education.They also avoid the use of sharpalpels or harsh preservatical chemicals to contry， many non-animal methods actually cost less than preserved animals，and there are typically no recuring annual costs。
Investigations into the capture，transport，warehousing and killing of animals destined for dissection have documented cruel and callous treatment.An estimated20000to50，000cats are used for dissection each year；many have been aggressively collected from residential communities in the US and Mexico to be sold to biological supply houses for use as specimens。Frogs are taken by the millions from wetland habitats for dissection purposes—despite the fact that amphibians are declining throughout the world due to a variety of threats including habitat destruction，pollution，climate change，disease and collection for for commercial use.Frogs are piled into sacks，transed， and then inhumanely killed by immersion in preservative.The mass removal of these animals can have detrimental impacts on ecosystems。
有效非均匀金属
AWI encourages the use of cost-effective，reusable dissection alternatives，including interactive apps and three-dimensional models which sacrifice neither animals nor quality education。AWI and SHS collaborated to create a list of some of the most effective and engaging non-animal methods currently available（related lesson plans can be found）here，here）。There are a variety of excellent options，and many are feasible for online education。
来源，来源is geared toward middle school students and features a fascinating and easy-to-use 3D model of a breathing frog.It offers the following modes:（1）“Life Cycle，”which has an animation feature that allows you to move a cursor to view the frog submerged in a pond as it develops from a single-celled egg to a tadpole and eventually to an adult frog。（2）“Augmented Reality Anatomy，”which works like a camera that projects the frog onto wherever you point your lens，so the frog can appear to be in your hand or on your desk.You can“peel back layers”and view individual body systems inside the frog—for example，the skeletal system，the muscular system，or the digestive system.（3）“Dissection，”with which you can conduct a traditional-style dissection using your finger or an Apple Pencil to“cut”through the frog’s skin and muscle，locating different organs and learning about their function.The app also includes a quiz with eight organs to identify.Froggipedia was awarded the“iPad App of the Year”in2018。Version3.0can be purchased for just$3.99in the Apple App Store（available only for iPhone and iPad）and is available in8 languages。
从三维角度by Biosphera is an interactive model that permits the user to view the various systems of the frog individually or in combination and from any angle，along with the option to zoom in and out.You can learn anatomy by hovering over an area of the frog to see the name of the particular body part.There are 11other Biosphera models，including cat，pig，fish，and human.Pricing varies depending on the species and device:The3D Frog Anatomy for mobile versiid，Apple，or Windows devices）is$11.99，and the desktop software costs$26 for individual use and$39 for multiple users。
从面板Dissection:Scienstructable 3D Dissection Modelby Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy enjoys support from teachers and students alike。It is a great option for students who do not have easy access to an electronic device.This low-tech（orno-tech）model is geared toward those in grades4to12，but it is typically used by7th graders。The cost of the frog model is$22.95and the price drops if a number of licenses are purchased at once.There are a wide variety of other species options，including cat，fetal pig，earthworm，and crayfish.Patience is required to cut out all of the individual pieces，but there clear instructions the hoemon the model， and there is an online guide to making repairs and a suggestion for how best to display the models。
门廊，门廊is an educational tool that can provide a fully immersive experience，but it is one of the more costly options when used to its full capacity.It consists of a soft foam5-inch cube that cost$19.99 and is used in combination with the Merge Explorer app，which can be launched on an Apple，Android，Windows10 device， which runs$9.99/month for individual use or at a discounted price for schools，contains dozens of STEM-related components.When the device is pointed at the cube， it transforms it into a3D model on the device’s screen that can be held and rotated.A Frog’s Life—one of the app’s components—allows you to watch a frog’s life cycle and perform a virtual dissection.The Merge Explorer app can be made more interactive if used with a virtual reality headset.e Cube offers an impressive array of activities for anumber of STEM-related disciplines，we found its frog dissection app to be less impressive than other apps described above.This system has received alot of acclaim，including the Parents’Choice Award，the Academics’Choice Brain Toy Award， and the Tech and Learning Award of Excellence.The manufacturer suggests it is suitable for ages10and above。
Other options include起始距离by GP Strategies（an older app-we did not consider the graphics as good）三维Anatomica（detailed human anatomy，not nonhuman animals），and从，从by SynDaver（asynthetic frog that can be dissected without the blood and bad smells-kids enjoyed it，but at$150for one frog model that also requires special handling，it is one of the more expensive options）。
Encourage your School to End Dissections
Cats，frogs，fetal pigs，grasshoppers，mink，earthworms，rats，mice，dogs，pigeons，and turtles are just some of the many animals used in school dissection projects.Investigations into the capture，transport， warehousing and killing of animals destined for dissection show that the procurement process cause unnecessary suffering and death.Millions of frogs are taken from wetland habitats， piled into sacks and inhumanely killed by immersion in preservative.Frog populations are rapidly disappearing worldwide and the use of wild-caught frogs for dissections is a contributing factor to frog declines in many parts of the world。
Many students and teachers are questioning the educational value and ethics of using animals in the classroom.Modern technology can teach students about the biology of living beings and to appreciate the vital role that all animals play in the natural world—without sacrificing the animals themselves。
