Fetal pigs are the specimens of choice in teaching mammalian body systems in an introductory high school honors biology class. I teach Biology Honors to 9th and 10th grade students in a suburban high school in southeast Texas. My classes reflect our school's demographics of 24% African American, 19% Hispanic, 53% Caucasian, and 17% economically disadvantaged.
At least once a week one of my students will ask, "When will we get to do a dissection?" I respond to them that we will conduct our dissection lab at the end of the school year. However, due to a severe school district budget deficit, my students may not be able to benefit from this crucial exploratory experience. The cost of dissection specimens comprises the majority of our high school science budget, but serves only one tenth of our high school population. In times of severe budget deficits, items that benefit a small percentage of students are usually the first to be cut. The fetal pig dissection lab is one of the lab experiences that differentiates the honors biology instruction from the non-honors biology instruction. It would be extremely disappointing to my students if they were forced to forgo this crucial mammalian dissection.
The Pig Dissection BioKit introduces students to basic mammalian anatomy through dissection of the fetal pig. Because the pigs are double injected, (arteries contain red latex and veins contain blue latex), they can be used to show fetal circulation. Many students begin the dissection with the misconception that the lungs are empty bags or sacs. They are amazed when they participate in dissections and discover that the lungs are not sacs or bags at all, but rather a firm organ. Also, my young high school students do not realize that the rib cage encloses and protects the lungs and heart until they actually participate in the dissection process. Even though they have read the descriptions in their textbook, they do not seem to visualize the anatomy until they participate in the actual dissection. Participating in the dissection process will enable my students to comprehend basic mammalian anatomy.
By supporting this project, you will be the enriching the learning of prospective doctors and scientists by allowing students to participate in a meaningful exploration of basic mammalian anatomy.
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