Middle School Welcomes Modern Teaching Tools That Make Compassion a Part of Science Classes
For
Immediate Release:
January
24, 2013
Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382
College Park, Ga. -- When students at North Clayton Middle School in College Park start learning about animal anatomy, none of them will cut into a frog, thanks to a software donation from PETA that has replaced frog dissection at the school.
The animal rights group—through its national educational grantsprogram has donated a school-wide license for Punflay's Virtual Frog Dissection Educational App software, which features 3-dimensional organ views, anatomical comparisons of human and frog organs, and dissection tools. Interactive software such as Virtual Frog has been shown to teach anatomy better than animal dissection.
"PETA's donation will help North Clayton Middle School take the lead in teaching biology with humane, modern methods," says PETA Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "Countless frogs, pigs, cats, and other animals are still killed for dissection at less progressive schools, even though non-animal methods for teaching biology are far superior."
"The software allows students to completely understand the internal biology of the frog and use the same dissection tools as they would in a lab to simulate the dissection process. The students absolutely love the alternative way of learning," says North Clayton Middle School teacher Nezetta Johnson. "You have my students' and my deepest appreciation, and I want you to know that the impact of your donation extends far into the lives of my students."
The millions of animals who are used in school dissection come from biological supply houses, which breed some animals and obtain others from animal shelters or the wild. Comparative studies have repeatedly shown that non-animal teaching methods, such as interactive computer programs, are more effective at teaching biology than crude animal-based methods. These programs also save time and money and increase student confidence and satisfaction.
The National Science Teachers Association endorses the use of modern non-animal methods as replacements for animal dissection.
For more information, please visit PETA.org/Dissection.