If you refuse to dissect an animal in Science?
Answer:
They won't fail her, they'll probably just give her something else to do, like a paper lab, where she is essentially doing the dissection, except without cutting into an actual animal. They shouldn't fail her, or give her any lower of a mark. First, have her talk to her teacher, and if the teacher is really stubborn about it, and refuses to let her do anything else, then, and only then, should you go up and talk to the administrator at the school. I commend her for sticking up like that, and taking something that she's interested in, but sticking to her values. Congrats for that!
No, you (the parent) just have to talk to the teacher or principal. Your daughter will be given an alternative assignment. Don't worry, your daughter's views are classified under "Religious/Personal Beliefs" by the administration, and they do NOT want to start prodding in that sensitive area.
Most school offer an alternative that will give you the credit, but won't make you compromise your principles. I was the same way in high school and they just had me watch a movie.
I dont think they'll fail her. When i was her age and had to do that they had an alternative. I think i was a diagram of the frog and they went into another room and worked on it.
She should be fine. Unless her teacher's a jerk. Hopefully thats not the case.
teachers usually have an alternative activity for the student who doesn't want to do this. They do get a zero for the dissection but they are able to make it up with this alternative assignment. I think it will help if you call the teacher and let him know that she is very serious about this and would still like to pass. If he doesn't already have an alternative you could also suggest it to him.
The animal is dead. The animal will remain dead. The refusal to dissect the animal is not an animal rights issue. She should recieve an F on the assignment. That doesn't mean she will fail the course if she does all the other work. That will require her to study charts of the body parts of animals. Will she also refuse to do this? Biology may prove to be a difficult class for her depending on where she draws the line on "animal rights".
Let her take her zero for any related lab reports or assignments like every other kid who ever had decided not to participate and chalk it up to experience. Freedom of choice does not mean freedom from consequences. Tell her to simply decline without any dramatic protest . The other kids have rights too. They will not be interested in any antics. If she has to ask what will happen to her if she refuses she is full of it and does not have the courage of her convictions. The teacher is smarter than you think they will see right through her. I hope your daughter does not intend to have a medical career where such exercises are critical to an education.
I am 24 so its been about 10 years (DEAR GOD) since I was a freshman and refused. I got a big fat F and my parents got mad at me. I just cant cut on an animal. They are dead for science and I dont liek it. I am not a scientist either so I have no reason to want to cut on dead animals. I think it is cruel and I dont think they should do it anymore seeing as how they have computer programs that can do the same thing asn these assignments. I say support your daughter. Yes the school can give her an F unfortunately.. It sucks.
i completely support you, i mean, i eat meat, but i feel that actually dissecting things in a classroom should only be for people specializing in the body, not general ed, hey lets cut open things! - that's stupid. i dissected some small things against my will, but I told my teacher i would not dissect the pig and he said ok and i was not docked any points at all.
Wow I think it is amazing how upset people can be because your daughter does not want to cut on the frog. These animals may be dead by the time they get to the class, but they were once alive only to be killed for what? A grade? Has life become that dispensable? I think this supports destructive attitudes in society in a very subtle way!
The frog was obviously alive at some point. I would like to start seeing some people volunteer their bodies and lives to go through what these animals do in the name of science. Let's slice you open so we can learn more about how the human body works. Let's spray bug killer in your face so we can figure out JUST how toxic this would be were a child to get a hold of it. Lab animals experience so much torture and its directly reflected in the products you buy. There are SO many alternatives and making life suffer is not necessary!
Life is such a commodity to people they don't even know what they are saying anymore.
As the parents, I think you guys are awesome to support your daughter. I think this is a great lesson for her to learn that just because the majority of people find it to be okay, and a entire school system could flunk you on this assignment, still doesn't make it right. It's just a pathetic display of people in a position of power making you feel as though you are less because you do not believe like them. If the frog died of natural causes, then maybe I could at least understand.
At any rate, I hope your daughter feels on top when she gets through this. She should feel great for standing up for her beliefs, standing up for life and animals, standing up for an attitude that does not promote death and destruction, standing up against the majority which can be so tough!
I give you and your family high stars!
Most schools (and teachers) will usually offer some form of alternative assignment for the dissection assignment--however, they will also tell the child in advance if they will offer it, or fail the child for the day (or the assignment) for refusing to do this. They will usually also give the child an F if they get sick during the dissection (usually caused by the formaldehyde--or a weak stomach). The science teacher would have to have major balls to fail the child for the entire course just for this, though--and, I believe there are just a few who would do that, too!
I understand her view, to a point. I'm into animal rights as well, but there is a reason you dissect in biology, to see the body structures and understand the way they work. It's a valuable teaching tool, and as a biology / medical laboratory graduate, I think it's pretty important to a complete education.
The best thing you can do for your daughter is to have her, not you, explain her position to the teacher, and offer an alternative, like doing a computer program for a virtual dissection. If it's not available in the library, expect to pay for it.
And, just as a side note to Suzanne, people do donate their bodies for dissection, all first year medical students dissect a human body. It's tough on most of them, but they do it.
If your daughter wants to be a vegetarian, OK. I hope that she doesn't have any leather in her shoes, belts, clothes, or purses.
Where did animals get their rights? In the Bible, God said he created animals for humans to use. Don't believe in God or the Bible? Then you must believe that humans are just another kind of animal.
I don't know of any animal rights people who think that it's wrong for animals to kill other animals. Why then, is it wrong for humans to kill animals for good purposes?
People have to come to understand how STUPID this animal rights nonsense has gotten.
You and your daughter should be talking in person with the teacher and principle.
The teacher can give her another assignment to complet.
In high school, I had the same issue with being against a certain topic/assignment.
When my English class did mythical: Greek Gods, I was (sorta) given a different assignment as I don't believe in mythology and this study goes against my personal religious belief. She gave me "homer" to look up. To which I found out he was a greek god, which really made my mom and I mad. However, I did it just to get it done and over with. Refused to take test on it as refused to "learn" from the assignment I did. I was not failed on it.
Those who had to dissect animals (that were already dead) were also given other assignments and were not failed (unless they didn't do the other assignments, which mostly was a 5 page report on that particular animal's habitat/way of life etc. Not hard assignment at all)
They can't fail you. Make sure you write a note to the teacher though and ask for an alternative project.
the hs I went to wouldn't fail you, you would just do another assignment. I refused to dissect a cat in anatomy, so I did a worksheet ;)
its up to her and she shouldnt be failed because of it but laws are different everywhere
Austria?? Argentina?? Australia??
ok heres a little thing to know if she loves animals. VETS are required to dissect an animal too... if she thinks she will enter a profession like that.. then she needs to get over it..
the animal is already dead...
I do commend her for being a vegetarian.. I hope she isnt one of those hypocrite types.. they wont wear leather yet they will wear cotton... cotton production has destoryed a whole sea (the ARAL SEA.. millions of dead fish..loss of bird habitat etc) synthetics pollute the world big time...
IF people want to help animals.. they will try to improve the world environment overall by consuming less of EVERYTHING.. since consuming is destroying the enviroment...
anyhow call the school
You will not automatically supposed to fail. Last year when I was a sophomore in Molecular Biology, my teacher always has two options to give to us in topic of animal anatomy; dissection on animal or alternative assignment.
All teachers should be like my reasonable teacher. If your daughter got a F, just bring it to the school board or the court.
They can't make you dissect. She wouldn't fail. And if she did I would bring it up with the people in charge. I think it is GREAT that you are supporting her! I am a vegetarian too and if I'm ever in a class that dissects I will not be participating. You could even start a campaign yo have dissecting at that school completely replaced by a fake dissecting program on the computer.
http://www.petakids.com/disindex.html...
Well a girl in my class did that and the teacher said she had to write a report on it instead. So if she talks with the teacher she may be able to do that instead.
I refused to cut up a fetal pig in biology class when I was in high school. The teacher wanted to fail me, but I told her that if I could pass the test based on the dissection, then was there really a need to fail me? She didn't want to, but when I made the suggestion that perhaps I dissect her family pet instead (I was really pissed off, and as a teenager couldn't find a better way to make a point) she agreed. I studied quite hard from books and the internet. There was no need for multiple animals to die for kids to figure out where the parts of the body were. In fact, they probably could use a plastic model for the kids to work on, but they dont. I ended up doing quite well if I remember correctly.
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