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I know this is an elementary science forum, but I was wondering if anyone could share their experience with preserved specimen dissection, particularly COW EYES. I have dissected cow eyes very successfully with my fourth grade students for several years. Recently I have been asked to respond to questions about the possibility of exposure to mad cow disease...
I'd like to get an idea of how common cow eye dissection is in the elementary classroom.
Also, has anyone faced obstacles to dissection in their classroom?
Thanks for your support and suggestions.
Happy Thanksgiving!

The only thing I have ever done with second graders was owl pellets, and those were a big hit. They were extremely excited because we had seen a great horned owl at our wildlife refuge park and the wildlife biologist had told them about owl pellets. That was the hard part, to get them settled down! We made it all very scientific and important sounding. Of course with older kids it's quite a different ballgame.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I've only dissected owl pellets and a flower. The flower was really cool because we placed the different parts (petal, stamen, pistil, ovule) to packing tape and then onto a large index card. We could then label the parts and the tape sealed the flower parts. I have cards that have lasted 5 years and counting. Just stick it on the tape face down and then seal it to the card at the end.

Valerie, That's a great idea...I think I'll try flowers. It's something we can get in abundance. I will probably have my students draw a diagram in their science notebooks after the activity is completed? What grade do you teach?

Margaret, I teach 3rd grade. I'm like you, I love to have my students draw diagrams of what they have seen. We also make a model of the flower with pipecleaners (I'm old school and can't remember the PC term this early), pony beads, and construction paper. They love it and never forget the names of the parts.

Valerie, Great idea! I am going to have to try that. We are studying plants and insects this year. Thanks for sharing. Margaret

If dissecting cow eyes is a successful learning experience, I wouldn't shy away from it. No need to worry about mad cow disease (you don't eat them, do you?!) Flower dissection is terrific. Any activity that gets kids to look more closely at living things is worthwhile. Don

Amy, I think the 3rd grade teacher has done cow eyes when she taught 6th grade. When we return to school next week I will ask her about her experiences.

Dear EVERYONE, Thanks so much for the responses-—I like the information and LOVE the support. Margaret--we have done owl pellets with first grade students and they are a HUGE hit. It is just amazing how much stuff is wrapped up in those tiny (slightly gross) packets. We have actually had students arrange the bones in the shape of a skeleton on a piece of cardboard (helped along by a “bone identification” chart) and then stuck everything down with hot glue (I wield the gun). They love to show off their “prey skeleton!” By the way, if you DO get a chance to ask your friend about her experience with cow eyes, I’d really appreciate hearing her experience. Valerie—I usually dissect flowers with my second grade students AFTER I have dyed them with food coloring in the water…we discuss HOW that happened and then I cut their flower in half (with a scalpel) right down through the center. Plain old white daisies work very well. The students tape all the pieces and parts into their lab notebook (yeah, the big clear packing tape is great for this) and write down all their observations. Don—I have to say, dissecting the eye is a HUGE learning and growing experience for my fourth grade students. Most of them are very apprehensive when that eye is placed on the tray in front of them, but their interest/fascination/confidence builds by the minute as they dissect the eye…come to think of it, the same thing happens with the owl pellets! We certainly do NOT eat the eyes and my students have always worn goggles and gloves and aprons… I suspect that the parent who asked about mad cow just wants some reassurance that I have researched the matter and that I am taking all the necessary precautions…at least I hope that’s what she needs! Thanks to everyone who took some time during Thanksgiving break to answer. Now onward to the December break!!!! Amy

Amy, Thanks so much for your reply. It's so encouraging! I just got a new bag of owl pellets from the auction at the WVSTA conference and can't wait to do them with my new second graders. Margaret

Hi Amy,
The Exploratorium in San Francisco has an excellent web page on the Cow Eye Dissection.
It includes a section on safety. According to that organization, the most hazardous thing may be the scalpel. I am glad to hear you have your students wear gloves, safety goggles, etc. I think the parent who brought up the concern should be applauded. It is important to cover all our bases when it comes to potential health/safety risks. We would never want to inadvertently subject our students to anything that might cause them harm. Perhaps the parent in seeing that a prestigious organization like this world famous museum is 'advertising' this particular dissection as an excellent learning experience will ease his/her concerns. I wonder if anyone has bothered to contact the Center for Disease Control or some other federal entity just to 'make sure' teachers aren't placing their students in a microbial harm's way?
Carolyn

Carolyn— Thanks for your post! I have glanced at the Exploratorium stuff, but I admit I haven’t looked at it thoroughly. Clearly, that’s where I’m headed next. You’re right about applauding the parent. I admit that wasn’t my first response (!), but I’ve decided to look at this as a great opportunity to review my safety protocols in my lab and to explore fully the benefits to my students of specimen dissection. It’s interesting that you mention the CDC, because I did go to their website and discovered that there have only been 3 cases of mad cow disease in the US and all three of those people had visited places outside the US known to have problems with their beef supply. I looked for an email address to ask for more information, but I’ll go back there and look again. Wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to say to my class parents, “According to information I have received from the CDC…”?! Thanks again for the support and ideas of everyone who has posted to this discussion!!! Amy

Amy, I know you have already gotten a number of responses, but when I taught fourth grade, one of my kids' parents was a professor at a local university. She taught Biology Education classes, and one of her assignments for her students was to go in to the schools and teach a lesson to various ages of kids. She offered to have a few of her college students come in and lead a lesson in frog dissection. I was very apprehensive about this, but after getting approval from my administrators and parent consent, she came in with her college students and a whole load of frogs. MY KIDS LOVED IT!!!!! I only had one student not participate; the rest were actively engaged and intrigued. Now that I teach 5th grade, we have an annual trip to a local 4-H camp and one of the activities is fish dissection. Again, my kids LOVE it! Of course, we don't require participation for the kids who don't want to do it, although most of them want to. This activity is run by college aged 4-H students and my kids respond so well to them. Contacting a local university to see if they have students needing to teach lessons and then offering these opportunities to the kids is a way to bring this to your classroom. I know that elementary kids are young, but their curiosity seems to trump their disgust, and they have a ball! Kirstin Berglund

There is an organization called animalearn that will send dissection alternatives to you free (for borrowing). They might be worth checking out if you are concerned with using preserved specimens. They have materials available for all ages.

Adah, I've used thinkquest too! It is wonderful. Also, I have to admit, I haven't thought of dissecting flowers, but what a great idea! Any particular lesson plan you guys follow for that?

Amy, I know you have received many comments and I would like to add my thoughts to several of the items that have come up. I have done dissection of flowers with my sixth grade students who loved doing it. My source of the flowers was the local florist who donated their old flowers that they were just going to throw out because they could not sell them. Great free resource! Also, I have done the owl pellets with several grades. The expression on a primary child's when they find a bone that they can identify from a chart comparison is wonderful. They enjoy looking for more parts of the same type of animal. Letting them glue the bones on paper and take it home is a great way for them to share their knowledge with their parents. I have also done frog dissection with sixth graders. I did it as a demonstration and we discussed how the frog's systems are similar to humans. Seeing a heart, liver, etc. for real rather than just a picture is a great learning experience. There are some students who are not comfortable watching a dissection, so I just let them sit toward the back of the room. Most of them will join the whole group after they hear the comments and get curious.

Thank you all so much for all your comments on dissection. I just read the article "Studying Vertebrates" found here: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936137169.8 in preparation for an instructional sequence on the 5 vertebrates and wasn't sure how I felt about Pre K - 3rd grade doing a lot of dissection. It is good to know that you have had a positive experience dissecting owl pellets, flowers, and cow eyes in your classroom.

Adah, I would say..they aren't living anymore. This is why most schools/colleges have gone to dissecting pigs instead of Frogs. First, their anatomy is more similar to ours. But the biggest reason is that the fetal pigs aren't killed for the sake of science. They are killed for the sake of bacon and pork chops. Pigs are pregnant almost constantly, so when a female pig is slaughtered for our food, the babies inside are killed. (I don't see the anti-abortionists getting upset about that one!) The food companies donate(or sell) those pigs to the science supply companies for dissection. We feed our kids dissected animals for breakfast/lunch/dinner every day...i dont' see how dissecting them in class for the purpose of learning is any different.

I just read through this thread of dialogue and I have mixed feelings about it. I too have dissected owl pellets and flowers. I don't think I am comfortable beyond that. I guess I really need to think about this activity. Kathy

First let me say that I have nothing but complete respect for everyone's opinion. This can be a rather controversial topic and I can understand apprehension about the idea of letting young elementary students perform dissections.

I have done earthworm dissections with students as young as 2nd grade. Frogs as young as 4th grade. I take time to discuss the ethical concerns over dissection, or with especially young students, I simply explain that our specimens were once living things and we will treat them with respect while we learn from them.

I see this activity as highly instructive. Most teachers agree the best methods involve putting learning in the hands of the student. I think this also applies to anatomy. It's one thing to show a student an animation - or a picture - and quite another to show students how much a frog's organs are like ours (and how they're different). I saw a huge improvement in student understanding once I incorporated the dissections, especially with respect to how different organ systems work together to support life. That's a very difficult concept to truly grasp using other materials.

However, I do not encourage anyone to attempt dissections in their classrooms if they're not completely comfortable with it.

Thanks everyone,
Kendra

Thank you to everyone who has provided your inputs and ideas on this thread! A few more ideas for teaching comparative anatomy to elementary students is through virtual dissections or by using creative alternatives. I recently found a really neat website called aKNITomy where you can purchase knitted, dissectible stuffed animals. The stuffed animals are a great alternative for young students; enabling them to see the organs in animals without actually dissecting. I have also had great success with virtual dissections (on an interactive whiteboard) at the elementary level.

I look forward to seeing more ideas,

Maureen