Web-Based Issue Position Statement :: Essays Papers

Web-Based write up Position StatementIntroduction The use of laboratory animals in the classroom is an extremely controversial issue. Ethics as well as morality are challenged with the dissection of animals. This controversy is not a new oneness, animal dissection has been challenge for well over a hundred historic period (National Research Council, 1988). there have been numerous coquet cases concerning this issue and laws have been enacted to give school-age childs the even up to refrain from participating in animal dissection (NABT, 1990). Background Animal dissection started hundreds of years ago in order to gain a better perceptiveness of how the body works. It has helped us to learn about, prevent, and cure diseases that could have otherwise never been understood (National Research Council, 1988). Without animal research human health in general would be at a much lower level. ..in the unite States, animal experimentation has contributed to an increase in average life presentiment of about twenty five years since 1900 (Research Council, 1988). Dissection was not used in the classroom until 1920 and did not become part of the regular curriculum until the 1960s (NABT, 1990). The original attitude towards dissection in the classroom was generally supportive and cause of the benefits of this type of study. In 1987 high school student Jennifer Graham went to court after her grade was lowered because she refused to participate in a toad frog dissection. After this incident, public opinion on dissection in the classroom whole changed (NABT, 1990). Since then, the controversy has heightened and researchers continue to debate with animal rights activists on the issue. People in support of animal use in the classroom present several(prenominal) arguments, the most popular being that it is a hands-on experience that allows student the opportunity to understand the body form and function (Lewis, 1997). It also allows students to make up ones m ind the actual placement of organs, the appearance and texture of tissues and organs, and the relationship of the organs with one another (NABT, 1990). Howard E. Buhse, associate director of the department of biological sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, claims that through dissection students gain a respect for the complicated way a body is put together. Buhse also states that the plastic models throw students off because, distant the models, no body has perfect organs and there is natural anatomical variation of the placement of the organs (Lewis, 1997).