Why should you have alternatives to dissections?

 I’m betting many of you favor real dissections with preserved specimens.  I do, too.  So, why am I promoting paper and virtual dissections?  The answer is personal experience.  First is the cost of specimens.  They aren’t cheap.  However, we charge each family in our Co-op a small fee to defray costs.  (We do not charge any other fees for instruction.)  I’ve learned that cutting up specimens can be too stressful for a few kids.  One of my students this year is extremely sensitive.  He cried when I broke my arm he was so distressed.  Additionally, my husband and Paul are so squeamish, they were green just dissecting synthetic animals.  Really!  This year, most of the teens in the Co-op plan to dissect.  But, I’m providing alternatives.  We’ll use virtual, paper, simulated, and real specimens.  I’m excited!  Last year’s Bio class experimented with this approach and liked it.  I’ll let you know how things go.