Ap Biology

UglyDogBlue · May 2010

My teacher, at the start of the semester, said that we would be exempt from the final if we took the AP test has changed her mind three time. First, it was just the practice AP test that counted Then An AP practice test and a pratical. Now we have to take another test and a pratical. And the practical wouldn't bug me EXCEPT We have to dissect a cat. And I mean, I asked two months in advance if I could do an alternate assignment. I didn't take zoology or Physio/Anat becaus eyou have to dissect animals. I'm a vegetarian, and I have been for two years. Then, she insisted it WAS nessecary. I MUST cut the cat at some point. [Only, instead of saying "feline" or even "cat" she calls them "Kitties" Enjoy skinning something while she calls it "kitty" and tells you to name it. (She did. We all had to name the cats)] Which, at this point, is all for education. Except for the naming part. I'm convinced thats just horrible-biology-teacherness. But I got SICK today from the formaldihyde smell that permeates the ait around the cat. And I asked her "Mrs. G, can I step outside for a few second, I don't feel well." And She ignored me. Maybe she didn't hear me? So I repeat" Mrs. G Can I step outside for a few second I don't feel good!" And she continues not to respond. SO I try again. "MRS. G I'M SICK CAN I GO OUTSIDE FOR A MINUTE." And she glances at nme and continues to ignore me. So I went outside. ...I don;t have to dissect the cat anymore.

RoyalRaccoon · May 2010

Many of the science classes require dissections, and there is not way around them if you want the grade. Just lettin' you know in case you're going down the science rode. Dissection is very important to science, so sometimes you have to overcome personal views and just get it over with. In my college classes they have counted for enough points to make you permanently loose a letter grade if you don't do them, and there are no alternative assignments. In my mother's classes(micro or anatomy/physiology I believe, maybe both) they've actually done live experiments on things like crayfish and dissected a few cadavers(they were strictly told not to refer to the body as anything but "John Doe" though.) I don't think it was nice of her to ignore you. Many people are bothered by the smell enough to get sick. At least it's over.

Erra · May 2010

Dissection is not a requirement of the high school AP Biology class, though.

UglyDogBlue · May 2010

Oh, it's not actually required by the course or the school, and it wasn't in the course description. And I only took it because it looks good on College applications. (It was either that or AP chem or Physics, the advanced science classes my school offers and I'm awful at math). I'm actually going into marketing. I could dissect a human, no problem, actually. No moral problems there. But these cats come from the pound, and a few are way to big to have been wild/stray. Like, fat. Hugely fat.

And others are still dissecting, but since I got so sick, I sit in the far corner, with a human model and a laptop. Away from the smell. I just have to know all the muscles/organs. So she gave me a lot of crap about havign to cut the cat for no reason.

Erra · May 2010

Tell her to stop harassing you, and that it's not appropriate behavior for a teacher. The couple of really nasty ones I had in high school really hated it when I just calmly asked them to stop behaving in such a manner towards me and that I found their attitude offensive lol. Polite honesty... it will get you in trouble.

Garnet · May 2010

I've only known of my school dissectiong things like three times in my whole life. Most of which were for our senior anatomy class. I know when I had Chemistry last year, she had cats brought in that were going to be dissected in her 8th period anatomy class, and her classroom smelled like formaldihyde for like two months.. I felt dizzy and slightly sick every time I walked into that classroom.. I'm sorry you had to go through that.. Maybe try talking to the teacher like Xaetian suggested

tarnish · May 2010

I could never dissect a cat because I own three. It makes me think of my pets so.. ;; When I was in honors bio, we had to dissect pig fetuses. I was already failing the class (since my teacher wouldnt let me switch my year-long experiment and I couldn't do it. It was a huuge part of grades) I had to sit there and smell it. Sooo gross. I ended up falling asleep to escape the smell xD Good for you that you stuck up for your morals/beliefes/etc. If its not a requirement, you shouldnt be forced to do it.

RoyalRaccoon · May 2010

UglyDog wrote:

Oh, it's not actually required by the course or the school, and it wasn't in the course description. And I only took it because it looks good on College applications. (It was either that or AP chem or Physics, the advanced science classes my school offers and I'm awful at math). I'm actually going into marketing. I could dissect a human, no problem, actually. No moral problems there. But these cats come from the pound, and a few are way to big to have been wild/stray. Like, fat. Hugely fat. And others are still dissecting, but since I got so sick, I sit in the far corner, with a human model and a laptop. Away from the smell. I just have to know all the muscles/organs. So she gave me a lot of crap about havign to cut the cat for no reason.

Ah, it's different here. Even in middle/junior high school honors bio we were required to dissect three different things (sheep heart, sheep eye, frog, and then a brain was later brought in just to show the class). I'd hate to dissect a fat cat. That just wouldn't be very pretty. Yeah, just try to avoid the formaldehyde, and go outside for air when it becomes to overwhelming(even if the teacher wants to throw a fit about it). They should really be more careful with it. I was talking to my mom, and she said someone nearly passed out back when she was in anatomy/physiology due to the formaldehyde, and the door was open.

Celia_1234321 · May 2010

i'm a veggie too, four years no meat

in 8th grade i skipped the frog disection and did a stupid worksheet and stuff

ThiRuu · May 2010

We dissected Fetal Pigs in our class. They were TINY.

ImportsandLines · May 2010

We just dissected frogs yesterday in 7th grade. My partners just turned the frog into stew. They were chopping it to bits. The odor was terrible.

UglyDogBlue · May 2010

Celia_1234321 wrote:

i'm a veggie too, four years no meat in 8th grade i skipped the frog disection and did a stupid worksheet and stuff

See, I aske dif I could write a report and do research. She said NO.

Celia_1234321 · May 2010

UglyDog wrote:

Celia_1234321 wrote:

i'm a veggie too, four years no meat in 8th grade i skipped the frog disection and did a stupid worksheet and stuff

 See, I aske dif I could write a report and do research. She said NO.

my teacher was really nice about it, they cant make you do anything. He said as long as he has been teaching he's only had like 3 student not do the disection

BuffyBoarding · May 2010

I had a teacher just like that when we were supposed to be dissecting pigs. I went and sat in the hall, she threatened to fail me, I called the school board and said it was against my religion to slice and dice animals. The school board didn't want to deal with a religious suit, so they exempted me from it. =P

reina__ · May 2010

Buffy, is it really, or were you just saying that to get out of it?

I should have done that. Well, I think that's totally gross and inappropriate to have to "name" the kitties. This is Biology not Petology. I really didn't want to do the dissection in Grade 12 but I guess there was a part of me that kind of wanted to. Plus my partner said that "she wasn't touching anything" so I was kinda forced into it.. half not wanting to, half not caring. I dissected a fetal pig, because internal pig anatomy is like almost exactly like internal human anatomy. The formalin smell was SICK and I couldn't eat any meat that day but the next day wasn't so bad. I'm hoping to be a Paramedic, so the guts and stuff didn't bother me, just the smell. I had to touch everything too. Ew the grossest part was the brain. Can't believe people eat that and call it sweetbreads.

I can understand though, Uglydog, how uncomfortable that would have been for you. ESPECIALLY having to name it and then cut it open. That's gross your teacher did that. Have some integrity woman! (Talking to your teacher..lol..although I doubt she can hear me..) My a couple of my classmates got to do an alternate assignment. Maybe in some places the dissection is absolutely necessary to pass the course... which makes sense but honestly, if I was a teacher and one of my students was seriously BOTHERED by the dissection I would never hesitate to give them an alternate assignment. Never.

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Ap Biology

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