Archives
Increasing Student Awareness of Coral Reef Conservation with Inquiry and Participatory Education
Imagine traveling with your students to a coral reef to investigate the effects of climate change, then returning equipped with expertise in coral conservation. How can we teach youth to care about this important asset that resides far away from…
Keeping You Informed: Assembly Bill 2640 (Dissection)
In the March Edition of California Classroom Science, CASE published seven articles giving different perspectives on the topic of dissection. There was also a survey in which we asked readers to share their perspectives. Most respondents to the…
Region 1: Parents - Partners and Allies
We often overlook one of the most vital partners in education: parents, especially those of underserved children. By developing parent advocate leaders, we can empower them to champion more STEM education and equitable services, ensuring a better…
Region 4 Update: Summer 2024
As summer begins, embrace the bittersweet farewells of graduation and the thrill of a few weeks without alarms. Consider picking up a new hobby, starting a gratitude journal, or diving into your reading list. Explore local environmental phenomena to…
Reflections and Fresh Horizons
Often, we take the summer to reflect on the past school year. What went well and maybe what challenges we faced. What will we do differently next year? How best to build relationships with students to foster a safe, inclusive environment where all…
Exploring Perspectives on Classroom Dissection: Insights from CASE, PETA, and Beyond
A few years back the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA then CASE now) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found themselves on opposite sides of a dissection debate in Sacramento. PETA was supporting a bill to ban…
Why Animal-Free Anatomy Lessons are the Future of Education
Science is always evolving, so why are some of the methods we use to teach it—like dissecting dead animals—stuck in the past? We can better prepare students for the future by leaving behind old ways in favor of innovative and exciting new approaches…
Evaluating Alternatives to Dissection with the SynFrog
At the 2023 California Science Education Conference in Palm Springs, the Keynote Speaker was the inspiring Dr. Tyrone Hayes, who introduced himself as “a boy who loved frogs.” I asked him after the keynote, how he felt about frog dissection, and he…
Invaluable Learning Experiences: Thoughtful Design and Implementation of Dissections
When people recall their science experiences in school, those with strong memories often describe times when they were actively engaging with content, having hands-on exploration, and participating in the process of science. Many describe conducting…
A Student's Experience with High School Dissection
Like most high school students, I took a course called Human Physiology. I knew it entailed learning about the human body and that I might see images that made me uncomfortable. I was also aware that dissecting an animal carcass was part of the…