The biology teachers at H-F have been discussing the idea of putting an end to the frog dissection unit. Astronomy and biology teacher Matthew Gibson, has provided more insight into the decision and what the unit might be replaced with.

The frog dissection unit has been around at H-F and other high schools since the 1900’s.

The big concern with the unit is the wildlife endangerment. This is the endangerment of certain species that could potentially become extinct. Another concern is the inhumane captivity of frogs that will eventually be used for the biology unit. 

“I have emailed our vendors and I’ve asked them where they get the frogs from”. According to Gibson the question he asked directly was, “Do you obtain these animals from wild populations?” The email Gibson received back was “yes”. Gibson also mentioned that the vendor company was initially reluctant to respond to his concerns. 

He also elaborated on what the biology teachers are pondering when it comes to making this decision.

“Biology teachers are reconsidering whether or not we should or should not do this particular lab in our lessons for anatomy. We are trying to ask ourselves and trying to find out where these frogs are coming from, some people believe that the frogs are coming from wild populations,” stated Gibson. 

“Amphibian populations in general are struggling worldwide,” he added. However, the number of frogs being bought by H-F has not been disclosed. 

When asked about her experience with the unit, freshman Bianca Holt shared, “I think it’s gross, but it’s a very unique experience as opposed to doing a worksheet.”

“If you’re not comfortable around gross things it’s definitely not for you” freshman Crista Langon.

“Most kids are super excited to do it, but I have a handful of kids that are very reluctant or they are grossed out by the idea,” stated Gibson. He also mentioned that he felt the course was very valuable for learning human anatomy. 

The decision to stop the unit has not been made yet, but the replacement options mentioned were online labs or research projects about anatomy.