Animal Dissection Cut Out at Chicago School With Help From PETA

Belmont-Cragin Elementary School Welcomes Modern Teaching Tools That Make Kindness Part of the Curriculum

For Immediate Release:
November 30, 2015

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

When the science department at Belmont-Cragin Elementary School put out the call for help replacing animal dissection with humane teaching tools in its classrooms, PETA came to the rescue.

The group has donated the popular Digital Frog virtual-dissection software to the school, giving students the chance to learn science without crudely cutting up once-living animals. The software allows students to dissect frogs virtually and contains animations of the living body, side-by-side comparisons of different species, and modules that show how frogs sound and where they live. The benefits of the switch don’t stop there: Studies have repeatedly found that interactive software, such as Digital Frog, teaches anatomy more effectively than animal dissection.

“As the K-8 science lab resource teacher at my school, I am constantly looking for new and interesting labs that will challenge my students,” says Jason Pitak of Belmont-Cragin Elementary School. “Personally, I found the Digital Frog software to far exceed my expectations. The level and attention to detail is amazing. I cannot wait [to] watch the faces of my students as they begin to explore their own digital frogs! Thank you, PETA, for your dedication to schools and the learning process.”

“PETA commends the school’s decision to drop archaic dissection labs in favor of modern, sophisticated technology,” says PETA Director of Laboratory Investigations Justin Goodman. “Digital Frog will spare the lives of frogs and offer students a more comprehensive learning experience.”

The millions of animals used in school dissection come from biological supply houses, which breed animals or obtain them from animal shelters or the wild. The National Science Teachers Association endorses the use of modern non-animal methods as replacements for animal dissection. Programs such as Digital Frog save teachers time and money and increase student confidence and satisfaction.

For more information, please visit PETA.org/Dissection.