This story might be a little disturbing for some readers. You've been warned.
Yesterday, my son's science class participated in some dissections. The creatures viewed were an octopus, a squid, and a shark. The octopus and squid were pretty much what you'd expect - blobs of goop. But the shark had a surprise inside: six babies.
"It had what inside?" I asked, completely appalled that they would kill a pregnant shark for this observation.
"Six babies," he repeated. "They were in little sacs."
This made me sick. "What did you do with them?"
"Nothing. My friend wanted to take them home, but the teacher wouldn't let him."
At least they didn't dissect them.
Is it just me, or do any of you find it appalling that a pregnant creature would be used in a dissection class?
Now on a completely different note, Rita commented on my last post that she would have liked to have seen a picture of me dressed as Cleopatra. So here you go, Rita - just for you! (The young lady is one of my piano students. We had a Halloween recital, and we all dressed up.)
How big was the shark? They probably didn't know it was pregnant. Still, I wouldn't want to dissect any of those.
ReplyDeleteAnd you look great!!
I don't know how big the shark was, probably less than two feet.
DeleteThanks about my Cleopatra costume. :-)
Wow.. that shark must have been big... I agree they probably shouldn't be dissecting pregnant ones but they probably had no idea...
ReplyDeleteYou look great dressed up as Cleopatra Sherry xox
Too bad there wasn't a way to check before the shark died.
DeleteThanks - I had fun dressing up as Cleopatra.
Pregnant sharks don't really show much at all. (I watch a lot of nature shows.) Plus it must have been a small variety of shark, I would guess. I hate that they still dissect anything in school. Unless you're in college studying to be in a medical profession--couldn't they look at pictures or something? When I was in high school they pithed live frogs and dissected them paralyzed and ALIVE! I refused and left the room. They still made me come back in and look at one that was dissected--and the lungs were still moving and the heart was still beating!!! I have never forgotten that.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note! THANK YOU for posting the picture here in your blog, Cleo!! You looked great! :) :)
I don't think I could have handled dissecting a living creature. Ugh!
DeleteThanks about the Cleopatra. I had fun dressing up. Happy to share the picture with you!
Lovely costume!
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone on that. I don't know what kind of screening process they use for these animals, but someone needs to step it up a notch, eh?
I would say so!
DeleteHi, dear Sherry! I remember having to dissect frogs in h.s. biology class. The overpowering smell of the preservative solution was what I minded more than anything. I agree with the panel that it is probably difficult to pick a pregnant shark out of a lineup.
ReplyDeleteLiz Taylor's Cleopatra pales in comparison to yours, dear friend. I think you would make an ideal Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Did you ever dress like her at H-ween? If so can you post a picture?
Haha! No, I've never dressed as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I couldn't even imagine dressing as her. I'm too nice! ;-)
DeleteNice costume!. The thought of dissecting animals definitely doesn't appeal to me. The children have strong stomachs. I'm glad they didn't dissect the baby sharks too. The Elmo costume is cute.
ReplyDeleteMy son complained about the formaldehyde smell.
DeleteSad about the dissection. They should have checked beforehand.
ReplyDeleteYou look gorgeous as Cleopatra.
I wish there was a screening process before they kill these animals for dissection.
DeleteThanks for your Cleopatra comment.
You make a great Cleopatra, Sherry. I wonder if the shark could be screened for babies. That kind of freaks me out, but not too much. When my daughter was in middle school, she took a microbiology class at the local community college. When I picked her up after the first class, she hopped in the car and announced with a smile, We dissected a cow's eyeball today!
ReplyDeleteBarf. I became accustomed to her interest in the wonders of the world that I don't comprehend.
Love,
Janie
Eww. I don't think I would have enjoyed dissecting a cow's eyeball!
DeleteHow horrigying for the children to encounter.
ReplyDeleteLoved the picture well done Sherry.
Yvonne.
Pretty disgusting!
DeleteIt all depends on how the shark was caught - perhaps he was captured in a net by mistake. Biology is about learning about life and pregnant sharks are part of life. Sad, yes, but so if life at times. You do make a great Cleo, btw!
ReplyDeleteI wish these creatures could be screened before they're killed. But I guess they don't have time or money to do that.
DeleteWhat was the teacher thinking?? That level of dissection is for high school junior/senior students! In a biology class! Talk with the teacher.
ReplyDeleteThey had a guest scientist come in and help them. But yes, fifth grade is a little young for that.
DeletePregnant or not pregnant, I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about dissecting any animal.
ReplyDeleteI did dissections in high school. They weren't bad. But we never dissected a pregnant creature.
DeleteI'm assuming that they didn't realize the shark was pregnant when it was taken. I was squeamish about dissecting in school, but it didn't bother me as much as I expected. But then again, we never did anything more intricate than a frog.
ReplyDeleteYou have to believe they didn't know. I dissected a pig. That was interesting.
DeleteYour costume looks very nice!
ReplyDeleteI'm appalled also. Personally, I hate the idea of dissection anyways, except for medical students. But little babies? That could have been traumatizing for some of the kids too!
My son was a little upset by it.
DeleteI am surprised little children have a class for dissection. In any case it will not be easy to find out whether the shark was pregnant or not. So we can give the benefit of doubt to the teacher. Yes, I am appalled at someone dissecting a pregnant shark.
ReplyDeleteYou look fantastic in the Cleopatra costume. I am sure Elizabeth Taylor would have become jealous.
Best wishes
Fifth grade is a little young for that kind of dissection. I'm sure they didn't know the shark was pregnant.
DeleteThanks for your nice Cleopatra costume comment.
Scanning quicky through as it brings back horrible memories of the bulls eye we were expected to dissect. I must have looked ill as the teacher allowed me to sit this one out which was something that had previously never happened before.
ReplyDeleteI have trouble dissecting eyeballs. I'm not too bad with anything else, but eyeballs staring back at you are just plain creepy!
DeleteIt very well may have been an accident. Plus, it's highly dependent on WHERE they acquired the specimen from. If it was by-catch from fishing trollers, no one would have even thought to check. :/
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing - I don't know how they acquire their specimens.
DeleteI wouldn't have the heart to dissect a pregnant creature.
ReplyDeleteA pregnant shark? Ack. How sad!
ReplyDeleteI am surprised by the shark as I would thought if they were using it in a classroom it wouldn't be large enough to be pregnant (but there are some smaller sharks). You look great as Cleopatra... Did any Mark Anthony's show up?
ReplyDeleteNo. Mark Anthony didn't show up. ;-)
Delete