Alternatives to DissectionDissection in science classrooms is an experience that almost all students must go through, but that many will regret. An estimated six million vertebrate animals are dissected each year in high schools and an additional 5.7 million are used in university laboratories. The issue of educational dissection has become a national concern. Many groups such as PETA and The Humane Society have been pushing for years to ban such practices and implement new, safe dissection alternatives. Alternatives to dissection have become more popular in recent decades and may be the future of modern science and education. An alternative to dissection is defined as an educational aid or teaching approach that replaces the harmful use of animals or supplements existing human education. There are many types of alternatives available, such as videos, CD-ROM activities, models, simulators, books, and interactive websites. The most commonly dissected vertebrate animals are fetal pigs, cats, and frogs. So there are many alternatives available for these three animals. However, there are also alternatives for other animals like sharks, rabbits, mice, snakes, mink, turtles, crayfish, clams, earthworms, starfish and squid. Such alternatives are usually produced by educational companies or suppliers of organic products for use by students and teachers. Science Works, Scholastic, Neotek, and Ventura Education Systems are some examples of companies that offer alternatives to dissection for classroom use. Educational dissection first gained national attention in 1987 when a young girl named Jennifer Graham took a stand against it. She filed a lawsuit against her California high school because they required her to participate in paper classes and teachers with free, up-to-date middle school, high school, and college dissection alternatives. levels. The only cost is return shipping, and anyone can get the material. Another great program is the Educational Memorial Program. This is when animals are donated to veterinary schools when they have been euthanized due to a terminal illness or when they have died of natural causes. Universities such as Tufts University School of Medicine and Western Health Sciences University only use donated animal cadavers. For many years, dissection was considered a widely used and acceptable form of scientific learning. Today, in the 21st century, students are rebelling against these inhumane procedures. Because of the benefits they bring to teachers, students, and school administrators, it is likely that alternatives to dissection will be the future of modern science..