There’s that unforgettable smell of formaldehyde and the thin but tough and rubbery skin.
And dissecting frogs is still one of the best ways for children to learn about digestive, circulatory, respiratory, muscular and nervous systems.
So that’s why all fifth-graders in Jackson Public Schools get the experience every year to reinforce the science lessons they learn about body systems and how they work together.
“We’ve got technology, but sometimes the kids need to see the real thing,” said Frost Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Dawn Francis. “This is one of the things that actually helps kids get science.”
Manned with goggles and vinyl gloves, Francis’ students took their turn at the frogs on Wednesday.
“I was very nervous,” said Kye Bristow, 10. “I mean, it’s a real frog. I didn’t even want to touch it, but this is all right. It’s not horrible at all.”
Kye and classmates Aliyah Ameen, 10; Destiny Hayes, 11, and Caleb Tate, 10, named their frog “Billy Bob” and then used small scissors and a scalpel to pull back the frog’s skin and muscle to reveal the organs.
“This smells so bad,” Caleb said.
Then, they removed the heart, lungs, intestines, liver and stomach. For good measure, they even cut the stomach open to see what Billy Bob had for a last meal.
“Look,” Destiny said. “I’m sticking my finger in the stomach and I’m not even freaking out.”
“I think frogs eat a lot,” Kye said.
Francis uses mentholated cream under the nose and air freshener to help students get past the smell. The important part of this lesson, she said, is that it’s hands-on.
“For the 20 years I’ve been doing this, it just turns kids on to science,” Francis said. “A lot of kids don’t like science because they think it’s just all reading. This makes science come to life.”
By the time their class was done, students had probed their frogs’ organs, tongues, spines, brains and eyes.
“This was really fun,” Aliyah said. “I like science.”