In an effort to save millions of frogs from being killed for science instruction, an innovative education tool has been developed. Earlier this week, approximately one hundred students of J.W. Mitchell High School in Florida pioneered a new dissection educational tool called the SynFrog. The SynFrog is a hyper-realistic synthetic frog apparatus (as the name implies) that comes complete with removable and anatomically accurate internal organs. The new and innovative educational equipment was created by synthetic modelmaker SynDaver in a compassionate partnership with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA for short. Due to current concerns with the way science is approached, SynDaver and PETA sought out to create a cruelty-free method of learning about science. Every year, nearly three million frogs are killed to be used in school dissection lessons. Rather than being an all-positive turnout for the children, it actually has the opposite effect–– children are more likely to turn away from a career in science and the practice depletes wild frog populations. The SynFrog, on the other hand, serves as a more humane and inviting approach to anatomy. In addition to eliminating the need to kill three million frogs annually, the SynFrog is also free of harmful chemicals usually found with live-frog specimens, such as formaldehyde and formalin. The children that use SynFrog as a learning tool also have a much more enjoyable experience that allows them to learn about anatomy without the unsettling effects found with live frogs. “PETA has promoted virtual dissection for years, but some teachers still request ‘hands-on’ teaching tools—and that’s where the SynFrog comes in,” PETA Vice President of International Laboratory Methods Shalin Gala said. She continued to explain that SynFrog is “safer, more effective, and more humane than cutting up dead animals” For any teachers that want to replace dead frog specimens with the SynFrog in their curriculum, contact SynDaver or PETA for more information and assistance.
