Review by Jenny Bristol, Common Sense Education | Updated September 2016

Rat Dissection

Virtual lab helps students learn about rat anatomy in cool 3D

Common Sense Says:
3
Rating Details
Teachers Say (2 Reviews):
4
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Grades
6-12 This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
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Price:  $3.99 Developer's blog offers promotions and giveaways.
Platforms:  iPad
The home screen offers access to the dissection, the 3D organ study, and the Wet Lab Process.
Students use virtual tools to dissect the rat, following clearly conveyed instructions.
At the end, organs are clearly labeled (labels can be turned off) for further study.
The 3D organ section has detailed information, and students can rotate the organ.
Wet Lab Process instructions are provided for prep, process, and clean up.

Pros: Students can learn dissection procedures and rat anatomy through well-designed graphics and clear instruction.

Cons: There’s no opportunity for students to assess or apply learning.

Bottom Line: Useful tool for teaching or practicing dissection, which is a valuable lesson in the science lab.

Lesson & Activity Ideas

If you need to teach the procedure for a wet lab dissection or teach students about mammal anatomy, then Rat Dissection is worth the price. Have students take turns working their way through the app for practice before doing a non-virtual wet lab dissection. Some kids find animal dissection unethical, so you can also use the app as an alternative. Others may get squeamish about doing it in real life, and the app can serve as a transition step. After students have finished the dissection in the app and fully explored the information about rat anatomy, have students turn off the organ labels and quiz each other.

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Standards:

Rat Dissection is a straightforward virtual lab that is easy to work through, if not a thorough resource. The home screen provides three options: Start Dissection, Internal Organs (3D), and Wet Lab Process. When students choose the dissection option, they are taken through the rat dissection, step by step, by choosing the tools to use and making incisions and cuts where needed, along with pinning back skin and membranes. The tools in the app include: Pins, Markers, Forceps, Scalpel, and Scissors. There doesn't seem to be any way to use the markers. Fantastic voice instructions make the procedures easy to follow, but they can also be turned off if preferred. It is impossible to make a wrong move in the dissection, as the app only allows for cutting and pinning in certain areas.

After the rat has been opened, students can tap on the organs to view them in 3D, and labels can be turned on or off. When students choose the Internal Organs (3D) option, the app takes them directly to the final step of the dissection, the opened rat, where they can tap to view the organs in 3D, read organ descriptions and functions, and rotate the organs a full 360 degrees. Choosing the Wet Lab Process option, students receive text instructions and basic diagrams to walk them through lab and rat preparation and cleanup procedures. The app hasn't been updated in some time, however, and the Support button on the home page causes the app to crash, while the More Apps button claims the device isn't connected to the internet, even if it is.

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Rat Dissection was clearly developed with two goals in mind: teach dissection procedures and teach about rat organs. The virtual lab aligns with Common Core ELA standards and provides a foundation for Next Generation Science Standards for middle and high school (MS-LS-3 and HS-LS-2). Information is given visually and audibly, which is good for different learning needs.

The organs look realistic enough that students can use the dissection as a practice tool before doing a wet lab process. Three-dimensional organs are nicely labeled, and students can rotate the organs to catch a 360-degree view (even though the app labels it as a 180-degree view). The ability to turn labels on or off is nice for students who want to test themselves on organ names and locations. A downside is that there’s no way for students or teachers to check for understanding in the app, and there is no way to jump to a specific step in the dissection procedure. 

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Overall Rating
3
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?
3

The hands-on dissection lab will draw students in, and authentic, 3D images of virtual organs likely will keep them interested. It's impossible to make a mistake, so nervous students will be reassured. 

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?
2

The focus is on teaching lab-dissection procedures and giving information about rat organs, which are presented with great detail. However, there's no way to apply or assess learning, and there's no way to jump to specific steps.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?
3

Instructions are clear and to the point, but the Support button crashes the app. Some of the arrows that guide kids to do incisions are misleading, and there's no feedback if they get stuck. 

Common Sense Reviewer
Jenny Bristol Homeschooling parent
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