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Enjoying, Learning About and Looking After Pets

Curriculum Areas: English/Language Arts

Links to Art & Craft, Social Studies, Science.Maths

Curriculum Levels: 1-3

A language and cross curriculum unit for junior and middle school pupils that focuses on the joys, benefits, care or pets.

Motivation

  1. Run a class discussion to find out how many children/families have a pet at home or have had a pet.
  2. What sort of pet is it? List all the different types.
  3. All children draw or paint a picture of their pet.
  4. Display all pictures in a class pet gallery and add captions that gives the following information
  • name of pet
  • age of pet
  • colour/s of pet and any special markings
  • size, height and weight of pet

Run a Survey

Pupils conduct a survey of all classes/friends in the school to find out the number and types of pets that are represented.

  1. Collate the data gathered and display as pictograms, graphs, captions and/or pictures
  2. What is the most popular pet amongst people at school?
  3. Focus on dogs and cats and count up the number of each that is represented in the survey. Which of the two is the most popular?

Enjoying Our Pets … Activities to complete.

  1. What is it about our pets that makes us feel happy. Discuss and share ideas as a class.
  2. Children share one thing about their pet that makes them smile. Why does it make us smile?
  3. Write a story/write captions/a short paragraph listing the things about our pets that make us smile.
  4. Paint a picture called ' My pet/cat/dog made me laugh today because … or 'I love my pet because …'Add captions to the pictures.

A Day in the Life of My Cat/Dog

  1. Prepare a simple time line that starts at 7am and finishes at the bed time of the pupils.
  2. All pupils contribute to the timeline using sequence pictures or captions that traces the way their pet dog or cat spends a typical day. Children without a cat or dog can help others. Examples could be
  • 7am - my dog gets out of its basket and moves in front of the kitchen heater
  • 8am - I take my dog for a walk around the block …

Needs of Pets … Discuss and Make

As a class, discuss and list any ideas about what it is that makes our pets happy. Introduce the idea that we have the responsibility of making sure that our pet has …

  1. good food and the correct amount of it
  2. adequate water
  3. shelter and comfort
  4. make sure that they are treated quickly and properly if they get sick
  5. do not suffer any pain
  6. are treated as normal animals
  7. are brushed and groomed regularly

Make a word and picture mobile on the needs of pets.

Talking to the Experts

Arrange for a visit to the local vet clinic/SPCA or invite a veterinary surgeon to visit your classroom to talk about pet care.

Prepare the pupils for the visit/visitor by having them prepare questions on pet care they would like answered, eg

  • what is the best food to feed my cat?
  • why is it important to groom my cat or dog?
  • how much exercise does my dog need?
  • are there any vaccinations that my pet needs?
  • do puppies and kittens need any special care?
  • what type of shelter or home does my pet need?

Write all questions on a large wall chart.

Find out if their are any special local council laws about pets, eg droppings must be cleaned up, areas where dogs can be exercised …

Sharing What We Know with Others

Talk about how we can help other people learn about looking after and caring for pets. What can we do? Try these ideas…

  1. large painted posters and pictures with captions
  2. talks at assembly
  3. a Pets Rights Charter

Introduce the idea that 'Pets are Perfect Friends but Wild Pets are Pests'. What does this mean? How could your pet

Celebrating Pets … Fun Cross Curriculum Ideas

  1. Make and wear cat, dog, fish, bird masks to wear from paper bags.
  2. Display photographs of your pets at school.
  3. Read lots of books about pets.
  4. Move like your favourite pet.
  5. Create a pet dance.
  6. Invent and play 'pet games'.
  7. What would pets look like on another planet? Invent one and paint it.
  8. Learn to recognise different breeds of cats and dogs, Make into flashcards.

Extra for levels 2+

Try our fun Making a Pets Life Easier Unit … an exercise in creative thinking. Click here.


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