You don't have to be an accomplished public speaker for this purpose. In fact, it is better if you talk casually, as you would when speaking to a neighbor kid or teenager. The purpose is not to lecture, but to get youngsters to open up their minds about possibilities, and to discuss their own perceptions and feelings about pets and animals in the wild kingdom. Kids can participate by drawing pictures of their own pets, writing stories about a favorite kitty, and for older students, doing the "math" of animal overpopulation.
A number of humane organizations provide teaching packages that are either free or available for for classrooms for a small charge. If you can't bring yourself to participate directly, you can sponsor a classroom of 32 students to receive nine monthly issues of KIND (Kids in Nature's Defense) News, for $30 per school year. KIND News is printed in three versions, by grade: primary (K-2), junior (grades 3-4), and senior (grades 5-6), and the subscription includes a teacher package with other classroom aides. Consider the following suggestions and resources for different age groups:
Pre-School and K-3
- Read aloud the story of Misty, the One in a Million Cat, which teaches the importance of spay-neuter to younger children, along with delightful illustrations by a young man. Then discuss the story with your youngsters.
- The Denver Dumb Friends League has a wonderful lesson plan for K-2 in PDF format.
- If you live in the U.K., you can order a Purrfect education pack for children of nursery age.
- Cut out photos of animals from magazines, including cats, dogs, birds, monkeys, iguanas. Let the children try to identify the animal. If it is a cat or dog, ask them if they have one at home. If it is another animal, ask whether it would make a good pet, including reasons why and why not.
- Copy and print coloring pages of cats and dogs. Ask the children to color and name their "pet." Here's a good one to start with, from the Massachussets SPCA, and another, with multiple cute pictures, from PetFinder.com's Tama and Friends. Encourage them to talk about their own pets as they color.
- Help the kids make their own "Doily Noodle Lion." While making it, talk about the similarities and differences between big cats and pet cats.
- Discuss the things "your pet needs." Here is a great worksheet for prompting participation.
- Use the information in the sidebar links for other activities.
Elementary and Middle School
- KIND News is a great tool for ages up to grade 6, if you can afford it. Most of the preparatory work has been done for you.
- Introduce the concept of Spay & Neuter. Copy and print the Overpopulation Math Sheet from Share the World.
- Talk about responsible pet ownership (pets as family members, rather than disposable property.) Share the World has a wonderful worksheet in PDF format about Animals and their Feelings.
- Use "The Value of Animals" worksheet to discuss why we assign certain values to different animals. Talk about the value of our own animal companions in our lives.
- U.K. Residents can get a free "Cats in the Classroom" pack for class presentations.
- Ask a rescue person to come to to class to discuss the plight of homeless cats and dogs.
- Schedule a trip to a local zoo. You'll need school permission, as well as several parents to assist with supervision. On a subsequent visit to the classroom, discuss the benefits and downsides of keeping wild animals in zoos.
Next > High School Students
