Be Kind to Animals Teaching Tip
Did you know the first week in May is Be Kind to Animals Week?
Here are a few ideas to help you get that message across to your
children...no matter what month it is.
1. Here is a poem to read, taken from May Days, Macmillan
Seasonal Activity Packs, 1985.
Little children, never give
Pain to things that feel or live.
Let the gentle robin find
All the crumbs you leave behind.
Feed your dog and let him run
Bounce and play and bark in fun.
Pet the kitten soft and small;
She'll come to you when you call.
Let the bunny hop and play
On the lawn at close of day.
Watch the chipmunk or the mouse
Peep out of her little house.
Let these creatures run along
And do not do them any wrong.
2. Have children tell how they can be kind to the animals in the
poem, as well as to others they name. Write down their
suggestions.
3. Older children will be able to illustrate the poem above,
write down how they will be kind to the animals, and put the
pages into a booklet.
4. Make a copy of the poem and have children frame or underline
words you dictate, words that begin with a certain letter or
sound, adjectives, nouns, verbs, plurals, 2-syllable words, the
contraction, or rhyming words. Do a few categories and have
children use different colored crayons or pencils.
5. Give oral or visual (written) clues so that children can guess
the animal you have in mind. Play it like a game and see who can
guess the mystery animal in the least amount of clues!
6. Let children play Animal Charades. Whisper an animal's name to
a child, have him act like that animal, and have the other
children guess the name of the animal.
7. Cut out pictures of animals from newspapers, magazines,
catalogues, flyers, brochures, or any other resource. Have
children make collages of pets, farm animals, zoo animals, large
animals, small animals...you get the idea.
8. Discuss what kind of animal would make a good pet for your
classroom or living situation. Write down the positives and
negatives. What will the pet need for food and living space? What
supplies will it need? Who will take care of it? When the pet
grows bigger, will it still be suitable for your classroom or
living situation? What will you do with your pet when you go on
vacation or when the weather is extremely bad? Will you be able
to afford this pet's upkeep? Will this pet get along well with
children?? Take all these factors into consideration when you
make a decision as to the pet you should choose!
7. Discuss how to treat animals at the zoo or those that are
wild. Should you feed them?
8. How should you treat animals with special needs, such as
manatees?
9. Discuss seeing-eye dogs and police dogs. Should you bother
them when they are working?
I hope these ideas have been useful and have inspired your own
creativity. Remember...Reading is FUNdamental!!
Freda J. Glatt, MS, retired from teaching after a 34-year career
in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Her focus, now, is
to reach out and help others reinforce reading comprehension and
develop a love for reading. Visit her site at
http://www.sandralreading.com
Reading is FUNdamental!
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