Elementary school aged children are fascinated by pets. Teachers may want to teach about pets as part of a science class or use pets to teach other subjects, such as reading, art or literature. Below are some online resources for teachers:
- Kiddyhouse.com offers teachers and students activities relating to farm animals. Especially helpful to teachers are lesson plans for preschool to Grade 2.
- The Ecole Whitehorse Elementary School provides pet webquests, project ideas and theme pages.
- Teachnology has a rich page of animal-related lesson plans, activities, worksheets, activities, webquests and more.
- Lesson Planet lists a wealth of lesson plans and worksheets relating to pets. Search for the word “pets” or type in a specific animal. There are resources for cats, dogs, birds, turtles and more.
- Thinking about bringing a pet into your classroom? Check out this article, Classroom Pets, on the benefits of hosting a pet at school. Advice from teachers who have already tried it can be found on ProTeacher. In this article, Animals in the Classroom: Lessons in Disrespect, find out why PETA objects to pets being kept in the classroom.
- Scholastic offers lesson plans for different age groups relating to pets. Preschoolers can learn about baby animals, while Grades 3-6 can learn about the work of a veterinarian and the importance of keeping pets safe and healthy.
- Web resources for teaching about nonhuman primates and biomedical research topics can be found at the California National Primate Research Center.
- All About Animals is a website devoted to teaching about animals in the classroom. It includes lesson plans, useful links, free resources, recommended reading and stories.
- Animal Fact Guide contains kid-friendly articles about animals, as well as worksheets for teachers. The site emphasizes conservation.