LESSON 5: Grades
4-6
TWELVE MONTHS OF SAFETY AND KINDNESS!
Show-Me Standards:: Academic Goals:
1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.3, 4.6
& 4.7 Communication Arts: 1, 4 & 6; Science:
4 & 8; Fine Arts: 1 & 4; Health & Phys Ed: 5
Objective:To help students realize
that safety, kindness, respect and
responsibility toward animals is a way of
life-365 days a year. Incorporating simple
changes or modifications and making good
choices will help to create a year of humane
attitudes for students, making the world a
better place for animals and people too!
Materials:
- Twelve sheets of poster paper
- Markers or crayons
Method: The teacher will write
each month at the top of the twelve sheets
of poster paper. Help children get started
by discussing safety and kindness to
animals. Discuss safety measures for pets
and daily acts of kindness necessary to keep
animals happy and healthy. For example, when
the temperature is very hot, dogs get hot,
just like we do. A cool drink of water and a
shady, breezy resting spot are necessary to
be humane (kind.) Is fresh water only
necessary during summer months? No, fresh
water is essential EVERYDAY. Therefore fresh
water is written under EVERY month of the
year.
Safety issues would include keeping cats
indoors, never leaving your dog outdoors
unsupervised, having your pet micro-chipped.
Some other topics for discussion may include
daily care, such as feeding or brushing or
spending time with your pet. Some may
include seasonal topics, such as keeping
holiday decorations out of reach of pets,
keeping all pets indoors during the loud
July 4th celebrations, sending valentines or
Christmas gifts to the homeless animals at
your local animal shelter. Keep the creative
juices flowing in your students by
suggesting ways they can keep their pets
safe and ways to be kind to animals
everyday.
(To download the Humane Society of
Missouri's Kind Calendar for Animals
click here. Use this as a prototype to
create your own special year for the
animals.)
Call To Action: Create a Kind
Calendar for Animals in art class and
distribute copies to other classes in your
school. (The local newspaper may be
interested in a copy as well!) Distribute
monthly copies with PTA and school notes to
parents. Have students create large (poster
sized) copies of the calendar and change
monthly to display at local businesses and
grocery stores. Students can produce copies
of the calendars to sell as a fund-raiser
for your local animal shelter. Students can
present a Year of Kindness to Animals in an
oral presentation or drama to other classes.
Reading: Visit our section entitled
Recommended Children's Literature for a
comprehensive listing of animal-related
books.
Web sites: Visit our section entitled
Recommended Web Links for animal-related web
sites.
Lesson Plan
