Friends for Life: Caring for Pets (ECS-Grade 3)

Suggested level: ECS–Grade 3

Subject area: Social Studies, Language Arts

Goal: To understand that pets depend on people for care and affection.

Objectives: Students will

1. identify different animals.
2. recognize that wild animals are not pets.
3. define pets.
4. identify pet care items.
5. explain how to look after a pet.

Materials

• pictures of different animals including pets and wildlife (old calendars are a good source)
• a grab-bag full of pet care items (be sure to include ID tags, pooper-scooper bag)

Procedure

1. Hold up pictures one at a time. What animal is this? Would it make a good pet? What are pets? (live with us and are our friends/part of the family) Who looks after pets? (people) Who looks after wild animals? (they look after themselves) What’s the best thing we can do for wild animals? (leave them alone, look after the environment)
2. Pets depend on us to look after them properly. Bring out the bag and have one student reach in and pull out an object. What is it? What is it for? Invite a second student to pull out another object and so on until all the objects have been shown and explained. (Points to cover: feeding, water, shelter, safe exercise, grooming, wearing identification, being a good neighbour, spaying and neutering)
3. Show that the bag is empty. What do pets need that isn’t in the bag? Prompt the class to come up with LOVE. How do we show our pets we love them? (by taking proper care of them for their whole lives — friend for life) How do we show our love for wildlife? (protect their habitat and leave them alone to live in it)

*This lesson also works well with older students by

• going into more depth in the discussion of the difference between domestic animals and wildlife, and why people shouldn’t try to make pets of wildlife
• going into more detail with each object, for example different types of collars or brushes and how each is used.