Preschool to Grade 1 — Getting Acquainted With Pets

Resource For Teachers

Engage the students in a pet-related activity immediately before the presentation. For instance, read aloud from a book about animals or pets. Follow the reading with a general discussion about pets. “What is a pet?” “How many of you have pets?”

Everyone who wants to tell a story about his or her pets should have a brief moment or two to share their experiences. Inform the children that someone who knows a lot about animals and pets is coming to visit the class. Children might then be asked to predict what might happen during the visit. These initial activities allow the children to organize prior experiences to the new information they receive during the visit will be meaningful and memorable.

Objectives:

Choosing a Pet

Through discussion of different scenarios, students will learn how to make informed decisions when selecting a pet.
Students will review the basic needs of pets, including exercise, grooming, space and time.
Students will gain an appreciation for the needs of family members when choosing a pet.

Selecting a Healthy, Happy Pet

Through discussion of different scenarios, students will learn what a healthy pet looks like.
Students will learn how a healthy pet acts.
Students will be able to tell where they could go to find a healthy pet.

Choosing a Pet

Select one or two scenarios to discuss with the students as a group. Older students may be divided into smaller groups to discuss the scenario and then explain their decision to the class as a whole. Students may also be encouraged to role-play each scenario. This method may help them to better understand the point of view of parents and other siblings. Following each choice is a list of points to consider when each answer is chosen.

Suggested Script

All puppies and kittens are cute. Many of them might be the “right” pet for you. But, are YOU right for the pet? For example, is your house and yard large enough for a puppy that will grow up to be a very big dog? Do you and your family have the time to train a puppy or kitten to be a well-behaved member of the family? Are you ready to take care of the pet for the rest of his or her life, even after the pet grows up? Let’s talk about how to choose which pet is best for you.

1) You live in a small apartment in a big city. You go to school all day, and your parents both work outside the home. You are also on a soccer team and you are learning how to play the piano. You like to play inside with your friends and sleep late and watch cartoons on Saturday. You would like an animal that could sleep next to you and cuddle up to you on the couch. Which of these might be a good choice?

A pony [Ponies need a lot of space, and lots of time for feeding, riding and cleaning up. This scenario calls for an indoor animal that can be held and handled]
A young puppy that will grow up to be a large, active dog [This puppy will need lots of space to play and grow. Puppies need training, and adult dogs need lots of exercise, play and attention. This scenario calls for a pet that will not require lots of time]
A pair of goldfish [Goldfish meet the space and minimal time requirements, but the lack of physical contact may be a drawback]
A fluffy, white rabbit [Discuss the advantages of choosing a pet that meets the child’s desires and one that will also fit well in the family/household]

2) Your family is very active and you go out camping a lot during the summer. You have a large, fenced yard and your dad works at home all day. You have two brothers and a sister who all like big dogs. Your mom likes to brush and bathe her cat, and she also likes big dogs. Which of these might be a good pet?

A turtle [This family may need a more active pet.]
A caged bird [Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this type of pet.]
A pair of hamsters [Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this type of pet.]
An energetic, long-haired dog [Talk about how this pet could be a companion to the family and could play with other children in the household. Grooming needs could probably be met by the family, with mom supervising.]

3) You have wanted a pet for a long time. You like cats and dogs, but their fur makes you sneeze and itch. Your family lives in a big house, but it is on a busy street and you do not have a fenced yard. You like to read and watch TV, but you don’t like many outdoor sports. You would like to have a pet that you can train to do tricks and one that could spend time in your room. Which of these might be a good choice?

A large, shaggy dog [Remind about allergies, dog’s need for exercise and the fact that shaggy animals shed their fur. Discuss other choices.]
A long-haired cat [Remind about allergies, also discuss the possibility of short-haired cat that might be bathed and combed regularly.]
A group of colourful fish in an aquarium [Discuss the advantages of this choice: fish are a nice choice for someone who likes quiet activities; and can be taught to come up for food.]
A friendly, white mouse [Discuss the activities children can do with a small pet like this one: training to do tricks, making fun toys for the pet to hide or climb in, etc.]

4) Your neighbour’s cat just had kittens and your family has decided that you can have one. When you choose your kitten, you pick:

The kitten that is your favourite colour [Ask about personality, etc.]
The kitten that always stays in the corner when you come over, and looks very sad and lonely [Discuss the possibility that this kitten may grow up to be a scared or shy adult, and might not be very playful. Also review the healthy cat concepts from the previous section—might this animal be ill?]
The largest kitten, because he will grow up to be a big cat [Ask about personality, colour preferences, etc.]
The kitten that always plays with you and likes to be held [This choice is favourable from a personality standpoint.]

5) Your family is going to get a pet. You have three brothers and they like to play rough and tumble outdoor games. Your mother takes care of small children during the day, and one little boy is afraid of dogs. You have found three dogs that you like. Which one would probably be the best choice for your family?

A small poodle that used to live along with an older lady [Talk about the kind of quiet setting the dog is probably accustomed to. Would noise and confusion be upsetting for this dog?]
A large dog with a loud bark that always guards his house and family [Discuss whether this dog would fit easily and safely into the household. What about the little boy who is afraid of dogs?]
A gentle, medium-sized dog that grew up with children and likes to play [Favourable aspects of this choice: playful, gentle personality, already used to children, might be less scary for the boy who is afraid of dogs.]

6) Your mother has told you that you can have a cat or a dog. Where would be the best place to go to find a good pet?

A shopping mall, where people give away free puppies and kittens out of cardboard boxes. [How healthy are these animals? What kind of care have they had? Are these animals the kind you want to have?]
A pet shop. [How healthy are these animals? Can you afford the cost of the pet? What kinds of pets are available?]
Look around the neighbourhood for a homeless animal. [What about personality, health, age, type of pet?]
The local animal shelter, which spays and neuters all the animals and makes sure that they are healthy. [Talk about the positive aspects of this choice: child could choose the kind, age, size and colour of the pet. Child can find a pet with an appealing personality. Discuss health care, pet overpopulation. The cost would be minimal.]

Healthy Pets are Happy Pets

This activity can be done with the students sitting in a circle, or seated at their desks.

Suggested Script

To get off to a happy start, one of the most important things in choosing a pet is to select a healthy pet that has the right personality to be a good pet.

A healthy dog or cat has:

Bright, clear eyes
A shiny fur coat with no dull or patchy spots
Clean, dry ears
A love of people
Energy to play

The best place to get a puppy or kitten is from a responsible breeder—someone who makes sure their animals are healthy and happy and well-cared for—or from an animal shelter.

A healthy bird has:

Bright, clear eyes
Soft, shiny feathers with no bare spots (where skin is showing)
A happy, cheerful voice
A good appetite

Birds that are raised and fed by people from the time they are babies usually make the best pets. Birds that are trapped in the wild and taken to stores may always be afraid of people.

A healthy turtle:

Has bright, clear eyes
Has a clean, shiny shell with no cracks
Will come out of his shell to look around
Eats a lot of different kinds of fresh fruit

A healthy snake, lizard or fish:

Has bright, clear eyes
Has shiny scales with no bare or rough spots
Does not look thin or weak

A veterinarian is a special animal doctor. If you are getting a pet, a veterinarian can help you to find a healthy, happy animal that will make a good pet.

Follow Up Activities

Experience Story
Ask the children to work together to create a story about what happened during the presentation. If the children haven’t actually begun writing things down for themselves, take down their ideas by “dictation” on newsprint mounted on an easel. When the story is completed, it can be typed up on plain paper. Some children may want to illustrate the story. “Publish” the story with a cardboard cover and use it as classroom reading material.

Art Activity
Students may want to draw a picture of their pet or of a pet they’d like to have. Posters of various kinds of animals hung around the room, especially traditional pets like cats, dogs, goldfish, hamsters, gerbils, horses and birds, provide helpful guidance. The whole class might want to create a mural on a large piece of paper. What to put on the mural might come from recalling what happened during the visit. Like the written story, the mural provides a product they will return to again and again.

Drama Activity
First graders might be interested in making up a story about a child who gets a pet, runs into some sort of difficulty or problem with the pet, and finally resolves the conflict. Acting it out stimulates creativity and imagination, and heightens verbal awareness.

Reading
Hopefully, the classroom will have a collection of books available on all kinds of animals from aardvarks to zebras. Narratives, poetry, picture books and informational books feed children’s curiosity about animals.

Sharing
Sharing one’s own interpretation of a topic is in itself a learning experience. Drawings, written work of all varieties and “reading” aloud a favourite book are important ways for a child to share his or her world with others.

Math/Science
If the class decides to keep a small pet in the classroom, many rewards will follow. For example, the class can keep records of how much their pet eats and of the size and weight, especially if they start with a baby. They can also keep track of how much it costs to maintain the animal’s needs. Taking various measurements is a valuable way for children to become familiar with certain equipment.