Humane EDUCATION: Animals In The Classroom

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."
Ancient Indian Proverb

Creativity + Kindness + Compassion
=
A Positive Learning Experience
that Promotes Respect for All Life

Children inherently like animals. They, however, are not born knowing how to care for them. Teaching children to care for animals, as well as their neighborhoods, communities and the planet is a challenge.

Resident animals in the classroom can send the wrong message. The Washington Humane Society often finds classroom animals confined in extremely small spaces. Many do not have adequate care, including veterinary attention. Some are cast-off when they become burdensome or the lesson is completed and lots of classroom animals are surrendered to the Washington Humane Society and shelters across the U.S at the end of the school year. Because keeping animals in the classroom often sends the message that animals are disposable and /or easy and cheap to care for, the Washington Humane Society urges teachers to plan their curriculum without including resident animal companions.

Students enjoy a visit in their classroom from Forrest, a dog enrolled in the Washington Humane Society’s
SPEAK (Sharing Positive Experiences – Animals & Kids) program.

In addition to the added responsibility that comes with caring for a resident classroom animal, there are other complications that teachers and administrators should consider before bringing an animal into the classroom.

• Children may be allergic to the animals
• The animal may die during the school year. Teachers need to be prepared to deal with the children’s grief.
• A child may purposely or accidentally hurt the animal. Such instances will need to be addressed, and the entire class will be affected by the incident.
• Caring for an animal can be expensive. In addition to the initial costs, there are ongoing costs for food, litter, toys and other essentials. And, then there are the unpredicted costs like trips to the veterinarian and medication.
• Caring for a classroom animal does not stop when the bell rings. Care, including proper food, water and exercise, must be available on weekends and during school holidays. The teacher is the animal’s primary caregiver. While it may seem like a reward or an exercise in responsibility to let students take the animal home for a weekend or over a school break, parents are often unprepared to have the classroom visitor. Additionally, it is stressful for the animal to be moved from one location to another.
• Some animals are never appropriate classroom pets. In the District of Columbia only certain animals, including domestic dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, and captive bred species of common birds are considered suitable pets. Nonpoisonous snakes, fish, (captive bred) turtles and racing pigeons may also be kept legally in properly suited enclosures. Other jurisdictions have similar ordinances. Likewise, wild animals should never be kept in the classroom.
• Handling any animal can be a potential danger. Even cute, fuzzy hamsters have been known to bite.

So now, you have decided that an animal should not be in the classroom, what can you do to make animals and nature part of a curriculum that will encourage students to respect all living creatures and assume responsibility for the animals in their community? Plenty!

• Create an animal-friendly habitat on the school’s grounds. School gardens are increasingly popular. Butterfly gardens don’t take much space and are beautiful to look at. Planting animal friendly indigenous plants and creating feeding stations for birds and squirrels will entice families of critters to come by for regular meals.
• Invite the birds to your classroom windows. Many bird feeders can be attached to windows, other can be placed on poles near by. Allow students to maintain the stations by keeping them clean and supplying fresh food. Hummingbird window feeders are popular and not many children regularly see hummingbirds.
• Take observation trips. There are many wonderful wildlife observation areas in and around Washington, D.C. – The National Arboretum, Rock Creek Park, Second Chance Wildlife Center, Brookside Gardens, the Anacostia or Chesapeake Rivers, The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and The Audubon Naturalist Society– Woodend Sanctuary.
• Use dvds, slides and books to learn about animals.
• Invite local naturalists to speak in your classroom.
• Get involved in the Washington Humane Society’s SPEAK (Sharing Positive Experiences – Animals and Kids) program. WHS personnel invite volunteers and their well-cared-for dogs to visit classrooms in DC. Students are able to meet the dogs and learn about responsible animal care.
• Create a habitat in your classroom. Designate a corner or area to recreate a natural habitat for animals. Use a combination of plants, drawings and models to simulate surroundings appropriate for animals in your community. Or learn about another region by designing a habitat unique to that area. Students can research what kinds of plants and animals would live in an area across the globe and design a model using that information.

Hands-on learning is good. Learning at the expense of another living creature is not. Teaching children about animal care, responsibility, and the reverence for life are lessons that teachers can do daily without confining a small animal to the classroom. The Washington Humane Society is eager to learn about other ideas that promote humane attitudes and actions towards animals. Send us information about your lessons to debbie.d@washhumane.org.