pets - blake education · pdf filepets blakes t’ opic bank each integrated unit...

PetsB

lake’s Topic Ban

k

Each integrated unit contains:� 6 pages of teaching notes in an integrated teaching sequence� 10 practical blackline masters� National Profile outcomes� A useful resource list

by Kara Louise Munn

IU9 � PetsLower Primary

For all your teaching needs visit www.blake.com.au

© Blake Education – Pets Integrated Unit

1

LOWER PRIMARY

Learning Area Focus Studies of Society and EnvironmentTopic Pets are part of many students’ lives. Pets, both at home and in the classroom, can help students learn themeaning of loyalty, responsibility, commitment and friendship. This unit provides students with an understanding ofthe time, expense and patience that is involved in owning a pet. It stresses that those students who are well-prepared and willing to provide ongoing care can find owning a pet a rewarding and healthy experience. Providingstudents with the opportunity to keep a class pet will help all students, with or without pets at home, to feelincluded in the activities.

National Profile OutcomesStudents will:� English 2.8b With teacher guidance, select reading

material and gather and sort information on the topicof pets.

� English 2.9 Write brief factual texts which includesome related ideas.

� Mathematics 2.10 Generate patterns and followrules based on simple repetition and movement ofthings.

� Mathematics 2.24 Contribute questions in groupactivities and realise that some questions can beanswered by collecting and analysing data.

� Mathematics 2.27 Describe, orally and in writing,what own and classmates’ data show.

� Science 2.7 Describe the relationship that is possiblebetween people and their pets.

� Science 2.9 Compare and contrast similarities anddifferences between animals that people keep as pets.

� SOSE 2.9 Describe the roles and responsibilitiesinvolved when caring for a pet.

� SOSE 2.16 Select, compare and categorise relevantinformation.

� Arts 2.2, 2.7, 2.12, 2.17, 2.22 Make choices aboutarts elements and organise them in expressive ways.

� Health and PE 2.8 Select and implement strategiesfor including certain foods in the diet of pets.

� Health and PE 2.9 Identify the dimensions of healthand appreciate the importance of achieving a balanceamong them.

ResourcesPicture booksPamela Allen, Black Dog, Viking.

Pamela Allen, My Cat Maisie, Viking.

Christine Anello, The Farmyard Cat, Scholastic.

Lynley Dodd, Hairy Maclary, Keystone.

Kim Lewis, Emma’s Lamb, Walker.

Jenny Wagner, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat,Viking Kestrel.

Gene Zion, Harry the Dirty Dog, Bodley Head.

Factual booksMark Evans, How to Look after your Kitten, Angus &Robertson.

Tina Hearne, Care for your Goldfish, Collins.

Tina Hearne, Pets, Kingfisher.

Diane Snowball, Care for your Pet, Snowball Educationaland Peguero.

Claire Watts, Pets: A First Look at Animals, Two-Can.

Jane Yorke, Eyeopeners: Pets, series, RD Press.

ContactsRSPCA in your capital city.

Petsby Kara Louise Munn



2

Pets Teaching NotesPondering petsWrite the heading ‘Pets’ on chart paper. Discusswith students what they know about pets.Encourage students to contribute to theconversation and record their responses on chartpaper. You might like to categorise the responsesunder certain headings.

� What types of pets are there?

� How do you look after pets?

� Why do people have pets?

� Who can help us to care for our pets?

Have students write about a pet they currentlyhave, one that they used to have or one that theywould like to have. Encourage students to talkabout these pets in small group discussions.

A to Z of possible petsAsk students to write the alphabet down one sideof a piece of paper. Have them think of a pet thatstarts with each of the letters in the alphabet. Aftera short while, invite students to work in pairs orsmall groups to continue their list. Finally, bring thewhole class together and compile the results. Writethe letters from A to Z in large letters oncardboard. Let each student label and illustrate oneof the pets. Display your A to Z of pets in theclassroom.

Big ‘A’ for Adam antPlace students into small groups, or in pairs, andencourage them to invent a name for each of thepets on the A to Z list. Remind students that thefirst letter of a name is always a capital letter. Thefirst letter of the pet must be the first letter of itsname, for example, Adam the ant, Boris thebudgie, Claudia the cat. This activity can beextended to include a descriptive word as well, forexample Adam the active ant, Boris the beautifulbudgie, Claudia the creative cat.

Classroom pet shopTurn your home corner into a pet shop for theduration of this unit. Provide stuffed toys, tinswrapped with pet food labels, boxes and a varietyof other toys. Allow students to play in the shop intheir free time.

Cats in flatsHave students think about the pets that were listedin the opening activity. Encourage them toconsider whether a pet can live in any type ofhome. In small groups, encourage students to talkabout reasons why certain pets are unsuited tosome homes. Make sure students realise that thereis nothing wrong with admitting that their home isunsuitable for certain pets but that it is, instead, aresponsible approach to pet care. Provide eachstudent with a copy of BLM 1 and ask them tocomplete it.

Pets at homeAsk students to draw the pets they have at home.If students don’t have a pet ask them to write ‘Ihave no pets’. Bring students together. Place hoopson the floor, with each hoop representing a type ofpet. Ask those students who have a pet dog toplace their picture in a hoop. Put all of the catpictures in another hoop. Place the ‘I have no pets’in another hoop. Continue until all students haveput their picture in a hoop. Encourage students touse the results to make comparisons.

� How many students don’t have pets?

� How many different types of pets do students have?

� Which pet is the most popular in our class?

� Why might this pet be the most popular?

� What unusual pets do students in our class have?



3

Have students revisit the information that wasgenerated from the previous activity.

� Does the area in which we live influence the types of pets that we keep?

� Might the results be different if we lived in a different area? (e.g. a farming community as opposed to city living.)

Provide students with graph paper and help themto construct a bar graph to show which pets arerepresented in their class. Along the horizontal axisstudents will need to write or draw each pet that isrepresented in the class. On the vertical axisstudents should write the numbers 1 to 30. Foreach pet, students should colour in the appropriatenumber of boxes to indicate the number ofstudents who have that particular pet.

Pets at schoolIt might be an appropriate time to purchase a classpet. Fish are easy to look after and hardy enough towithstand most classroom situations. However, thereare other pets, such as hermit crabs, that you couldconsider for your classroom. Before you purchase aclass pet, it is important that students realise that itscare will be a joint responsibility as well as anongoing one. Include students in the set-up of its home and in the compilation of rulesand reminders. If you have students who do nothave their own pets at home, you could send yourpet on ‘home visits’ at weekends and duringholidays. Let students suggest names for the pet.Conduct a class vote to determine which name wins.

Guess who?Prepare some headbands for students. A thin stripof card and hairpins would suffice. On eachheadband, write the name of one of the pets fromthe A to Z in an earlier lesson. Students must notknow the pet that is written on their headband. Todiscover the identity of the pet, students must askquestions of their peers that require a yes or noanswer, such as the ones listed below.

� Could my pet live in a small unit?

� Does my pet eat dog food?

� Does my pet say ‘cheep cheep’?

� Would my pet live in a sty?

� Does my pet have four legs?

� Can I take my pet for walks?

Paper petsHave students use blocks to make a two-dimensional picture of a pet. When students arehappy with the shape, help them to copy theoutlines of the blocks onto graph paper. Studentscan then cut out the shape and paste it ontocardboard. This means that on one side studentswill have a blank shape and on the other side theywill have the outlines of the individual blocks.Students can swap shapes and see if they cancompletely cover a friend’s shape with blocks.Remind students that there may be more than onesolution.

Wet petAsk students to think of as many words as theycan that rhyme with pet. Record these on chartpaper. Now divide the class into three groups.Have one group write down all the words thatthey can think of that rhyme with cat, anothergroup write down words that rhyme with dog andthe third group write words that rhyme with fish.Display these words in the classroom. Give eachstudent a copy of BLM 2, a counter and a die.Explain that this game that can be played in pairs.One student rolls the die and moves their counterthat many spaces. They will land on a wordending, either ish, og, et, or at. The student mustthen make a word by adding one letter (or twoletters depending on how advanced students are)to the beginning of the given letters. Each lettercan only be used once. After it has been used, bothstudents must cross it off their pages. Studentscontinue taking turns rolling the dice and makingwords. If a student is unable to make a word theymust go back five spaces. The winner is the firstperson to get to the vet.



4

NeedsUsing chart paper, brainstorm with students a listof their own needs. Talk about the differencebetween needing something and wantingsomething. The list should include shelter, love,clothes, food and water. Provide students with artpaper and have them draw their pet, or a pet theywould like to have, in the centre of the page. Nowask students to draw lines radiating out from thepet. At the end of each line they need to write oneof the needs of the pet. Discuss with students howsome pets have many needs, for example a horse,while other pets like fish require very little. Helpstudents complete BLM 3.

Jobs to doStudents should now be aware that pets haveneeds. Give each student a copy of BLM 4. In thefirst section, have students make a list of whatthey must do for their pet on a daily basis. In thesecond section, have students list what needs to bedone weekly. The third section outlines what needsto be done monthly and the last section is for thethings that need to be done annually (or eachyear). Encourage students to think aboutvaccinating, worming, training and nail clipping.

ShelterAll pets need shelter of some kind. Talk about thenames of some pet shelters, for example, hutch,coop, kennel, cage, sty, bowl. Ask students toimagine that a pet mouse has been given to theclass and that it needs some sort of shelter.Brainstorm the considerations that need to betaken into account. These might include:

� the size of the shelter

� making the shelter secure so the mouse can’t escape

� access to food and water

� how to keep the shelter clean

� providing room for exercise

� safety aspects, e.g. removing sharp edges

� need for shade from the sun and protectionfrom the wind and rain.

Encourage students to design and make anappropriate shelter for the mouse. Providestudents with boxes and a mixture of craftmaterials. Display the shelters around the room

Give students BLM 5 and explain that they needto continue the pattern to see if the animal reachesits shelter.

What’s for dinner?Providing a balanced diet and fresh water is just asimportant when dealing with animals as it is withhumans. Ask those students who have a pet dog tobring in some tins of dog food and invite studentsto study the labels. Have students write a recipefor a healthy meal for a dog. (You might need tomodel a procedure on the board before studentstry to write their own.) When students havewritten their recipe, have them design a label anda container for the dog food. Encourage studentsto stick their label on an empty tin, or other typeof container, and attach a note to it saying why itwould be good for a dog to eat. When completed,display the dog food around the room and allowstudents to discuss them.

Visiting vetsAsk students if they know what the word ‘vet’ isshort for. Invite the local vet to speak with studentsabout pet care in general and, in particular, thetypes and amounts of food that should be fed todifferent pets. Have students make a list ofquestions before the guest arrives. Allocate eachquestion to a specific student to ensure that all thequestions are asked. While the vet is present, askstudents to complete BLM 6.

HolidaysWith students, brainstorm what happens to petswhen the owners go on holidays. Ask students topretend that their family is going on a holiday anda friend has offered to look after their pets forthem. Have each student write a letter to thefriend, explaining what they will be required to do.Make sure that the letter outlines what food andwater will be needed, bedding and shelterrequirements, exercise and play routines andgeneral love and attention. Have studentsexchange letters. Discuss whether the instructionsare specific and able to be easily and clearlyunderstood.



5

Fact sheetUsing BLM 7, have students complete a fact sheetfor their pets. Students without pets can use as anexample the class pet or a friend’s pet. Explain thatit is important to have details of your pet on handin case it is lost or if it sick and needs veterinarycare.

Writing togetherExplain that as a class you will be jointlyconstructing an information report on a chosenanimal. Use large sheets of chart paper. Choose apet and guide students through the steps ofwriting a report. (You could base it on theheadings used in BLM 8. Students can use this asa model when they write their own report in thenext activity.)

. . . and on their ownThe following day, ask students to choose one petto study and to write a report about it. Providestudents with a range of factual books from thelibrary (see Resources). Encourage students toread and view the illustrations of the pet they havechosen to focus on. Provide students with BLM 8and allow them ample time to write their report.

Animal anticsTo help students to recognise and to use positionallanguage, play a variation of ‘Pin the Tail on theDonkey’. Have students paint a large animal ontochart paper. Invite students to choose whichelement of the animal will be missing, for exampleit could be a cat with a missing tail, a rabbit withmissing whiskers or a horse with four missinghooves. One student is then blindfolded andrequired to attach the missing part. Chooseanother student to give instructions to theblindfolded student. Remind students that theywill need to give clear instructions, for example:

� move a little bit to the left

� move down

� move about five centimetres to the right

� move up and then across.

Students can take it in turns to have a go. Thisactivity is just as valuable for the listeners as forthe participants.

Going dottyHave students count by twos. Practise starting atone: 1 3 5 7 . . . and at zero: 0 2 4 6 8 . . . .Students can then complete BLM 9.

Why do people have pets?Brainstorm reasons why people keep pets, forexample pets can be company for elderly or lonelypeople; they can be instrumental in the recovery ofpatients with mental disorders; pets can helpchildren to learn responsibility and they can bringa great deal of fun and happiness to a family.

Ask students, either individually or in pairs, towrite a short introduction to a new book simplycalled ‘Pets: why we have them’. The introductiondoes not need to be lengthy but it should statewhy pets are important to different people. Whencompleted, have students read their introductionsto class members.

Pet poemsModel writing acrostic poems with students. Write the letters of the word ‘pets’ down the side of the paper. Each line should begin with the letter shown.

P repared to be a friend

E veryday, no matter what

T otal dedication

S upport and friendship

or a more simple version could include only one word per line:

P uppies

E arthworms

T urtles

S nakes

Students can use the word‘pets’ or they could choose touse a specific type of pet type,for example ‘rabbit’.



6

Pet eggs! Be prepared for a bit of a mess with this activity.Have each student bring one hard-boiled egg. Theaim of the exercise is for the student to look afterthe egg for a whole week. The student must takethe egg everywhere they go during school hours.Students need to make a secure ‘travel’ nest for theegg and they need to ensure that the egg gets lotsof fresh air. Encourage students to treat this as alearning experience and not to get too upset iftheir egg meets an untimely (or eggly!) end.Discuss with students how difficult it is to providecare and attention 100 per cent of the time.

Pet portrait Allow each student the opportunity to sketch theirpet. Unless the student is using the class pet astheir model, this will need to be done at home.Have a painting day when each student paints apicture of their pet using the sketch to help them.They can make fancy frames for the paintings bycovering cardboard with foil and etching patternsin it. Hang each of the paintings in a speciallyallocated position so that students’ pets can beadmired for some time.

Perfect petsTo finish off this unit, discuss with students theadvantages and the disadvantages of owning a pet.Write the answers on chart paper and display it.Ask students if the advantages outweigh thedisadvantages. Count the students who want toown a pet and include this on the chart paper. Youmight want to break this down further by askingstudents if they could have any pet they liked (aslong as they looked after it) what they wouldchoose.

Have students complete BLM 10.


© Blake Education – Pets Integrated UnitThis page may be reproduced by the original purchaser for non-commercial classroom use.

BLM1

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Find a homeDraw a picture of the pet that could live inthese places. Explain why you think this sort ofpet would be happy here.

My home would suit a..........................................................................................................................................................

because.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

A small flat without a garden On a farm

A house with a big garden At my home



BLM 2

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Get the pet to the vet



Add another pet to this table, and tick the needs of each pet. Do these pets need anything else?

Needs of pets

BLM 3

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Animal

dog

cat

fish

horse

mouse

......................................

she

lter

bru

shin

g

foo

d

wa

ter

exe

rcise

love

vac

cin

atio

ns

wa

shin

g

......

......

......

......

......

......

...

......

......

......

......

......

......

...



BLM 4

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Things I should do for my petDaily Weekly

Monthly Each year



BLM 5

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Pattern pathsHelp the pets reach their homes by continuing the patternto the end of the grid.

dog kennel

cat basket

budgie cage

fish bowl

horse stable

rabbit hutch

Start your own pattern and see if a friend can copy it.



BLM 6

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Choose three more animals and fill in the table.

Dinner time

dog

cat

fish

bird

......................................

......................................

......................................

type of food container used amount how often



BLM 7

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

My pet

Type of pet........................................................................................................................................................................................................

Name of pet..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Date of birth....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Present weight...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Vet’s name........................................................................................................................................................................................................

Vet’s telephone number...................................................................................................................................................

Owner’s name..........................................................................................................................................................................................

Owner’s telephone number....................................................................................................................................



BLM 8

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Pet reportGeneral statement..........................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

Description...........................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

Food and water.....................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

Shelter.............................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

General care.................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................



BLM 9

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

Counting a creatureJoin the dots and colour in the picture



BLM 10

Name:................................................................................................................Date:............................................................

f d i g c o w x l m

i b i g a l m p e a

s m p e t u f i t t

h o r s e d o g d c

m u t s e t g e i a

v s r a b b i t s n

b e t t m e t k h a

b u d g e r i g a r

c v e t h o u s e y

Find the words

Find these words and colour them in:mouse, house, dog, fog, budgerigar,canary, rabbit, cow, pet, vet, met, bet,get, let, set, fish, dish, pig, big, dig, horse, sat, cat, mat


pets - blake education · pdf filepets blakes t’ opic bank each integrated unit...

Documents