in the Classroom

The BC SPCA has classroom resources for grades K-7. The lessons integrate animal issues and information into existing provincial learning outcomes. Bite Free is on the recommended resource list for Health and Career Planning for grades K-5. 

Click on a lesson plan below to learn more.

Kindness Counts
(for K- Gr. 2)

Companions for Life
(Gr. 3-5)

You Can Make a Difference
(Gr. 5-7)

  Cluck - The life of an egg-laying hen (Gr. 4-6)

  Bite Free (K - Gr. 5)

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February 2012

As teachers you have the pulse on what books interest students, so we would like to hear from you about your favourite books about animals. We are putting together a list of our favourites that we have reviewed over the years in anticipation of involving libraries to help us celebrate Be Kind to Animals Month in May.

If you want to earn extra credit, email us a brief book review and we’ll enter your name into a draw for an exclusive BC SPCA insulated lunch bag. You will be the envy of all animal lovers on staff!

No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs
by Rob Laidlaw

Reading level: Grades 3-6

No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs offers a well-rounded look at dog welfare at home and in countries across the globe and gives youth a starting point to create positive change for our canine friends.

Topics include welfare issues such as puppy mills, street dogs, cosmetic surgeries, inbreeding, dog racing, dog fighting and scientific testing, to name a few. No Shelter Here features a strong focus on dogs as companions and encourages adoption from animal shelters. Readers learn about dogs’ needs as well as the process of adopting a new furry family member.

Perhaps best of all, No Shelter Here tells the stories of dozens of young “Dog Champions” who work to make the world a more humane place for dogs. From a 10-year-old who formed a charity to protect police dogs to a 15-year-old whose efforts changed the laws on devocalization surgery in Massachusetts, the youth featured in No Shelter Here are an inspiration to animal lovers of all ages.

Readers of No Shelter Here will have a deeper knowledge of the challenges dogs face and how they can help. Teachers can encourage students to take the Dog Lover’s Pledge, at the end of the book, and get started today on making a difference for dogs.

Bring your class to meet Rob Laidlaw in Surrey on February 27 or 29. He will be speaking at the Surrey City Centre and Strawberry Hill libraries during the day.

Read more BC SPCA book recommendations online.

As promised here is a list of books that you can take to your school librarian to get started on the display for Be Kind to Animals Month in May. It includes reference books, picture books and novels so there is something for everyone.

You may want to get all club members to do an “Animal Read-a-thon” or start an Animal Book Club. Anyway you spin it, reading and learning about animals and animal issues is a win-win project for everyone!

Cat overpopulation continues to be an ongoing issue in many communities throughout B.C. Many cats are free-roaming or feral and generally no one takes responsibility for their care.

The BC SPCA will be offering free spay/neuter clinics for feral and loosely owned cats in Vancouver, Prince George and Kamloops in February and March. In addition, the Chilliwack Branch will be offering a spay/neuter event in early March in conjunction with a local veterinarian. The efforts are part of the society’s strategy to reduce pet overpopulation in B.C.

Learn more about this and other BC SPCA news that you may want to include in class discussions.

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Please do not reply to this email, as it is for distribution purposes only. If you have comments or questions about this newsletter or related information, please email Paula Neuman, Humane Education Supervisor.

On behalf of all the animals we care for and protect, thank you for your support.

spca.bc.ca