September 2013

Start the school year with lessons that will impact your students in a meaningful way while also teaching the Ministry of Education’s prescribed learning outcomes.

Kids have a natural affinity for animals. Many books and movies targeted at children use animals as the main characters, so why not take an animal theme and turn it into a math or art lesson? The BC SPCA’s five classroom units were developed and edited by teachers and are available at no cost to you.

Teach letter writing and speech skills using the You Can Make a Difference unit. Have students practice math and research skills while learning about pet care with Companions for Life. All related PLOs are listed in each unit.

Request a copy of one or all of the units today.

“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help,” says Dr. Jane Goodall. We live with such disconnect from the earth and from animals, this acknowledgement of sentience will have to start in schools and with youth. If we can bridge the gap between loving certain animals and using others, we can start to overcome our cognitive dissonance and become more compassionate stewards of the earth.”
Jo-Anne McArthur

The Ghosts In Our Machine is a new documentary that takes a different approach to animal rights, following a dedicated and compassionate photographer, Jo-Anne McArthur, to places where animals are kept in captivity for food, fur or research. The film connects the audience to these sentient beings to raise awareness of what goes on behind closed doors, and then contrasts these animals with those at the animal sanctuary which McArthur visits to decompress and reconnect with the good in the world.  

The Ghosts In Our Machine is a film that can effect positive change for animals. In the classroom, it is a great way to initiate discussion on how animals are viewed and used by humans. The images in this film are not captured for shock value but will stay with the viewer to inspire changes to improve animal welfare.

Pre-order the DVD, view some of the amazing images from photographer, Jo-Anne McArthur, or watch a trailer of the movie.

Recommended for grades 8+.

Read more BC SPCA book and movie recommendations.

This school year, we’re looking for your help to reach our goal of increasing the number of registered SPCA school clubs by 30 per cent.

School clubs are a great way to inspire students to get involved in advocacy and social justice in a fun way. Clubs can be student-driven while guided by a teacher or supervisor, providing an excellent opportunity for members to use their creativity and learn valuable leadership and organizational skills.

All clubs that register by November 1, 2013 will be entered in a draw for their choice of a VIP tour of their community SPCA shelter or a mini workshop at their school.

As British Columbians return to work and school routines after summer vacation, an overwhelming number of cats and kittens are being surrendered to the BC SPCA, with numbers soaring higher each week.

“We are always here as a safety net for animals, but it is important for people to take appropriate steps to find an alternative if they can no longer look after their pet. That’s part of their responsibility as a pet guardian,” says Burnaby SPCA manager Ryan Voutilainen.

Read the whole story and ask students to answer the following questions:

• Why do we continue to have a problem with too many kittens? Why do we not have the same problem with puppies?
• In society in general, why are some animals valued more than others (ex. dogs vs. cats)?
• How can we prevent this problem from happening every year?

Lesson: Ask students to create a poster, flyer, speech or social media post to inform people about spay/neutering pets, and other responsibilities of pet ownership (covers PLOs in Visual Arts and Language Arts for grades 5-7).

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

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