i. Animal Classification, Genus and Species
A. Reptile
1. Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) – 3 females
2. Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliates) – 1 female, 2 male
3. Gargoyle Geckos (Rhacodactylus auriculatus) – 2 females, 1 male, 2 incubating eggs
4. Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) – 1 female, 1 male
B. Amphibian
1. African Bullfrog (Pyxiecephalus adspersus) – 1 male
C. Insect
1. Crickets (Acheta domestica) – quantity varies, used as feeders
2. Superworms (Zophobas morio) – quantity varies, used as feeders
3. Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) – quantity varies, used as feeders
D. Mammal
1. Frozen Mice – purchased prepackaged as feeders
ii. Benefits of Classroom Animals
A. Copied from Pets in the Classroom Foundation per petsintheclassroom.org
1. Pets Bring so Many New Ways to Learn
Whether it’s
Math (“how much does a hamster weigh?”) or Science, (“what does a snake eat?”)
Geography (“what part of the world do ferrets come from?”) or Grammar (“what
words would we use to describe a goldfish?”) students will approach learning
all these subjects with a new enthusiasm and interest. Other classes can even
come visit your classroom pets and your students can create special
presentations about the animals.
2. Pets Enrich the Classroom Experience
• Even kids
with no exposure to animals or nature in their home environment can see, feel,
touch and make connections to the wide world of animals.
• Observing
and caring for an animal instills a sense of responsibility and respect for
life.
• A pet
brings increased sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of
others—both animals and humans.
• Kids
learn that all living things need more than just food and water for survival.
• Students
will see directly how their behavior and actions affect others.
• Studies
show that the presence of animals tends to lessen tension in the classroom.
3. A Child’s Health, Education and Welfare
Caring for
pets in the classroom is one way of improving school attendance and teaching
children about responsibility.
a) Health & Education
It’s
official. Studies show that children from families with pets are better
equipped to fight off infection than kids from non-pet households, showing
significantly higher levels of immune system performance. When school
attendance records were compared side by side, researchers discovered that kids
with pets averaged more days at school every year than their pet-free
counterparts.
b) Welfare
The study
also showed that kids turn to their pets for emotional well-being, with 40% of
children choosing pet companionship when feeling down. Kids were also found to
seek out their pets when feeling tired, upset, scared or lonely, and 53% of
respondents said they enjoy doing homework with pets nearby. “Being around
animals is extremely good for children”, says Dr. Harvey Markovitch,
pediatrician and editor of The Archives of Disease in Childhood. “They’re good
for morale, and teach children about relationships and about the needs of
another living being – learning to care for a pet helps them to learn how to
care for people”. Studies show caring for pets aids in improving school
attendance and teaching children about responsibility.discoveryhealth.com
Studies
show caring for pets aids in improving school attendance and teaching children
about responsibility.
Kids and
Pets—A winning combination!
4. Pets Encourage Nurturing
Nobody
enjoys being treated roughly. Kids soon learn that if they want to be liked and
trusted by the family cat, they’ll need to treat her carefully and kindly. This
sort of training benefits all kids, but is especially important to small boys
who don’t often get the chance in our society to practice nurturing skills as
girls do.
5. Pets Build Self Esteem
Helping to
take care of a pet gives a child a sense of pride and accomplishment,
especially if the animal is able to return the affection. Shari Young
Kuchenbecker, Ph.D., research psychologist at Loyola Marymount University in
Los Angeles, says, “The child who cares for a pet knows that what he does
matters, and so he’ll want to do more of it. The more successfully he feeds,
walks, or emotionally bonds with the pet, the more confident he’ll feel.” In
fact, studies conducted by the Waltham Centre have shown that children with
pets have higher levels of self-esteem than those without pets.
6. Pets Teach Responsibility
Even a
small child can begin to learn to care for the needs of another living being.
Whether helping to empty a cup of dry kibble into the rabbit’s bowl, or filling
the hamster’s water bottle, it’s never too early to start teaching kids proper
animal care. Of course, parents or teachers must monitor all pet care that the
child carries out. Kids should be expected to fulfill their responsibilities,
but when the inevitable slip-ups occur, we shouldn’t make too much of a fuss;
we should just point out that the pet was counting on him.
7. Pets Become Friends
Lots of animals such as cats, dogs and guinea pigs love human contact
and can become a child’s best buddy. Kids can even develop strong human animal
bonds with non-responsive animals such as fish or turtles. These relationships
help to strengthen a child’s social skills, giving them the potential to do
better in a school setting. (sesameworkshop.org)
iii. Purposes of Classroom Pets
A. Teach Kentucky Science Core Standards from education.ky.gov
1. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form
groups that help members survive.
3-LS4-2. Use
evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in
characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages
in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. [Clarification
Statement: Examples of cause and effect relationships could be plants that
have larger thorns than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by
predators; and, animals that have better camouflage coloration than other
animals may be more likely to survive and therefore more likely to leave
offspring.]
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a
particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well,
and some cannot survive at all. [Clarification
Statement: Examples of evidence could include needs and characteristics of
the organisms and habitats involved. The organisms and their habitat make up
a system in which the parts depend on each other.]
3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a
problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals
that live there may change.* [Clarification
Statement: Examples of environmental changes could include changes in land
characteristics, water distribution, temperature, food, and other organisms.]
2. Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
3-LS1-1. Develop models to describe that organisms have
unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth,
reproduction, and death. [Clarification
Statement: Changes organisms go through during their life form a pattern.]
[Assessment Boundary: Assessment of plant life cycles is limited to those of
flowering plants. Assessment does not include details of human reproduction.]
3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence
that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation
of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms. [Clarification Statement: Patterns are the similarities
and differences in traits shared between offspring and their parents, or among
siblings. Emphasis is on organisms other than humans.] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms of inheritance and prediction
of traits. Assessment is limited to non-human examples.]
3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that
traits can be influenced by the environment. [Clarification
Statement: Examples of the environment affecting a trait could include
normally tall plants grown with insufficient water are stunted; and, a pet
dog that is given too much food and little exercise may become overweight.]
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