Science: Choosing a Class Pet

Here is an introduction to lessons at CGK Afterschool.

CGK’s two-month-long project works will be based on the main “Driving Question”.

Here are the Driving Questions for this “Science” lesson.

“What animal is best to be a class pet for CGK Afterschool?”

We followed this question with fun lessons each week that drew the student’s interest.

Here are the comments of Ms. Kitty, the teacher who was in charge of the lessons.

Week 1

Students were introduced to the project by discussing what a pet is, examples of pets that people have at home and what you do with a pet. As a group we looked through a slideshow of different pictures and the students were able to comment on whether they like or didn`t like the animals, and I would ask whether they would be an appropriate pet for CGK. They were able to think about whether or not the animal is easy to care for, how much noise it makes, and what food it would eat. The Guinea Pig was very popular with the class and everyone enjoyed listening to the sounds they make. We then used an online simulator to mix different parts of animals bodies to make funny animals. The students then worked on a worksheet to create their own unique animal that could be a pet, thinking about different parts of the body and characteristics such as the size, colour, what it sounds like and what it eats. Once they were finished they were able to create a crazy animal using any type of animal. These drawings were then presented to the group and their friends were able to ask any questions they had.

Week 2

Students discussed key factors which would need to be considered when thinking about a CGK pet. Factors such as weight, size, diet, temperament etc. After discussing these students broke into two teams and researched various pets using the tablets and information packs. After working together to write about their chosen animals, students then worked on posters that could display the information they had researched in a bright and colorful way.

Week 3

As a group we reviewed the posters that were made in week 2 and the students had learnt some interesting facts about the animals which they were very enthusiastic to share. We discussed whether they thought the animals were appropriate to have as a CGK afterschool pet, and the students were able to agree or disagree with each other. Each student then worked on a Pros (good) and Cons (bad) worksheet for a chosen animal and thought of key factors that were either positives or negatives about the animal. These ideas were presented and students were able to make additional comments. They then voted on what they thought would be the best pet, 3 students voted for dog, 1 student voted for fish, 1 voted for chinchilla and 2 students voted for a chameleon. The students then started to work on initial designs of the cages for the animal they voted for and the students that finished their designs talked them through with Ms Kitty.   

Week 4

As a group we sat and reviewed the initial designs the students had made, having them explain the design, what the different parts are, how big it would be and any additional information they had to share, while their friends asked questions and gave feedback. After we discussed how different pets require different amounts of care and some, such as a dog, need a lot of attention. Ms Kitty explained that the students had a survey they needed to complete by asking the teachers and their friends different questions about their chosen animal, such as do you like this animal? Would you be able to take this animal home to look after? Will you be happy feeding this animal? Will the CGK Pet disturb your family home? Once the students had been given enough time to ask the questions to their friends and teachers, we regrouped to see whether their opinions of whether they thought the animal was an appropriate pet. The chameleon wasn`t a popular choice as no one would be happy to feed it bugs, the dog would be difficult to take care of out of CGK afterschool hours, and the parrot had people divided. Fish and Chinchilla were popular with everyone. The students voted again on whether they wanted to just focus on making cages for Fish and Chinchilla`s, or their own animals, and they voted to make different animal cages. The students also submitted a list of materials they need for the next lesson.  

Week 5

The students started to make their animal cages. They were using a variety of materials to build things for the pets and thinking about where things were going within the boxes. Everyone worked well and stayed focused.

Week 6

The students continued to work on their pet living environments and made a lot of progress. If they finished, they began to think about the schedule of caring for the animal, such as feeding, walking, cleaning.

Week 7

The students were thinking and planning the care schedules of their chosen pets, asking their friends whether they would be able to feed/clean/play/walk the animals on the other days they are at CGK. If they had finished all their planning they were able to make any last minute adjustments to their pet cages, and started to sew felt plushies to have inside their cages for presentation.

Week 8

The students reviewed the scripts and practiced talking about their animal cages in pairs to help them prepare for the final presentation. 

In their final presentation, the students skillfully explained the pet cages they had built.

Each animal had different food and playthings, so we could learn from the student's presentations.

The chameleon group looked very happy with their presentation, as they were very creative in the way they fed their animals.

All of the students, those who have pets and those who do not, were able to think deeply about taking care of animals in this lesson.

We were able to see another growth of the children after completing the project.