Have you ever tried to take care of a sick or injured animal? It takes lots of patience and love. Help erase animal cruelty and keep animals safe from harm.

• 1.

  It is hard to believe that some people treat animals cruelly. How would you know if a pet is sick or injured? Find out if local animal shelters or rescue agencies come to schools and organizations to explain the importance of proper care of pets and all animals. Where could someone in your area report an abused animal? Learn more about the plight of abused animals in your country and around the world.

• 2.

  Share your ideas about ways we can all help keep animals safe. Create a captivating message--with words and pictures--on posterboard using Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils. You might show things to be aware of in your neighborhood or publicize a pet-food drive, for example.

• 3.

  Use the eraser to remove some color and add details to your design. You could add texture and stripes to your animals and the scenes around them. You can also refill an erased area with another color or medium.

• 4.

  Display your poster to increase awareness about treating animals with respect in your community. Talk with younger children about the best ways to care for their pets, too. They’re looking up to you!

Standards

• LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• LA: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing one's own clearly.
• SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.
• VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resource: Caring for Your Pets: A Book About Veterinarians by Ann Owen
• If possible, incorporate a pet into your classroom routine. Students generate a list of steps they must take in order to care for the pet. Post these steps in the classroom . Create a chart and have students sign up for specific duties or for daily care activities. Also include dates when the pet will need to go home with students during extended absences from the school building. Provide a class blog for students to post to when caring for the pet.
• Invite a local veterinarian to speak with students. Prior to the visit, the class will generate questions for the guest. After the meeting, students post learning.