Year 1 Science Animals incl. Humans – Block 1AH –Our Pets

Session 6: Bring your pet to school day
Science curriculum area(1AH): / Animals incl. Humans (1AH)
i) identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
iii) describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets)
Working Scientifically
(KS1 WS)
- skills explored withhelp / Working Scientifically (KS1 WS)
i) asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
ii) observing closely, using simple equipment
v) using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
vi) gathering and recording data to help in answering questions
Teaching Objectives /
  • Understand that there are many different types of pets
  • Observe different pets in the classroom
  • Study their similarities and differences and what features they have in common that make them good pets
  • Understand the responsibilities that come with looking after a pet well
  • Record the observation in photographs and talk about their learning

Key Vocabulary: birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, invertebrates, pets, health, care.
Resources
Real-life pets and their owners,video recording devices, cameras, sketch books and pencils, clipboards, paper and pens. / Weblinks
Before the session: Invite parents who are pet owners to come into school with their pets for a short period of time. Explain the learning you have been doing and ask if they would be prepared to talk about their pets and answer questions about their pet's care, health and happiness. Stress to the volunteers that their animals need to be easy to handle, used to children and under control (dogs on leads, hamsters in cage, etc.) Check your 'Pets in School' school policy.
Whole class:Ask the parents to settle in the classroom with their pets before the children come into the room. If possible, meet the children outside the room and explain that it is important for them to be calm, quiet and not to make loud, unexpected noises. Explain what they will meet when they go into the room and make sure everyone is comfortable with that. Ask the children to work in pairs and give each pair a clipboard and paper. Take the children into the room and allow them to introduce themselves to the parents and their pets. Encourage them to ask questions, to touch the animals with their owner's permission and to observe the pets. Move around the classroom, encouraging the questions and listening to the answers given by the owners. Video record some of those conversations and take photographs to put on the school website and to display in the classroom.
Activities: After some time letting the children move around the pets, ask everyone to be quiet and listen to you. Explain that the children need to find out some facts about the pets by asking their owners certain questions. Tell them they need to find out the answers to: Is your pet a good pet? Why is it? What do you do to keep your pet healthy? Ask the more able to also look carefully at the pets in the room and to work out if there are common features to good pets (they are all safe to handle; they are all simple to feed, easy to exercise, for example). Accompany the less able children around the classroom to make sure they focus on finding out the answers to the questions.
Plenary / Ask the children to sit in a circle and look at their notes and sketches. Ask:What have you learned about pets today? Has anything surprised you? Have you found out anything new? Do you think you would be able to look after any of these pets? There is a lot of work to do to make a pet healthy and happy, isn't there?Thank the visitors for coming and let the children say goodbye to the pets. Have a class photograph with everyone, and the pets, before they leave.
Outcomes / Children will
  • Understand that there are many different types of pets
  • Be able to observe the behaviour of different pets, looking at their similarities and differences
  • Able to ask questions to find out why the pets are good pets and how to look after them well
  • Record the observation in photographs, sketches, notes and talk about their learning

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We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.