Click the links below to find easy-to-use lesson plans designed to teach children about the responsibilities involved in properly caring for companion animals. Useful background information about responsible pet care is available at the Web addresses cited in many of the lessons. An excellent book on the topic is Are You the Pet for Me? Choosing the Right Pet for Your Family, by Mary Jane Checchi (New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1999).
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print these files. To get Acrobat Reader, click here
Preschool and Kindergarten
What Does It Take to Care for a Pet? (language arts)
A Visit to the Vet (social studies)
Pets and Their Homes: A Perfect Fit (math)
Pets and People: Needs We Share (science/health)
Grades 1 and 2
Good Training=Good Pets (language arts)
Pets as Good Neighbors (social studies)
Pet Care Pluses (math)
Safe Pets, Safe Kids (science/health)
Grades 3 and 4
Responsible Pet Ownership, Step by Step (language arts)
Pet Care Professions (social studies)
Pet Care Adds Up (math)
Wild or Tame? (science/health)
Grades 5 and 6
Who's Responsible (language arts)
Good Answers for Pet Problems (social studies)
Pets Are for Life (math)
First Aid Gives Pets a Second Chance (science/health)
