Lesson Units and Plans

Grade Level: K-4  

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Unit 1: Where the Wild Monkeys Shouldn't Be:

A Unit Contrasting the Differences Between Domestic vs. Wild Animals

Lesson 1:

            Comparing and contrasting the differences between wild animals and

            domestic animals

Time:

One 60-minute class period

Materials:

• Student writing materials

• Photos of students' domestic companion animals (which they have been invited to bring in to class in advance)

• Photos or images obtained from internet, magazine, books of wild animals in their natural habitats

• If smart board or computers are available, have students find images of wild animals and choose one to bring back to the larger group for discussion

Learning Goals:

• Students will begin to explore, discuss and comprehend the differences between wild and domestic animals habitats, needs and circumstances

• Students will practice internet image research and group discussion skills

• Students will recognize for themselves, during the course of the discussion, the innate differences between wild and domestic animals

Standards:

NA-Standard: 1, 5, 6 Communication Arts.

NA-Standards: 5, 6 Social Studies

Activities:

Once students have gathered all images of wild animals from the internet or magazines, and domestic animals from home photos they brought in, ask them to gather as a larger group in the classroom. Place a large placard or sign on one side of the room which has the word 'Wild' on it. Do the same with a sign with the word 'Domestic' on it. Provide a definition of each word somewhere on the placard and when students are gathered, ask one student to reach each definition to the rest of the class. Discuss the meanings as a group. Have each student choose a photo from the compiled photos of 'wild' animals.

Explore these questions with students:

• What are some of the differences between wild and domestic?

• What might all of the animals, domestic and wild, have in common (the need for food, weather, the ability to feel pin and the elements)

• What do wild animals need in their environment which domestic animals do not? What do domestic animals need in their environment which wild animals do not?

• Where do wild animals live?

• What is a pet?

• What makes a pet a pet?

• What do wild animals need that we cannot give them when we remove them from their wild habitat?

As the students are responding, a list can be created on the smart board or chalk board which serves to compare and contrast the differences as the students are discovering and discussing them.

As the discussion subsides naturally, ask each student to bring the photo they have of a wild or domestic animal and place it in the pile on the floor near to the appropriate placard with definition. As the student places the photo in the 'Wild' or 'Domestic' pile, ask them to tell the class why that animal belongs in that pile based upon what they have learned and believe. Other students can feel free to assist the individual student as they classify the animals in the photo as domestic or wild.

Call to Action:

Encourage students to share their newly developed classifications of 'wild' vs. 'domestic' animals with others.

Key Concepts and Vocabulary:

Domestic. Wild. Habitat. Animal companion.

Assessment Suggestions for rubric:

Level of group and individual participation and engagement. Student's individual ability to work cohesively within the group during group discussion, as well as student's ability to communicate a level of understanding regarding the differences between wild and domestic animals to their peers, by the end of the lesson.

Resources/Examples:

• New England Primate Sanctuary website:

  Animals in the News

  Monkeys

  Farm Animals

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Letters From the Field

  Videos

Action Project:

Further action project might include an invitation to other classes to view a classroom display board created by students with the 'Wild' vs. 'Domestic' photos, lists and definitions.

For questions or comments about Lesson Units and Plans, e-mail us at humane_ed@neprimatesanctuary.org.