Programs
Classroom Workshop
1. Bite Free (Grades K – 6)
– The Bite Free program helps children who are afraid of dogs and those that don’t know
how to behave appropriately around dogs. Dog bites are largely preventable. By knowing the
signals a dog uses to express emotions and by recognizing how human actions evoke responses in
dogs, student will be safer and more confident around dogs. We discuss:
Protective behaviour that dogs display
What to do when encountering a stray dog
How to avoid situations when dogs may bite
What a dominant (aggressive-biting) dog looks like, as well as, a submissive (fear-biting) dog.
How to safely meet a dog with a guardian
2. Kindness Counts (Grade K – 2)
The BC SPCA’s Kindness Counts is a primary level unit designed to teach empathy,
caring and respect for others, animals and nature. Through participatory activities
students will understand and demonstrate empathy by noting similarities and
differences amongst people and animals. Further, by examining their own feelings
students learn to recognize how their actions and words affect others and the world
around them. The result is an awareness and acknowledgement of how kind acts
affect other people, animals and the environment.
The purpose of Kindness Counts is to reduce the acts of violence to all living things
through the development of empathy. Studies indicate that bullies often have very
limited empathy skills and low self-esteem. By focusing on empathy development
through the awareness of similarities amongst each other and animals, students will
start to see how their words and actions affect those around them in both positive
and negative ways.
3. Companions for Life (Grades 3 – 5)
Intermediate level unit developed to teach students about the interconnectedness
between humans, animals and the environment. Companions for Life focuses on
responsible animal care, animal needs, and the role pets play in society, and how our
actions affect others – people, animals and nature.
The activities focus on building empathy, understanding responsibility, making good,
informed choices and valuing the relationship between animals and humans. The
similarities and differences between humans and animals are an important aspect of
building empathy and can then be used as a springboard to developing empathy
towards others. For students who don’t have pets or may not want a pet it is still
important for them to understand that animals are sentient beings and that animals,
humans and the environment are all interconnected
4. You Can Make a Difference (Grades 5 – 7)
Overview of who and what the BCSPCA is/does. Discusses
o The Cruelty Investigation Department of the SPCA and what they do.
o Talks about the 5 Freedoms
o Defines Distress
o Discuss Cruelty to Animal Laws and
o Discuss what animal cruelty is and how to recognize it.
Includes curriculum-linked lessons to help students create and present material to
educate others on animal welfare issues and learn skills in responsible advocacy.
The message being delivered to these students is not just to help raise awareness for
SPCA related issues but to inspire them to find something they are passionate about
and to finds ways of promoting those things.
5. CLUCK! (Grades 4 – 7)
Cluck is a comprehensive classroom unit for grades four to seven to help students
understand where their food comes from. Cluck! Provides critical thinking
opportunities to evaluate modern housing techniques of commercially raised hens
and how these techniques impact a range of stakeholders including farms,
-
consumers and, of course, the chickens themselves. The unit meets a wide-range of
curriculum learning outcomes particularly in the science and social studies areas.
Includes the 30 minute Cluck! Video that brings the farm to your classroom. One of
the world’s foremost authorities on poultry, Dr. Ian Duncan, takes you inside a
modern egg laying facility in Richmond, B.C. to explain what life is like for egg-laying
hens. Dr. Duncan also discussed the anatomy of chickens, natural behaviours and
how various management systems provide for chickens’ behavioural needs
All units cover a variety of PLO’s over a range of subjects including social studies,
science, Math, English and Health and Career Education. Unit overviews can be
viewed upon request. If you are interested in seeing a unit overview or requesting a
presentation please contact skorzinskI@spca.bc.ca