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Classroom News

Therapy dog , Lucca, visits an ELA classroom at Boynton Middle School  to help students focus and engage!
 Dogs in the classroom and Anti-Bullying
                            It works!
Third Graders in Ithaca, N.Y. learn about elephants, circuses with animals, and talk about empathy and bullying. 
Therapy , Guide, and Community Dog Rescue Canines visit Boynton Middle School in Upstate N.Y. With Amazing Results on Student Engagement and Kind Interaction!

Sixth Grade Teachers at Boynton Middle School in Ithaca, N.Y. were pleased to see an increase in student engagement, participation, and work quality after having students work with dogs in the classroom.

As a part of an ecology science unit on canines and adaptational traits 6th grade science students get a visit from Guiding Eyes for the Blind dogs and Cayuga Dog Rescue. Not only was it a powerful science lesson, but also an empowering opportunity for students as they raised $500 for the local dog rescue. Students had lessons on canines in the wild and food chains as well as being a part of animal advocacy in their own community. They also created educational pamphlets on how to reduce the pet population and properly care for pets.

 

Their teacher, Corinne Morton, noticed a significant increase in participation form all students, especially from students who tended to be less vocal and who usually did not participate much in class. The changes in some students were drastic as soon as those dogs walked in the door, the engagement was 100%. Students were thinking critically and problem solving. They were ignited." With dogs visiting our lessons I also observed student interaction, they were kind and helpful to one another and students who were not friends or rarely engaged were petting the dogs together, smiling and interacting at an entirely new level. The energy shifts, it is transforming!" Corinne Morton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The life of Elephants: Wild vs. Circus

Empathy  Anti-Bullying  Lesson. Created by Corinne Morton and Andrew Grayson

     As a humane educator and mentor I was thrilled to work with Mr. Grayson’s third grade class on lessons I created on elephants in the circus and bullying. The activities in this lesson focus not only on the science of wild and captive elephants, but also, on how our treatment of animals parallels that of how we treat one another. All empathy activities in this lesson are woven into an anti-bullying theme.

 

The student’s read an article titled, “Circuses Aren’t Fun for Animals” . Mr. Grayson added to this lesson with an ELA activity where students wrote the main idea of the article with supporting details followed by a culminating activity with silent enactments of animals in the wild verses life in a circus to be presented to parents and extended this to a discussion of addressing bulllying in schools.

 

Students reflected on how they would feel if they were the elephant in a circus and gave details from the lesson to support their thoughts. They also created ways to help animals in the circus and educate others.  We then related it to bullying with comparisons and similarities. The third graders created wonderful art projects depicting elephants in the wild and words to describe them compared to elephants in a circus. Some students  also created a mini imovies.

Well done Mr. Grayson’s Third Grade Class!!

 

Mr. Grayson's Response to teaching this Unit on Emapthy and Anti-Bullying.

click on W below to link to his word document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"During the school year 2012-2013 I was training my dog, Lucca, to become a therapy dog.  At this time, he was not old enough to be certified but with permission could come to school with me and earn hours toward his certification.  We had permission from building administrators and families.  The results were amazing.

 

Lucca is a Bolognese Dog.  He is a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog who only gets as big as about 10 inches, 10 lbs.   The breed is known for quick intelligence, sensitivity to children and other animals, as well as it's calm demeanor.  Lucca is now registered with the US Dog Registry #T555840 as a Therapy Dog.

 

Lucca would work half-days with me.  He would attend 2-3 classrooms full of a variety of students.   Class sizes ranged from 20 - 24 students at various levels in their education, including students labeled with special educations and/or learning disabilities.  When Lucca was in class, the students knew to be aware of him, but to also just let Lucca do his work.

 

As a Therapy Dog, I imagined him sitting with students as they read to him.  So much more happened.  Lucca instinctually knew which students were "having a bad day" or who needed help focusing or who just needed to feel some love.  Lucca would visit these students, licking their hands, faces when offered, sit on their laps, their desks, and wait to be petted.  Students calmed down, worked hard, took care of each other, including the dog, and held each other accountable for providing an educational environment where learning was expected  I believe that Lucca loved coming to school and those working with him looked forward to a great day."         Gina Amici 6th Grade ELA Teacher

 

 

 

 


 

Animals in the Classroom~

Compassion Education Addresses Bullying Issues in Schools Across the Country.

Student Responses to Elephants in the wild versus elephants in the Circus. These extended to conversations about bullying in school between classmates.

“While Humane Education programs have traditionally inspired empathy by promoting kindness to animals, many newer programs are linked to school campaigns to stop violence and bullying. Several humane education/anti-bullying programs were featured in USA TODAY “

 

Why it works is simple, says Finn-Stevenson: "Children have an affinity for animals. When animals are the topic of their writing or reading exercises, they are engaged USA TODAY

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“Animals are beaten with bull hooks and they live in small trailers and are also dragged around the country.” Julia age 8

“A circus is bad for animals. They get poked and taken away from their mothers, and they are getting chained up.” Jaiden age 8

“…elephants are doing tricks, that’s not what they do in the wild…doing tricks they don’t normally do isn’t fun for elephants.” Ella age 8

“I feel bad for them.” Preston age 8

“Elephants in the circus are sad because their mother’s hearts are broken.” John age 8

“I feel like they are getting bullied too. It made me feel like I was getting bullied” Ahlynn age 8

“I feel sad and mad because they get their spirits broken.” Mason age 8

“They are frightened because there is lots of noise, bright lights, and they are standing on one foot.” Julia age 8

 

Sample Responses from students when asked how they could help make a difference for elephants and other animals in the circus.
 

“Paste things on a website or write on paper and say do not go to the circus that have animals in it.” Emma

“Say why can’t you just let them go?” Laila age 8

“Say what bad things they do to the elephants. I would write it and share it with other people.” Julia

“Write notes to people… and post signs outside that say No Animals In The Circuses.” Ella

“Tell people that you shouldn’t go to the circus because they just want your money and they are going to poke the elephants.” Jaiden

“Tell them it is wrong.” Preston

 

 

 

 

 

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