How Animals Help Students Learn

How Animals Help Students Learn summarizes what we know about the impact of animals in education and synthesizes the thinking of prominent leaders in research and practice. It’s a much-needed resource for mental-health and education professionals interested in incorporating animals in school-based environments, one that evaluates the efficacy of existing programs and helps move the field toward evidence-based practice. Experts from around the world provide concrete examples of how animals have been successfully incorporated into classroom settings to achieve the highest level of benefit while also ensuring the health and welfare of the students and animals involved.

How Animals Help Students Learn summarizes what we know about the impact of animals in education and synthesizes the thinking of prominent leaders in research and practice. It’s a much-needed resource for mental-health and education professionals interested in incorporating animals in school-based environments, one that evaluates the efficacy of existing programs and helps move the field toward evidence-based practice. Experts from around the world provide concrete examples of how animals have been successfully incorporated into classroom settings to achieve the highest level of benefit while also ensuring the health and welfare of the students and animals involved.

A new tool for kids and parents/teachers to support them in talking about and dealing with fight, flight or freeze responses. These automatic responses often come with complex emotions and actions. Now we have a way to put the power into the children's own hands for kids to effectively regulate their behaviour.... When Pam gets annoyed by her little sister, she throws her colouring book at her. Pam's mom steps in to help her understand how the brain works to direct behaviour. Mom uses animals to explain the complex brain processes in a way that young learners can understand. Pam is empowered by understanding her behaviour and learning the importance of taking a break when she is feeling upset before doing something she might regret. "Children and adults will love this delightfully illustrated book that so wonderfully explains the workings of the brain to school aged children... " Dr. Jane Nelsen, Author and co-author of the Positive Discipline book series. "This book is revolutionary as it provides a simple, relatable, and powerful methodology to teach our kids about brain science... " Ricky Shetty, Founder of DaddyBlogger

One of the biggest adaptations made by some animals is to live and work together as a group to ensure their survival. This intriguing book shows how social animals communicate and interact with members of their own species. Elephants, dolphins and orcas, monkeys, apes, lions, and wolves, educate their young, work together to find food, and take care of their group members. Smaller animals that work together in microsocieties include termites, ants, bees, and wasps. Students will have fun comparing their own social groups to those found in nature. Fascinating photographs accompany thought-provoking questions and activities.

Human language, cognition, and culture are unique; they are unparalleled in the animal kingdom. The claim that we can learn what makes us human by studying other animal species provokes vigorous reactions and many deny that comparative research can shed any light on the origins and character of human distinctive capacities. However, Learning from Animals? presents empirical research and an analysis of comparative approaches for an understanding of human uniqueness, arguing that we cannot know what capacities are uniquely human until we learn what other species can do. This interdisciplinary volume explores the prospects and problems of comparative approaches for understanding modern humans’ abilities by presenting: (1) the latest findings and theoretical approaches in primatology, comparative psychology, linguistics, and philosophy; (2) methodological reflections on the prospects and challenges of understanding human capacities through comparative research strategies; and (3) discussions of conceptual and ethical issues. This is the first book to address the issues raised by comparative research from such a diverse perspective. It will therefore be of great interest to students, researchers, and professionals in comparative psychology, linguistics, primatology, biology, and philosophy.

Presents a children's story of animals who start a school because they wanted to help some of the world's problems, but soon realized that not all the animals were successful in all of the required activities.

Research shows that keeping animals in classrooms can have profound effects on student well-being and success in school. In this practical guide, Dr. Brady Barr offers a step-by-step process for reintroducing nature-based learning experiences into 21st century schooling. Discover how to select a classroom pet, introduce it to your students, and design carefully thought-out lessons centered around the animal. Use this resource as a comprehensive guide toward the reintroduction of nature into the classroom: Become familiar with the numerous benefits that having animals and class pets in the classroom provides. Study the various obstacles that might prevent educators from keeping animals in their classroom and learn how to overcome those obstacles to achieve hands-on learning. Discover a step-by-step process for bringing animals into the classroom in a way that enriches students' lives through experiential learning. Learn the biology and life sciences of certain classroom pets, pertinent state laws regarding the use of classroom pets, and the process of keeping and caring for the animal. Contents: Acknowledgments Table of Contents About the Author Introduction Chapter 1: The Need for and Benefits of Animals in the Classroom Chapter 2: Hurdles to Animals in the Classroom Chapter 3: How to Select the Perfect Animal Chapter 4: How to Locate Animals Chapter 5: How to Write Lesson Plans Epilogue Appendix A: Tips Appendix B: How to Create Self-Sustaining Food Sources for Your Classroom Animal References and Resources Index

This book discusses how we can inspire today’s youth to engage in challenging and productive discussions around the past, present and future role of animals in science education. Animals play a large role in the sciences and science education and yet they remain one of the least visible topics in the educational literature. This book is intended to cultivate research topics, conversations, and dispositions for the ethical use of animals in science and education. This book explores the vital role of animals with/in science education, specimens, protected species, and other associated issues with regards to the role of animals in science. Topics explored include ethical, curriculum and pedagogical dimensions, involving invertebrates, engineering solutions that contribute to ecosystems, the experiences of animals under our care, aesthetic and contemplative practices alongside science, school-based ethical dialogue, nature study for promoting inquiry and sustainability, the challenge of whether animals need to be used for science whatsoever, reconceptualizing museum specimens, cultivating socioscientific issues and epistemic practice, cultural integrity and citizen science, the care and nurturance of gender-balanced curriculum choices for science education, and theoretical conversations around cultivating critical thinking skills and ethical dispositions. The diverse authors in this book take on the logic of domination and symbolic violence embodied within the scientific enterprise that has systematically subjugated animals and nature, and emboldened the anthropocentric and exploitative expressions for the future role of animals. At a time when animals are getting excluded from classrooms (too dangerous! too many allergies! too dirty!), this book is an important counterpoint. Interacting with animals helps students develop empathy, learn to care for living things, engage with content. We need more animals in the science curriculum, not less. David Sobel, Senior Faculty, Education Department, Antioch University New England