Recently students in our Lower School have been completing a “pet project”. As a part of our interdisciplinary approach, students have learned about various types of pets including therapy animals, service animals, and family pets. Each learning block provides a different opportunity to deepen understanding of “pets and animals” in different contexts and settings.

During Creative Arts and Design, students are starting to research characters for a play entitled PET SHOW! They have also studied the names of different animals, animal body parts and animal life cycles during Mandarin. In Humanities our first and second-grade students recently launched a buddy reading project, reading the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”. Students are also working on persuasive writing as a technique, in drafting proposals to our school’s Director of Finance. They are hoping to convince him of which pet to purchase for our school! Our learners have been asked to estimate the cost of the pet, and any additional costs associated with the animal. Some groups are more budget-conscious, and others are big spenders! We will have to wait and see next week in Math whose budget will be approved!

As a part of our pet project, we have been researching the valuable impact service pets and therapy animals have on the health and well-being of humans. Our students recently visited a Horse Therapy Farm as a part of this inquiry. At the farm, students experienced first-hand, the care requirements for horses, and the roles at the farm. Some of our first graders are anxiously waiting to turn eighteen in order to volunteer! As a part of our commitment to Socio-Emotional development, this X-Day also built upon the value of gratitude. As such, students helped with barn chores such as mucking the stalls, grooming and feeding the horses. After a day at the farm our students concluded, a horse might be too expensive for a school pet!

Students eventually decided a chicken would make the best school pet. During a recent X-Day at the KidMuseum, students built various prototypes for our chicken coop. It is amazing to watch the creativity and collaboration that emerges from our students when they are passionate about what they are learning!