Animals in the Classroom

Students love to have animals in the classroom; it not only provides a nurturing environment but it also enhances student learning.  Some of the animals in my classroom are introduced through an inquiry based science program, provided by FOSS (full option science system) as part of the curriculum.  These include such organisms as anoles, crayfish, bess beetles, milkweed bugs, mealworms, crickets and even earthworms.

Kids are naturally curious about living creatures and rarely show any fear toward them.  Even those initially timid will usually warm up after watching their peers interact during an activity.  When introducing any living thing in the classroom it is important to first teach proper care and handling of the specimens.  The animals that are sent out via living material cards come with a care sheet of instructions.  Whether students are looking at animal structures or behavior, having living things enter the classroom is exciting, and it also develops a natural curiosity and sensitivity about the needs of living organisms.

It is important to think about what will become of the animals after your unit of study is over.   I have been asked on more than one occasion if crayfish or other animals can be dumped into a local pond.  Never add biological or laboratory raised specimens into a natural environment.  Non native plants and animals can flourish and become a problem for an ecosystem and the parks department.  Students love adopting animals as pets, and after receiving a note from a parent, I usually give away the plants or animals once we have finished studying them.

As a former zookeeper, I also enjoy having pets in the classroom.  A classroom is similar to a desert ecosystem in that it is dry and often very warm; therefore I am partial to keeping reptiles in my room.  They are also easy to maintain and don’t require quite as much care as mammals or birds.  Another advantage is that children in general will not have allergic reactions to reptiles. 

One of the most popular pets that I have in my classroom is a bearded dragon that goes by the name of George.  A very calm lizard, he seems very content to either sit on a branch or a shoulder during science class.  As with any newborn it became a project to weigh and measure George.  Our baby dragon started out at 10 grams and about 7 centimeters, and one year later, he now measures in at a whopping 400 grams and 37 centimeters.

Other animals in my classroom include a corn snake, king snake, Baird’s rat snake, and red-footed tortoise, in addition to hissing cockroaches and a fish tank on my desk that houses a sucker-mouth catfish, a Jack Dempsey and two red eared sliders.

When having pets in the classroom, one must always be ready for the unexpected.  A shedding snake can be quite entertaining for kids to watch, but so can an animal going to the bathroom!  One must be prepared for lessons to be interrupted and new lessons to begin.  Sometimes students bring things in that they find on the way to school.  One spring day in 1996 some of my students arrived in the classroom with freshly emerged cicada nymphs, and we put them in an empty terrarium in the classroom.  Luckily school was in session when their shells began to split open and a pure white 17-year cicadas began to emerge.  I’ll never forget the students sitting around the tank, watching it like it was a television set.

Animals in the classroom require a certain amount of care and time. Some have special heating or lighting requirements.  During school vacations I’m lucky enough to have custodians that are willing to help feed and water for me.  Throughout the school year there is always an abundance of students who want to be monitors, and it is helpful to give that job to some students that are responsible.