Improving on a “Not-So-Successful”
Plan
Planned activity – To create a discussion about animals we might
keep as pets, and to then read a story about a lady who received a pet snake.
The session focus was to encourage ‘outside the box’ thinking when discussing
pets, as well as to encourage imagination, creative thought, confidence in
speaking and expressing ideas, and good listening skills. This plan was carried
out twice, one with a group of boys, the other with a group of girls.
What happened? – When the first group (five boys) was asked ‘do you
have any pets at home?’ four out of the five boys responded confidently and
happily, however, when we came to the last boy he began to cry. Out of
sympathy, his friend next to him started to cry as well. This was later
explained as the first boy having anxiety issues and sometimes not knowing how
to respond well to direct comments or questions.
In another session, with a group
of five girls, when asked about pets four out of five girls immediately thought
of their pillow pets, instead of live animals.
What could be improved? – To create a safer, more comfortable environment,
the story could be read first, and a discussion started after finishing, or
even during the story. With a discussion and the obvious focus on animals, not
pillows, a discussion would be a less confronting experience than a direct
question, and would stop the children from losing track of the focus.
How could this be expanded? – Later sessions to expand on the focus
of animals and pets could include excursions to the Zoo, the Farm Barn, or
depending on the time of year, the Royal Adelaide Show. Alternatively, the
children could help create a zoo or farm mural to put on the wall. Pictures of
children could be taken and placed on animal bodies to be stuck in the enclosures
or paddocks that children have drawn. Discussions about different animals could
be included in this activity, including topics such as what they eat, what
different names are given to male, female and child, how many legs they have,
introduction to different body parts such as horns, udders and wings, and when
they sleep.
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