Resources

The RSPCA Compassionate Class lesson plans include a series of enquiry-led activities which encourage Key Stage 2 pupils to develop compassion and empathy through the lens of animal welfare. The free lesson plans help pupils to understand the needs of different types of animals, and work collaboratively to develop their skills and values.

The resources include a detailed teacher guidance document, an introductory film and the following 5 lesson plans:

This lesson explores the issues of pet ownership and owners’ responsibilities towards them.

This lesson explores the habitats of wild animals and how we can help protect the natural world.

This lesson explores the different jobs that working animals do and how this helps humans.

This lesson introduces issues around animal welfare in food production and identifies conditions that best meet the needs of animals.

This lesson explores the needs of aquatic animals and considers how humans impact on them with particular focus on plastic pollution.

The PSHE Association’s Subject Specialist Karen Summers says:

"These innovative lessons from the RSPCA provide a variety of stimulating activities which explore the importance of animal welfare in a creative and imaginative way. The engaging activities promote the skills of compassion and advocacy and use enquiry-based learning to enable pupils to consider how they can contribute towards making the world a better place for animals and how their everyday choices can impact on animal habitats. This resource will make a valuable contribution to a planned PSHE education programme and will support the development of pupil’s empathy, decision-making, understanding of responsibilities in the wider world and critical thinking skills.”