A collection of humane lesson plans, worksheets, assessments, and resources that will be available for teachers and third-grade classrooms in the state of Texas.
What is Humane Education?
A humane curriculum would include a basic understanding of animal behavior, pet care, and empathy towards animals. Humane education is character-based education that fosters compassion, tolerance, and empathy for others, including non-human animals, and respect and responsibility. When students learn about the impact humans have on animals, they frequently want to use their voices to work toward a more just and fair world for all of its inhabitants.
Educators are always looking for new ways to motivate students and invigorate their teaching. Those teachers who integrate humane education (including teaching about kindness to animals) say students light up when discussing animals and their pets. It lowers the students’ stress levels and allows students to open up, creating a warmer and friendlier environment in the classroom for all learners.
Currently, a variety of Texas shelters and rescues offer a kindness curriculum that can be brought to a classroom. But it is few and far between. And the teachers seeking this curriculum already implement a kindness teaching philosophy. Imagine what a kinder place Texas would become if the curriculum were required throughout all Texas public schools? We could effectuate change for millions of Texans for generations to come.
