As schools gear up for Pet Week, there’s no need to feel bad if you don’t have an animal in your classroom. The RSPCA believes animals should only be kept in schools if they have the highest standards of care at all times. In reality, this is often very difficult to achieve. But it is possible to teach about animals and their needs effectively without keeping one in the classroom.

When looking at pets as a topic, be sensitive to the fact that some children may not be able to have a pet at home because of where they live or their particular circumstances. Some children may have a pet allergy (see page 55 of this issue).

Pretend pet

A pretend pet for the classroom is an excellent focus for activities for developing responsibility and care towards animals. The children can be involved in every step:

* Decide on the type of pretend pet. Ask the children to think about which animals would be best suited to the classroom environment. Stress that the classroom is not an ideal place for a pet. How do they think an animal will react to being in a classroom that is noisy during the day and empty - perhaps also cold - at night?

* When you have chosen your pretend pet, ask the children to think of all the things they will need to look after it. As homework, they can find out how much all these things are going to cost. Are they surprised by the amount?

* Buy everything you need to look after the animal, including food. Gerbils, for instance, need a gerbilarium to live in, lots of burrowing material, clean kitchen paper or soft hay for bedding, toys such as cardboard tubes and wooden cotton reels, and soft wood to gnaw. (They also need the companionship of other gerbils of the same sex.)

* Buy a soft toy to take the place of the animal. Introduce it to the class as realistically as you can and give the pretend pet a name.

lAsk the class to think about who is going to look after the pretend pet at the weekend and during the evenings. Draw up a rota so that individuals or pairs of children have the opportunity to look after the pet for a 24-hour period.

Pet diary

Almost all pets need looking after every day. Many people get a pet without thinking about how much time they need to spend looking after an animal, whether they feel like doing it or not.

* Ask pairs of children to research all the things they would need to do to look after the pretend pet or another pet of their choice.

* Ask them to make a diary of what has to be done every day.

* When the diaries are finished, ask the children to estimate how much time a pet owner would have to spend each day looking after the animal.

* What advice would they give someone who was thinking of looking after the animal?

* During circle time or a class discussion encourage the children to talk about the pet. What was difficult? What was easy? Has it made them feel differently about getting a pet? If they already have a pet, has it made them feel differently about their responsibilities? What advice would they give anyone thinking of having a pet?

Websites

* www.rspca.org.uk has a comprehensive animal care section. Children can select an animal and print out the relevant page. The “playpen” section is packed with games and quizzes.

* www.bbc.co.uknatureanimalspets is BBC Education’s groovy site.

* www.petplanet.co.uk is good for advice but also features a shop.

* www.scottishspca.org (Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

* www.ncdl.org.uk has information on dogs (National Canine Defence League).

* www.bluecross.org.uk has information on cats and dogs.

* www.dogshome.org (Battersea Dog’s Home).

* www.cats.org.uk (Cat Protection League).

* www.bunny.org.uk (The Rabbit Charity).

NATIONAL PET WEEK

National Pet Week, May 4 to 12, will be marked by special school assemblies and other events, including veterinary open days. Visit www.nationalpetweek.org.uk for information, worksheets, activities and competitions.