Developed in conjunction with education specialists EBC and available through Curriculum Online, the interactive site is designed to be incorporated into lessons and each lesson plan is linked back to the Curriculum. All resources are easy to download, and include lesson plans, power point presentations, assessment sheets and PetCasts – downloadable video clips.
Primary school teachers can select three different resources; pet scientists, pet health and pet teams. Pet scientists meets elements of the Life and Living Processes curricula for England, Wales and Scotland by asking children to compare and contrast the physical similarities between humans and animals. Pet health examines diet and exercise and explores what pets need to stay fit and well while pet teams explores the roles involved in pet health care, from veterinary treatment given by vets and nurses to the companionship and caring for pets by the children themselves.
Once the pupils have worked through a structure of games and quizzes they are rewarded by virtual guests – PDSA vets – who give an insight into PDSA and pet care via a series of PetCasts! The short video clips include how to groom a rabbit, what to feed a cat and the best way to exercise your dog.
The secondary school section explores science, history, media and citizenship for 12–14 year old students, delving into the working world by looking at scientific processes. The site asks children to relate how their own science lessons and skills learnt compare to those needed to become a vet. They are also encouraged to research PDSA’s founder Maria Dickin, CBE, and debate the use of animals in war through an introduction to the PDSA Dickin Medal, the animals’ Victoria Cross. Secondary school students are challenged to write a media brief for a TV advert.
