When we buy things, how can we do so in ways that do the most good and least harm? Use resources and articles/essays like these to help you think about what you buy and to find products and companies working to be a bit more ethical.
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animal welfare
I Think Therefore I Act
Based on the Privilege Walk, this activity encourages students/participants to develop an awareness of the kinds of choices we make every day that impact other people, nonhuman animals, and the environment. Recommended for grades 9 and up. Time: A few class periods
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14 Children’s Picture Books About Homelessness
by Marsha Rakestraw People and animals without homes surround us year-round, but their presence seems more palpable in the winter months. As rates of poverty and homelessness grow, so do children’s questions about those who don’t have a home. Teacher Mary Cowhey, author of Black Ants and Buddhists, said, “One might argue that the realities…
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Tips for a More Compassionate, Earth-friendly, Healthy Halloween
by Marsha Rakestraw According to the National Retail Federation, people in the US are planning to spend about $9 billion dollars on Halloween in 2018, an average of almost $87 per person. That’s a lot of candy corn and plastic fangs. And the biggest growth trend is in pet costumes. There are numerous reasons to…
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Mouse vs. Zucchini
A Lesson on Perspective This activity encourages students to discover and think about the perspectives of other people and of nonhuman animals using a brief video featuring a mouse and a zucchini on a kitchen counter. Recommended grades: K-5Time: 30 minutes Related IHE Resources: Council of All Beings
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19 Lists of Children’s Picture Books for Your Humane Education Classroom
by Marsha Rakestraw Children’s books are a terrific tool for sharing positive values, teaching students (in age-appropriate ways) about global ethical issues, and inspiring them to take positive action. They are a powerful part of any classroom and curriculum. Here’s a round-up of 19 of our lists of suggested children’s picture books on a variety…
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What Price Beauty?
This activity encourages students to explore and think critically about the impacts of the ingredients in the personal care products that they use on themselves, other people, animals and the environment, as well as how branding and marketing play into our choices. Recommended for grades 8 and up. Time: A few days to several weeks…
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Who Am I?
Many people know that pigs root around in the ground, that cows have four stomachs, and that chickens have wings, but some of these beings also make friends, remember faces, can play video games, and other characteristics that people often attribute only to humans. This activity for grades 2-5 serves as a great introduction to…
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Whom Do You Pet & Whom Do You Eat?
What are our relationships with different kinds of animals, and why do those relationships exist? Lead students in an activity which explores why we treat different types of animals differently, and how we can learn to view them with different eyes. Recommended for grades 5 and up. Time: 60 minutes Common Core Standards for…
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How’d That Get on My Plate?
Everybody eats, but how often do we stop to think about how the food on our plates got there and about the impacts of that food on people, animals and the planet? This activity encourages participants to explore how sample ingredients in our food might affect the environment, people, and animals, and what alternatives might…
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