The 2023 Lesson Plan Contest is now CLOSED! Thank you to all those who entered! Click here to view the winners!

About the Pets in the Classroom Lesson Plan Contest:

Share your creativity and your lesson plans incorporating classroom pets with us! We want to equip teachers with ideas and lesson plans that engage students in learning using classroom pets. And who better to provide that information than you, our creative teacher friends!

Now through September 17th, submit your lesson plan ideas to us that center around the educational use of fish, reptiles, small animals and dogs in the classroom. We will accept entries in the form of videos, worksheets, photos, PP presentations, fliers, or any written lesson plans.

Categories are: Small Animals/Birds (One each for PreK-2, 3-5, 6-9), Reptile/Amphibian (One each for PreK-2, 3-5, 6-9), Aquarium/Fish (One each for PreK-2, 3-5, 6-9), Dogs (One each for PreK-2, 3-5, 6-9). Each category will win a $100 gift card! That’s TWELVE winners!! Submissions must be original to this year – no repeats or re-entries from previous contests!

Submit your entry by September 17, 11:59 pm EST. We will be announcing the winners October 4, 2023. We will be sharing select entries with you, so stay tuned for some great lesson plan ideas and materials! Submissions must be original to this year – no repeats or re-entries from previous contests!

Rules:

Each person who wishes to participate in the program shall submit a lesson plan (hereinafter “Submitter”) relating to the use of Pets in the Classroom. Each lesson plan will be posted on the Pet Care Trust Website and may be viewed by Pet Care Trust, its employees, volunteers and outside third parties. In consideration therefore each Submitter acknowledges, agrees and hereby grants the Pet Care Trust, its employees, volunteers, and each other submitter a non-exclusive license in perpetuity to view, copy, revise, amend or utilize in any manner such lesson plan, suggestion or recommendation. Upon conclusion of the submission period, the Pet Care Trust will award twelve $100 gift cards to the submissions selected at the sole discretion of the Trust.

How We Choose Winners:

Winners will be chosen based on quality, creativity, and depth of work submitted. The entries were evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Progressive – having the ability to communicate multiple topics or one topic across different depths of knowledge
• Interactive – having the students or parents actively seek out and record their knowledge
• Thorough – lesson plan is complete with stated objectives and evaluation of results
• Challenging – the students are pushed to expand their knowledge and pets are an integral part of the classroom curriculum

To responsibly enjoy a pet in your classroom follow these three steps:

1. Always provide hand sanitizer or instruct those who handle the pet, or anything inside the pets habitat to wash their hands immediately after contact.
2. Pets can never be placed in extreme temperatures, habitats or environments where the pet will struggle to breathe, eat, sleep, urinate or defecate.
3. Pets must always have access to shelter, food, water and appropriate temperatures in your classrooms.