Pet Projects for the Classroom

Hatching chicks can be a good classroom pet project.

Students, particularly young students in the elementary grades, like to have a pet in the classroom. You can provide a pet for the children's entertainment as well as for their educational benefit. Decide what kind of creature you'd like to have in the class and surprise your students with a new pet project.

Hatching Chicks

While it isn't clear which came first, the chicken or the egg, you can start with the eggs and hatch baby chicks inside the classroom for a pet project. These little yellow fuzzy creatures will be a big hit with the kids. Prior to beginning the project, it is a good idea to contact a local farm or other place where the chicks can go once they begin to grow. They can't be permanent classroom pets. Obtain fresh, clean and fertile eggs---not eggs from the grocery store---and they should be put into an incubator within 7 to 10 days of being laid. Eggs hatch in 21 days if they are kept safe from damage and are kept in a properly controlled incubator. The temperature should be kept at a constant 99 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the eggs must be carefully rotated each day. Teach children about the reproduction of chickens or other birds during the waiting period.

Tadpoles to Frogs

Explaining to young students that frogs were once tadpoles may seem like a far-fetched tale. You can teach it to them and they'll believe you. But if you can show them the actual process, they will be amazed and are not likely to ever forget it. A trip to a pond should provide you with the opportunity to collect tadpoles. They must be in clean water free of chlorine and the tank should be shaded. Within several weeks to a few months, the tadpoles will begin to develop into little frogs right before the students' eyes.

Guinea Pigs

A guinea pig makes an excellent pet for the classroom. It is very active during the day and will provide lots of entertainment for the students. Also, a guinea pig does not have a strong odor. It can be adopted as the class mascot. Adorn worksheets or other teaching materials with pictures of a guinea pig and plan activities that mention the pet. Create a rotating schedule for all students to help with feeding and watering the animal and cleaning the cage.

Pet for a Day

Sometimes the best pet for the classroom is a temporary one. Kids like to show off their belongings and pets are among the things they are proud to own. Designate a "pet for a day" once a month. Allow a child who has done a good job in a particular task to bring in his pet for the day for the class to take care of, with the parent's permission, of course. The pet must be something appropriate. Bringing in a big dog with bad manners or a poisonous snake is not a good idea.

References

• All About Frogs: How to Raise Tadpoles
• Texas Agricultural Extension Service: Hatching Eggs in the Classroom

Resources

• Pets in the Classroom: Kids and Pets--It's Just Natural