The Pets in the Classroom grant program is pleased to announce the winners of its 6th annual Lesson Plan Contest! The Contest invited pre-kindergarten through 9th grade teachers to submit lesson plans that centered on the use of fish, reptiles, and small animals in the classroom. Teachers could submit lesson plans in the following categories: 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). The winners are:
Small Animals/Birds – Grades Pre-K – 2
- Dana Clements
- Mendenhall Elementary School
- Tampa, FL
Small Animals/Birds – Grades 3 – 5
- Kayleigh Davidson
- Harman School
- Oakwood, OH
Reptile/Amphibian – Grades Pre-K – 2
- Heidi Haller
- Genesis Prep Academy
- Post Falls, ID
Reptile/Amphibian – Grades 3 – 5
- Gretchen Whittaker
- Acorn Montessori Charter School
- Prescott Valley, AZ
Reptile/Amphibian – Grades 6 – 9
- Amy Fallon
- Salt Creek Elementary School
- San Diego, CA
Aquarium/Fish – Grades PreK – 2
- Bhavi Parekh
- Mosaic Pre-K Center
- Corona, NY
- Rebecca Brinkman
- Starlight Park Elementary School
- Phoenix, AZ
- Chris Anama-Green
- Harlen County High School
- Baxter, KY
Winners were 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 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
The winner of each category received a $100 gift card. Their lesson plans, along with other select entries, are featured on the Pets in the Classroom website, allowing teachers to utilize and adapt lesson plans for their own use in their classroom. To view more lesson plans, visit our Teacher Lesson Plans page.
