1. Notes for the ‘With Kids and Animals’ education
presentation
Slide 1:
There is an old saying that warns against working with children and animals at
the same time. This is because children and animals are unpredictable – they
do what they want when they want. Most people fear unpredictability – are
frightened by not knowing what may or may not happen. But today, I am going
to show you how this is actually a good thing and how, if you are willing to
take some chances, you can really make a difference for your organisations.
Slide 2:
So how exactly can you make this difference? The key is to understand how
important education is. To do this we are going to look at four different things:
1. Why educate?
Working with children can be challenging but it’s important to know there
are benefits for you and your organisation by doing an education
programme.
2. Setting up an education programme
In order for your education programme to be a success, you need to be
able to answer a few simple questions. By doing this, you’ll be able to
create something that will help get your messages across to the pet
owners of the future.
3. What works with kids?
…with kids and animals!
The perils of working with both.

2. Children’s needs are very much different to adults. This will help us
understand how best to get their attention and how to keep it.
4. The Dogs Trust Education Programme
And finally, this will give you an insight into the programme Dogs Trust
runs.
Slide 3:
“Ignorance is not bliss.”
Most people here today work in countries where a large part of the population
is not aware that there is an animal welfare problem. Great Britain is known as
a nation of animal lovers but even there, there are large numbers of people
who know little about the needs of animals. Those that do have pets are often
unaware that their actions are not always in the best interest of the animals
that they care for.
Therefore, by running an education programme, you are giving people a
chance to learn more about the world around them, and how their actions can
make a difference.
Slide 4:
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and
you feed him for a lifetime.”
Often, organisations that have a message they want people to know, will
simply expect people to listen and believe what they say. The problem with
this is that most people will not listen or act upon your message because they
do not understand why they should. By educating people – showing them the
reasons behind your messages – they are more likely to listen, and act upon
what you are telling them.
Slide 5:
“Without publicity there can be no public support”
Running an education programme is also a great way to get your organisation
known, and if people are aware of who you are, they are more likely to give
you support.
Slide 6:

3. “It’s also fun.”
And, of course, going into schools is really good fun. Not only is it different to
your normal working day, but you also get learnt things too.
Slides 7 & 8:
It may seem like a large and complicated process to set up an education
programme. That you’ll need a lot of time, money and resources, but you
don’t. All you really need to begin an education programme is a pen, some
paper, and answers to these three important questions.
Slide 9:
What do you want to do?
1. Choose your message
When running an education programme you need to make sure there is a
focus to it. If you try and tell people, especially children, many different
things at once you are going to confuse them. So, the first thing you must
always do is decide upon one message you would like people to
understand and use that as a starting point for your education programme.
2. choose your venue
Where you run your education programme will make a difference to what
activities you do and what resources you will need. For example, if you
wanted to run workshops at your shelter then you would be able to give
groups a tour and use this as a starting point for your activities. Or, if you
wanted to go out and visit schools, you would need to think about what
things you’d need to take with you to help deliver your message. We’ll look
at resources later on.
3. Choose your ‘hook’
A hook is something that makes your education programme memorable. It
is also something that will attract people to you and want to take part in
your workshops. It doesn’t have to be something expensive, or even
something that you give away. It just has to be something that people will
find exciting or interesting – something that will make you stand out.
Slide 10:
Who do you want to do it with?
1. Choose your age group carefully

4. When we talk about running an education programme we usually talk
about working with children. There is a big difference between what a 5
year old can understand and do and what a 15 year old can do. There is
also a difference in attitude. A 15 year old is less likely to listen to what
you are trying to say but will probably benefit more from it. But a 5 year old
will be willing to take part even though it is going to be many years before
they can use what you teach them.
Because of this, it is therefore important to choose what age group you are
going to work with. This decision will also affect what activities you run and
what resources you will need.
2. Research your education system
As you are going to be working with children, it is important to understand
what goes on in school as this is a big part in their lives. Different countries
will have different ways of educating pupils but there is usually a common
method and format. For example, in the United Kingdom, lessons are
broken down into three parts:
The introduction – This is where the children are told what they are
going to learn about, and are given a short activity to focus them.
The main phase – This is where the teaching activities take place. The
children will often work on their own or in groups and will do something
that helps them understand what they are learning about.
The plenary – This is where the class is brought back together to
discuss what they have learnt. It is also a chance for the children to ask
questions and for the teacher to see if they have understood what has
gone on.
Children will expect workshops and activities to be similar to how they
learn in schools and you should make sure your education programme is
like this. Any different and you will struggle to keep them focused on your
message.
3. Who else is doing the same thing?
It is always worth knowing who else is running education programmes in
your area. If there are too many, the schools will get fed up with people
offering them and you will find not many will be interested in what you
have to offer. It’s also good to know what else is going on because there is
always a chance you can work with another organisation to deliver your
workshops. Not only will this help save you time and money, but would be
more attractive to schools who, would be getting two organisations coming
in instead of one.

5. Slide 11:
What do you need to do this?
1. Check with local municipals / councils
There may well be certain checks to pass or forms you need to fill out
before you can work with children, so it is always wise to check with your
local government. They can also provide you with contact details for
schools in the area and give you advice the best way to get in touch with
them. Having a good relationship with your local municipal or council is
also a great way to get some publicity.
2. Understand the school timetable
Schools have a lot of things they need to do during a year and often
teachers will not be interested in your education programme unless it
helps them with what they need to do. If you can prove to a teacher that
your education programme helps them with their work they will almost
certainly book you. So, take some time and look at a school timetable.
Look at the subjects that are being studied, look at how long lessons last
for, and try to develop your workshops to suit these. Also see if there are
any special events coming up and use those to help promote your
education programme.
3. Resources
Resources are objects that you use in your workshops to help deliver your
message. What you use as a resource will depend on what age group you
are working with as well as what activity you are doing. They don’t have to
be expensive but it’s a good idea to have as many as possible so that
children can touch them.
Slide 12:
This is Otis, who is my number one resource. If you are able to take an animal
into the classroom with you, it’s a great way for children to understand what
you are talking about. Not only can they interact with the animal but they can
also understand its needs by simply watching it.
If you do want to take an animal into school, though, make sure you check
with the local council if there are any forms you need to fill out. You must also
ensure that the animal feels safe in the classroom and that the children know
what is and is not acceptable behaviour.
Slides 13 & 14:

6. Once you’ve thought about what message you want to base your workshops
around, and answered all the other questions, you then need to think about
your activities.
Activities are the games or tasks that the children will do to help them
understand your message. They can come in all shapes and sizes, ranging
from games that have the children running around, to group discussions. But
in order for an activity to work, you need to know what works with children.
There is one thing all children want, and that is fun.
Slide 15 & 16:
Teachers fear their children having fun in their classrooms because of control.
For a teacher, their classroom is a place of control and of routine. This is not a
bad thing, and it’s worth finding out from a teacher what methods they have in
place to control their pupils. By using the same methods the pupils will be
easier to manage.
This does not mean, though, you should be strict and controlling. Children
always learn better when having fun but it’s important to set boundaries.
Slide 17:
Drama is a great way for children to explore your message and have fun at
the same time. However, how you use drama and what you do during your
visit, depends upon the age of the children you are working with:
Age:
5 -6 year olds:
Type of drama:
controlled
This means:
You take part in the drama, leading the class and giving them things to react
to.
Example:
The children pretend they are in a park on a summer’s day. You encourage
them to act out an activity they might do in the park. Then you take on the role
of an aggressive dog and encourage the pupils to show you what they would
do. You all then work together to look at the correct way of reacting and re-
enact the situation again with the pupils responding appropriately.
Problems:

7. Children of this age are very good at role play but can easily get caught up in
the moment. They will often overreact (screaming and running around) and
this can lead to them missing the key teaching points. Therefore it’s worth
presenting a signal to the class that, when made, means they must freeze. It’s
also worth returning to the key teaching points for this activity at the end to
help the pupils remember them (e.g. if they can make the safety stance on the
count of three they can have a sticker).
Age:
7 – 9
Type of drama:
Interactive
This means:
You give the pupils a situation, scenario or role and allow them to develop it
as they wish. Your role is to keep the activity on track by asking key questions
and ensuring good behaviour.
Example:
Following on from a story (such how a dog came to be in Dogs Trust) or from
another activity involving a dog (such as what to do if an aggressive dog
comes up to you) the pupils take it in turns to take on the role of the dog and
answer questions about how it’s feeling and what it needs to resolve a
particular situation.
Or, in groups, the class act out a dog going home for the first time. One
member of the group takes on the role of the dog, the others become family
members. They have 5 – 10 minutes to develop their scene before acting it
out. You pause the scene at a point you consider crucial and encourage the
rest of the class to ask the characters questions.
Problems:
These sorts of activities need a ‘lead-in’ - something to help the class ease
into the drama. These can include using the ‘controlled’ drama activity above
or some small game (such as working in pairs and acting out something a dog
might want).
To really get the best out of these activities, it’s always worth getting the
pupils to think about how they would feel in the situation. So for example, if
running the hot-seating activity with the pupils taking on the role of an
aggressive dog, they first hot-seat as a human and explore their own feelings.
Age:

8. 10 – 11
Type of drama:
Free reign
This means:
Similar to the ‘interactive’ drama activities but the pupils are given more
freedom to chose a situation or role to explore. Your input is minimal, mainly
ensuring that the activity does not delve into areas you do not wish to cover
(e.g. dog fighting) and ensuring everyone is given a turn.
Example:
Debates work quite well with these pupils, particularly if they are about a
contentious topic, such as neutering. Dividing the class into those that agree
with neutering, those that disagree with it, and those that aren’t sure, gives all
the pupils defined roles to fulfil (prosecution, defence, and jury). The
classroom becomes a court and your role is simply to ensure fairness.
Another type of activity for this group is to give them a story about a dog
coming into your shelter and getting the class to elaborate on it, acting out
the different hands on roles people play at your shelter or in your organisation
and developing their own ending for it.
Problems:
At this age, the pupils are often becoming self-conscious and more reluctant
to step out of their comfort zones. Therefore taking on the role of a dog will
often be too embarrassing for them. This can often lead to subversive
behaviour (such deliberately asking provocative questions to embarrass
others or get a laugh from their friends). The secret to dealing with this is a
careful build up to the drama or running an activity that doesn’t appear to be
drama (such as a debate, or game).
Also, these pupils will be more ‘switched on’ and aware of elements of dog
ownership that we do not cover (weapon dogs etc.). They will often seek to
bring these to the activity and so you will need to carefully deal with these
issues and move on.
Slide 18
Nearly all the problems you’ll encounter with drama will come from the
children in the class. Most will take part and cause no problems, however
there are some characters you may have problems with:
Sir Clever Clogs

9. Tries to ruin the activity by pointing out flaws with what you are trying to do or
tries to be different in an over-the-top way.
Example:
When faced with an aggressive dog in the park, he jumps into his space ship
and flies away.
Solution:
Call their bluff – ask them if they have a space ship with them now.
Little Miss Shy
Does not want to take part no matter what you do.
Example:
The rest of the class takes part in the activity but she sits on her chair refusing
to move.
Solution:
Leave her be. Forcing her to take part will give her a negative experience.
Madame Starlet
Overacts their part.
Example:
When asked to play the part of a frightened dog, they howl, whine, back away,
and wet themselves- much to the amusement of the class.
Solution:
Let them. The rest of the class will be encouraged by it.
The Extremist
Likes to take things to the extreme, often into areas you do not want to talk
about.
Example:
Insists of playing the part of a dog that is aggressive towards others.

10. Solution:
First time – remind them of what the focus of the activity is.
Second time – Stop the activity and tell them their behaviour is not
acceptable.
Third time – stop them taking part.
Slide 19:
Another problem with drama is having confidence to run it in the first place.
Using drama means placing the success or failure of your activity in the
children’s hands. This is because they have the power to take your activity in
any direction they want to. A lot of teachers find this really scary and so don’t
panic if you do to. There are 3 things you can do to make sure your activity
works well:
Planning
It is very important that you carefully plan your activity before going into
school. Think about what you want the pupils to learn from your activity; what
you want them to do; how long you want the activity to go on for; any key
questions that might need asking; and list the things that might go wrong and
what to do about them.
When running your activity don’t be afraid to forget your planning if things
don’t go well. Carrying on whilst things fall apart will not get your message
across and will only leave the pupils with a negative experience. Also if things
are going well and the pupils are enjoying it, then feel free to carry on.
Remember fun and learning go hand in hand.
Evaluating
After your activity, spend some time thinking about how well things went. Did
the pupils enjoy the activity? Did they learn what you wanted them to learn?
What went wrong? What went right? For each of these questions look for
reasons and solutions. Don’t worry if things go terribly. So long as you know
why. You can change your planning and make things work next time. If things
went well, still think about why this was. It’ll help you plan other events.
Feedback
Teacher and pupils will always have an opinion of your activity so let them
express it. Give them a form to fill out or ask them what they thought. Even if
things went horribly wrong or incredibly right, what they think will be invaluable
to you. It will also help you develop more activities.
Slide 20

11. Whilst the pupils are your target audience, it’s still worth thinking about what
teachers want from your workshops. After all, they will be the ones that book
you so if you can give them something too, they are more likely to get you
back.
Teachers are very busy and need to cover many things in a school year. They
will have planning and targets to meet so when developing your activities
think about this and reference all your work to the national curriculum or other
schemes the school uses. Also give teachers a copy of your planning.
Often, teachers will use your workshop to catch up on other things they have
to do. Don’t expect them to help out in your workshop so make sure you have
everything you need and don’t be afraid to take control of the class. Teachers
may step in if behaviour gets really bad but apart from that it is up to you to
encourage good behaviour.
Teachers will usually like to tell you what they thought worked well or didn’t
work at all. So let them – give them a chance at the end of the workshops or
give them a form to fill out.
Slides 21 - 24
Dogs Trust has an education programme that has been running for many
years now. It has 3 strands to it.
Website - www.learnwithdogs.co.uk
Dogs Trust’s educational website has a section for teachers and a section for
pupils. The teachers section has free resources for use in the classroom, and
the children’s section has games, information, films, and information on
fundraising for the charity.
Resources for teacher
All the resources Dogs Trust provides to teachers are free. There are lesson
plans for all ages and school subjects, and they are all referenced to the
National Curriculum. They can either be used on their own or as part of a visit
by an Education Officer.
Education Officers
Dogs Trust has 13 Education Officers covering the United Kingdom and
Ireland, and 1 Education Officer in Malta. The Education Officers provide free
workshops to schools and cover 4 themes – Safety, Responsible Dog
Ownership, A Dog’s Needs, and Careers. They can also provide different
workshops to suit a school’s needs. All the workshops are referenced the
National Curriculum and usually involve a dog visiting the school, too.

12. Should you ever have any questions about Dogs Trust’s education
programme you can always email us at educ@dogstrust.org.uk.
If you are interested in learning more about education and different activities
you can use in schools, then you may be interested to know about our
Overseas Education Workshop training. Contact Hollie Sevenoaks @
educ@dogstrust.org.uk or David Newall for more information.