Extension activities
Ask the students to consider the following questions.
- Do some animals* automatically have more value than others? If so, what makes them more valuable? What evidence can you find to support your argument?
- As citizens, how much responsibility do you think we have to ensure all our interactions with animals have a minimal impact on their lives?
*You may need to remind students that humans are animals too.
Things for students to think about and/or discuss
- Ask the students to follow the link below and read the RSPCA press release.
Hedgehogs at risk from rat poison
New scientific research aided by the RSPCA has for the first time found that rat and mice poison may be having an effect on the welfare of hedgehogs.
What does the story tell us about how we value different animals? What impact do the students think this story might have on people who use these poisons – could it prompt them to do things differently?
- Ask the students to follow the link below and read this article from The Independent.
Those clever animals deserve better treatment from us humans
The article appeared on 9 January 2010 - if it is no longer available, they could research current media articles about how society values animals that appear to have particular intelligence. Do the students think it is true to say humans are the only species that cares about the welfare of other animals? What evidence can they find to support their point of view? Do humans always take into account the welfare of animals when they are making decisions about how they use them? What evidence can they find to support their point of view?