The Season of Goodwill: Showing the Way
(Key Stages 1 & 2: Citizenship)
Christmas is the season of goodwill, a time when we think about the suffering of others and make a special effort to help them. And why should we think only about people, when animals are suffering, too?
Take a look around your neighbourhood and think hard! How can we improve the lives of animals this season? Below are a few ideas to get you started, but add as many more to the list as you can think of.
Make a List!
- Put food out for birds and wild animals
- Keep an eye out for dogs and cats left outside in cold, wet weather. Can you help?
- Tell others why you don’t go to circuses and zoos where wild animals are locked up and forced to do stupid tricks.
- Pick up litter because it can hurt animals.
- Do not buy animals as presents, because thousands are dumped just after Christmas every year, when people see how much care and attention they need.
- Give only animal-friendly gifts this year (cruelty-free cosmetics, vegetarian foods and sweets, gifts from animal charity catalogues, etc.) and let people know why.
- Take an hour or so to walk dogs who are waiting for homes at your local animal rescue centre.
- Put up posters or hand out leaflets about animals so other people can learn about the problems, too.
- Show the video ‘Share The World’ to your friends or at school. You can order it free – just ask your teacher!
- to your friends or at school. You can order it free – just ask your teacher!
- Write a letter (see below)!
- ________________
- ________________
Write a Letter!
Once you’ve finished your list, choose one way you can help animals and write a letter to your local paper explaining why it’s important to care for animals in this way. You may also want to draw a picture to send with your letter. If your letter gets printed, everyone who reads it will be reminded that we should think of animals at Christmas time.
Teachers’ Note:
You can find the address of your local paper in the phone book. You could pick the best letter or send them all to the editor of the newspaper. A cover letter from you might persuade the paper to print one or more from your class!