SMGB19 Communication therapy animals

Targeted students live experience sessions involving working with a pet therapy animal which live at school: rats.

They describe first their favourite animal. Secondly they have to discuss with their pairs about these animals. Thirdly, older students show them how to handle rats. They report back their feelings and how they feel that they have been helped. They were divided in groups to prepare the food (Cereals, insects, meat..), to clean the cage and cut pieces of cardboard. Pupils took heart rates in the beginning and at the end of the activity to know how they felt emotionally.

They had to comment the difference of pressure and how they enjoyed the session.

Pupils were really happy to take care of the animals and discussed a lot with the other students about what they felt and what they learnt. Some of them were really afraid, some others engage themselves and were productive to make life better for rats. A presentation of photos, pupil and teacher comments from before and after the session will is shared on the blog.