Tales of Strays ... ACTION!
This school year, let's all put words into ACTION!
Here's what YOU can do to get your students involved and inspire the world to create change
for companion animals.
September-October 2022: Decide on the topic of your project (either based on a lesson plan from one of the Tales of Strays Compilations but approached from your personal perspective, or something designed entirely by you; a list of sample topics below) and choose a group of students to be involved (age and level of your choice).
October-December 2022: Run the project with your students at your own pace. Make sure that you involve students in group work, so that there is a collaborative outcome.
December 2022-February 2022: Write a report on the project (approximately 1000-1500 words plus images: photographs, drawings, etc.). The project should include (but doesn’t have to be limited to) the following:
aims of the project
steps and procedures
description of the tasks and activities
samples of students’ work
reflections (students’ and instructor’s) and conclusions
February: Take a break while Margarita Kosior prepares a pdf compilation of all the reports to be published on the Tales of Strays website.
NOTE: Special attention MUST be paid to copyright issues. NO copyrighted material (e.g. photographs, screenshots from films) will be included in the pdf compilation.
February-March 2023: Get your students to work on their presentations for an online students’ conference.
March 2023 (specific date to be agreed on at a later time): Be there with your students at the online conference where they will present their collaborative work to the other groups (one presentation per group).
April 2023 (around Stray Animals’ Day): Present your and your students’ work to the world at an open online event.
Sample project topics:
1. The origins of dogs and dog domestication / The origins of the bond between humans and dogs
2. Responsible companion animal care - dogs
3. Understanding dog body language
4. Dog training
5. Dog superpowers (e.g. super sniffer)
6. Puppy mills and pet store puppies
7. Service dogs (hearing or signal dogs, seeing eye dogs / guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, medical alert dogs e.g. diabetes alert dog, psychiatric service dogs, sensory signal dogs / social signal dogs, seizure response dogs)
8. Dog-training programmes in prisons
9. Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.)
10. Responsible companion animal care - cats
11. Origins of cats and cat domestication
12. Living like a cat - secret to happiness and success
13. Cats - super powers (e.g. elasticity, always landing of their feet)
14 Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs
15 Children and companion animals
16. The role of companion animals in enhancing human well-being
17. Companion animal welfare groups and organizations / Volunteerism
18. Companion animals in visual arts / Cultural depictions of companion animals
19. Companion animals in literature
20. Loss of a companion animal (grief)
21. Loss of a companion animal (e.g. a lesson based on writing announcements)
22. Animals with disabilities
23. Real life stories: stray dogs I know
24. Real life stories: before and after adoption
25. A lesson plan based on the picture book "Toby to the rescue"
26. Other: …
Contact talesofstrays@margaritakosior.com if you want to participate in the project or ask for more info.
