Core Skills Analysis
Science - Animal Behaviour
- Saskia learned to identify different emotional states in animals, such as anxiety, by observing body language cues.
- She developed skills in researching and gathering information about animal behaviors, focusing on cats and dogs.
- Saskia practiced applying her knowledge by interpreting the emotions of her own pets based on their body language.
- Through comparison and observation, she gained an appreciation for the ways animals communicate non-verbally.
Tips
To deepen Saskia's understanding of animal behaviour, encourage her to keep a daily observation journal for her pets, noting their body language and emotional states over time. This can be paired with learning about animal welfare and empathy to build a respectful relationship with animals. Introducing her to videos of wild and domestic animals showing different emotions can broaden her perspective on animal communication in varied environments. Additionally, exploring simple neuroscience concepts about stress and emotions in animals can connect her behavioural observations to biological causes, enriching her scientific understanding.
Book Recommendations
- The Secret Language of Cats by Susanne Schötz: A fascinating guide exploring how cats communicate with humans and other cats through sounds and body movements.
- How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren: An accessible book that helps readers understand dog behavior and emotions through body language and vocalizations.
- Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin: This book explores animal emotions and behaviors in a way that deepens empathy and shows the intelligence of animals.
Learning Standards
- UK National Curriculum Science KS2: Animals, including humans – Recognise that animals, including humans, need the right types and amounts of nutrition, and that they get nutrients from what they eat; explore and compare the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird (Links to behaviour and development).
- Science KS2: Working scientifically – Gathering, recording and presenting data in a variety of ways to help answer questions (applied in researching animal behaviours).
- Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) – Developing empathy and understanding of living things' feelings and wellbeing.
Try This Next
- Create a worksheet with pictures of cats and dogs in various poses—ask Saskia to label the emotion each animal is expressing.
- Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of a pet describing how it feels in different situations identified by body language.
Growth Beyond Academics
Saskia’s focused observation and curiosity about animal emotions indicate growing empathy and patience. Practising interpreting her own pets’ feelings fosters connection and responsibility towards animals, which supports emotional intelligence and compassionate social skills.