Extensive syllabi and overwhelming lesson plans often lead us to ignore other topics and focus solely on what's stipulated in the curriculum. However, if a topic interests us, we can always find a strategy to introduce it while simultaneously developing different skills related to the subject we teach.
This activity was carried out in Spanish Language and Literature class with 4th year ESO students and the objective was that, through the viewing of this documentary, the students would work on both oral comprehension and written expression about a topic unknown to them: feelings in animals.
Here is the activity as well as some comments that caught my attention.
The heartwarming world of farm animals from stopspeciesism on Vimeo.
Después de ver el documental en clase, hicieron un trabajo individual respondiendo a las siguiente cuestiones:
– Do you think animals have feelings? Give the examples from the video that caught your attention the most, expressing your personal opinion.
– Have you ever had an experience where you were able to witness a feeling in an animal?
– Why do we tend to think that only we – humans – have feelings?
Here are several excerpts from the activities carried out where, as you can see, it is clear that teenagers are perfectly capable of seeing the connection between animal suffering and human suffering, often with greater clarity and determination than adults.
ANA: The difference is that these animals are imprisoned on farms and are always afraid, so we can only see that emotion: their fear.
DANI: I didn't know before why some animals ran away from me, animals that are bigger than me, and I thought I was the one who should be afraid. Now I realize that it's the animals who are afraid of us; they don't trust humans, and it's because of the way they're treated on farms, in laboratories, zoos…
CLARA: It's normal for animals to be afraid once they're in the sanctuary. I think it's the same thing that happens, as we see in the news, to a woman who has been abused by a man.
ISABEL: Our ego makes us believe we are the center of the universe and that nothing else exists besides us. We view animals with a certain degree of racism, just as some people see other races as useless. Some humans see animals as beings that neither give nor receive anything, and that is the root of the problem.
SYNOPSIS: Jefferey Masson, author of When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love, takes us on a personal journey through the writing of his latest book, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon. This exploration of the sensitive and moving lives of farm animals takes Masson to animal sanctuaries across the country, where caregivers and the animals themselves share their heartbreaking stories of rescue and escape. Masson delves into the ancestry of these curious and intelligent animals and interviews leading experts in animal behavior, who offer scientific insights into these amazing creatures.