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Classroom Animal Pet Series C.A.P.S.
~ Live animals and inquiry science are a potent combination.
The CAPS program is designed for teachers of grades 1-5 but is available for all grades and all levels of learning. The classroom becomes the "Host" for the animals during the school year
By joining the CAPS program, you are taking part in an educational circle. You and your class will house three different animals for three months each. One animal will be a mammal, one a bird, and one a reptile allowing your students to discover the different needs and behaviors of these species. These animals will be rotated amongst participating classrooms creating a network for information between you and the other Hosts for your particular pets.
As a teacher we expect you to act as the overseer of the CAPS program in your classroom and to use the Animal Curator and your CAPS Coordinator as a reference source. Each pet will come with an Animal Care Guidebook and you will have a two-hour Introductory Lecture with your Coordinator when each animal is delivered. The Animal Curator will be available to you for any questions via email and by phone for any emergencies.
The CAPS program is a wonderful educational lesson in animal care and behavior. We ask that you delegate chores to your students so each child can learn how to clean and feed the animals. The pets will need daily interaction, and there will be appropriate play guidelines in your information packets. Students are encouraged to design tests and experiment with animal behaviors.
*Example: Some birds like to sit on certain textures of perches and some like to sit on certain color perches, and some just like to sit on a certain side of the cage. Allow the children to change the perches every day and record results until you discover what the bird likes to sit on and where it wants to be in the cage.
Daily Journal:
A Daily Journal will accompany animals during the program. All cleaning, feeding, playing, behavior, tricks, and other comments should be recorded in these Journals. Weekend Hosts will have forms in their Overnight Bags that should be added into the journal on Mondays.
You will send the Journals with the pets to the next class, so it is important to note likes and dislikes as well as any particular details you discover about your pets. Encourage your students to freely write notes, observations, and questions in these journals, as any information will help the next class. Some comments will be pulled from the Daily Journals and put on display at the Nature Center and/or used in next years advertising. Please describe experiments and results and add any pictures, drawings, or other media to the Journals.
*Example: "Rascal bit a student this morning. It did not break skin and Bobby washed his hands carefully. We think Rascal was hungry and smelled her food on his hands. We learned that we need to feed her breakfast before we get her out of the cage in the morning."
Achievement Awards:
All students who complete the CAPS program will receive an Achievement Award of Excellent Care. All CAPS animals will be on public display for the summer months in the Exhibit Hall of the Nature Center and each student will receive one free visitation pass.
Cost:
To cover the care of the animals during the school year, all Hosts must pay a total cost of $275 to be eligible for CAPS.
This cost covers the veterinary/pharmaceutical needs, shelf-stable diets, bedding, toys, cage accessories (i.e. water bottles, wheels, etc.), educational packets distributed to students, three 2 hour Introductory Lectures, and five 1 hour Check-Up sessions with a trained Animal Caretaker.
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