K-3 Curriculum Outcome Summaries

Below are summarized curriculum outcomes for Saskatchewan grades K-3 in Science and Health. In bold
are the outcomes, and below are point format suggestions of areas that veterinary students could
include in their interactive presentations.

Health K

 Recognition, development and implementation of behaviours, habits and relationships that

lead to health and safety of self, others and the environment
 Includes ideas of identity and development thereof (behaviours and relationships contribute
to who we become)
o Relate to behaviours and habits we can impose on pets to influence their health and
safety
o Discuss how pets can contribute to who we become ie/ the influence having pets has on
the eventual decision to become a veterinarian – how this relates to a love of animals
and how we foster that in children

Science K

 Be able to observe and discuss characteristics of plants, animals and people in their natural
environment
 Sort animals based on their individual similarities and differences
 Discuss identifiable traits of different types of animals
o give examples of different animals (ie/ different breeds of the same species; different
colours/coat patterns of the same breed; differences between cats and dogs, etc) to
illustrate how they are the same and how they differ

Health 1

 Identify and discuss what ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ are with respect to behaviours and
opportunities (or general health/well being); talk about daily behaviours and opportunities
and how these can affect health; talk about what healthy and unhealthy look, sound and feel
like
o Tie this in with health of animals and how we observe animals to tell if they’re healthy
or not (ie/can we see a shiny coat? Clear eyes? Can we hear a normal heart beat?
Normal breathing? Are they coughing? Are they energetic? How does an animal feel
when it’s sick? Do they have the same capacity to feel ill that humans do? How do we
know? How do vets help?)
 Importance and function of brian, heart and lungs; where/what they are; behaviours that
keep these organs healthy; what happens when one or more of these are unhealthy
o Talk about brain, heart, lung function in animals and how it relates to humans
o What tools does a veterinarian use to assess the health of these organs (stethoscope,
imaging, behavioural/cognitive assessment)
 o Have stethoscopes to give the kids so they can hear their own heartbeats and breathing
o Bring models of heart, brain and lungs to show; potentially samples of diseased organs
as well
o Show x-rays of healthy and unhealthy lungs
o Show differences and similarities between locations/size/functions of these organs in
animals and humans
 Determine and practise safe pedestrian/street behaviours and examine related safety
challenges in the community; recognizing dangers, identifiying strategies to avoid danger
(avoidance, caution, refusal)
o Dog bite prevention education here – how to recognize unsafe animals, what to do if an
unknown animal approaches, how to get help
o Maybe supply colouring books/activity books on the subject (‘be a tree’ campaign)
 Explore the association between a healthy sense of “self” and one’s positive connection with
others and the environment; includes recognizing personal connection to other living things
and identifying thoughts and behaviours that show healthy connection to environment
o Talk about how pets enrich our lives and contribute to a healthy sense of self through
companionship, love and affection
o How our behaviours towards our pets and animals in general are important to their
wellbeing as well as our own

Science 1

 Differentiate between living things according to observable characteristics, including

appearance and behaviour

o Could have a sorting activity for putting animals in groups based on appearance and
behaviour ie/ do great danes and Chihuahuas go in the same group? What about two
cats with different coat colours?

o Compare characteristics of plants and animals at different stages of their lives (ie/
comparing young to adult animals – how are they the same? How are they different?)

 Analyze different ways in which plants, animals, and humans interact with various natural and
constructed environments to meet their basic needs
o Talk about the basic needs of animals and the five freedoms (food, water, air, shelter,
freedom to express behaviours, freedom from pain or illness)
o Talk about humans’ responsibility to animals, especially pets or farm animals
o What is a vet’s role in ensuring animal’s basic needs are met
o What are some areas that require caution from kids when encountering animals
o What are some problems animals might face when attempting to meet their needs in
constructed environments
o How DO pets/farm animals meet their needs?
o Compare basic human needs to the needs of plants, other animals, and non-living
things.
 o Explore how people demonstrate respect for living things by caring for domestic animals
(e.g., hatching eggs, keeping a pet, properly caring for horses and cattle).
 Investigate characteristics of the five traditional external senses (i.e., sight, sound, smell,
touch, and taste) in humans and animals; explore how humans and animals use their senses
to interact with their environment
o Illustrate senses and the organs responsible for them in animal terms
o How are these senses different in animals and humans
o How can vets test for function of these senses in animals? What is the relevance of
properly functioning senses in pets? (ie/ sight to navigate around the house; sound to
identify intruders or danger; smell to identify and experience their environment and
food; touch to navigate their environment; taste to identify food as good or bad)
o Suggest how a human or animal might function if they were totally or partially missing
one or more of the five senses.
o Talk about specialized adaptations in animals for particular senses (ie/ whiskers in cats
and dogs, tapeta lucida to help see in low light, etc) and how these help them daily
 Inquire into the ways in which plants, animals, and humans adapt to daily and seasonal
changes by changing their appearance, behaviour, and/or location
o Talk about seasonal changes in domestic animals (shedding, activity level, interest in
being outside, etc)  which of these are natural and which are human-imposed?
o Could discuss identifiable changes in other animals by seasons (ie/ snowshoe hares and
changing coat colour; snowy owls and coat colour)
o Talk about diurnal/nocturnal behaviour of domestic animals (ie/ cats are often sleeping
during the day and busy at night; dogs the opposite)

Health 2

 Determine how healthy snacking practices influence personal health

o relate animal health to importance of healthy foods – how are vets involved here?
o Also give examples of healthy and unhealthy foods for pets – give caloric comparisons
ie/ 5oz piece of cheese for a 5lb cat = 2 cheeseburgers for average adult
o Discuss foods that pose a risk to pets (chocolate, gum, onions and garlic, etc)
 Develop an understanding of how health may be affected by illness and disease.
o Describe what being sick looks like, sounds like, and feels like
o Relate animal’s experience of disease to that of humans; how do we identify healthy or
ill animals
 Again could use visual aids here (models, videos, x-rays, etc)
 Examine social and personal meanings of “respect” and establish ways to show respect for
self, persons, living things, possessions, and the environment
o how we show respect for animals through how we treat them
 Recognize potential safety risks in community “play areas” and determine safe
practices/behaviours to identify, assess, and reduce the risks.
o Dog bite prevention here as well
Science 2

 Analyze the growth and development of familiar animals, including birds, fish, insects,
reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, during their life cycles; include length and stages of life
cycles; talk about characteristics common to each stage of the life cycle; analyze which traits
of animals stay the same and which change as animals grow
o Talk about life stages of pets here, how vet care differs throughout life stages, how we
can ensure the health of animals throughout their life based on varied needs as they
develop
 Compare the growth and development of humans with that of familiar animals

o Talk about differing nutritional needs of animals as they grow and change (ie/ milk for
puppies and kittens, then soft food, then kibble)

o Talk about patterns in animal growth and how this relates to human growth

o Illustrate that animals age faster than humans and require more care at an earlier age

 Assess the interdependence of humans and animals in natural and constructed environments;
examine features of natural or constructed environments that support or hinder health and
growth of animals; examine ways in which humans and animals interact with each other,
including ways in which animals can cause harm to humans; discuss care and handling of
animals and careers related to animal care

o Talk about how humans and animals interact at home, on the farm, etc and how we can
fashion our homes/yards to suit and cater to animals

o Talk about the broader scope of veterinary medicine and what the career can mean (ie/
small animal vet, large animal vet, zoo animals, wild animals, lab animals, research, etc)

Health 3

 Determine the role of a variety of healthy foods and physical activity on the health and
development of the mind, body, and immune system

o Relate to animals; talk about what happens if the mind/body/immune system are
unhealthy and what this would look like

o Talk about what diet and physical activity do for animals and how we can manipulate
these to suit particular needs/illnesses/life stages of animals (vet’s role)

 Evaluate safe behaviours/practices to increase the safety of self and others while at home.

o Discuss risks to pets in the home (chemicals, harmful foods, poisonous plants; hot stove
tops, irons; access to street, etc) and how to avoid these (prevent access to chemicals,
etc; keep doors and gates closed to prevent escape)
 Distinguish between examples of real violence (e.g., schoolyard fights, shaking a baby,
bullying) and fictional violence (e.g., cartoons, world wrestling entertainment, video games)
and determine the influence of both on health and well-being.

o Discuss a vet’s role in identifying and dealing with violence against animals

o What is animal abuse

o The connection between animal abuse and the abuse of children/family members

o Why a vet is a trusted adult and how they can help