Pets and Gardens

This exciting Pets and Gardens Year 1 scheme of work themed around pets and gardens will have your class exploring and identifying the things that live in their homes and gardens. They will begin by identifying and finding out about a range of pets, then they will explore animals and plants they might find outside. They will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty and record their findings as they hunt for animals, make homes for minibeasts and go pond dipping. 

You might also like our Houses and Homes Topic Bundle – perfect if you're looking for a cross-curricular approach to your teaching!

Identifying Common Pets

The first lesson in this investigative series gets your class thinking about the different animals they might find living in and around their home. To start with they will focus on the animals found in their living rooms and begin to categorise the animals into mammals, reptiles and fish, while describing their similarities and differences. The lessons concludes by challenging the children to name different animals and identify the odd ones out.

This downloadable lesson includes a detailed lesson plan, an informative slideshow presentation and engaging teaching resources.

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Comparing Common Animals

The second lesson in this series gets your class thinking in more detail about the different animals they might find living in and around their home. They will explore what different pet animals need and begin to categorise them by what they eat. The lesson concludes by challenging the children to think about which animals might have eaten some food left in a kitchen.

This downloadable lesson contains a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources

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Animals found in grass

The third lesson in this series gets your class thinking in more detail about the different animals they might find living in and around a garden lawn. They will begin to think about why the animals might be there as they are introduced to the idea that some animals will be using the grass for shelter and others will be hunting on it. During this exciting lesson your class will answer questions about animals and lay traps to find and observe minibeasts. They end the lesson by exploring why minibeasts are important residents and visitors to our gardens.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

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Animals and plants found in shady areas

The fourth lesson in this series explores animals found in shaded areas of gardens. Your class will identify different animals and think about why they might be found under trees and in bushes, shrubs and hedges. This hands-on lesson will have your class finding, identifying and classifying animals, as well as making homes for wildlife. They end the lesson by thinking about the animals they have seen under plant pots or logs.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

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Ponds

The penultimate lesson in this series explores animals and plants found in and around garden ponds. Your class will identify different animals and plants and begin to think about ponds as a source of food and water for a range of animals including mammals, birds and reptiles. Your class will have the option of identifying pond plants and animals from pictures or experiencing ponds first hand when they go pond dipping.

This downloadable lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

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What have we learnt?

In the final lesson in this series your class will be challenged to place a variety of animals and plants in the locations they would be most likely to be found. Alternatively they will be challenged to predict where they might find certain animals and then go hunting for them. They will be encouraged to think about and use scientific terms to describe a range of animals, including mammal, bird and carnivore. This series concludes with an End of Unit Quiz.

This downloadable lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

View Lesson 6