Keep the Animals Safe!
Goodnight, world
by Rebecca Parkinson
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To encourage us to think about the world and what we can do to protect the animals who live in it.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Keep the Animals Safe!) and the means to display them.
- You will also need a copy of the book Goodnight World by Rebecca Parkinson. It is available to buy at: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/goodnight-world-pb
Assembly
- Ask the children what their favourite animal is and why.
Listen to a range of responses. - Ask the children whether they know what the word ‘extinct’ means.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that ‘extinct’ means that a species, family or group of animals or plants no longer exists. - Ask the children whether they know of any animals that have become extinct.
Listen to a range of responses.
Dinosaurs are a well-known example of extinct animals. We know that they existed because many bones have been found.
Show Slides 1-2. - Show Slide 3.
Another animal that became extinct thousands of years ago is the woolly mammoth. This picture shows how we think a woolly mammoth might have looked. - However, unfortunately, it isn’t only animals who lived thousands of years ago that have become extinct.
Show Slide 4.
This is a West African black rhinoceros. It was officially declared extinct in 2011, only ten years ago! - Show Slide 5.
This is a baiji white dolphin. It hasn’t been declared extinct yet, but it hasn’t been seen for many years. - Ask the children what they think might cause animals to become extinct.
Sometimes, a natural disaster or a change in the environment can make animals extinct. However, it is more common for animals to become extinct through people’s actions. For example, the West African black rhinoceros was hunted to extinction because people wanted to use its horns.
Point out that all of us have a responsibility to look after the world. - Read the rhyming book Goodnight World.
This book encourages the children to think about the importance of animals being able to sleep peacefully each night. If the book is not available, read the following short extract.
And as we close our eyes, let us pause to decide
To do all that we can to keep each creature alive.
To protect all the wildlife, to treat the world right,
So the animals can settle to sleep every night.
Sleep tight, animals . . . goodnight.
Sleep peacefully tonight.
Time for reflection
Ask the children what they could do to protect animals.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that there are some simple things that we can do to protect animals.
- Climate change affects animals. By doing something as simple as walking to school or turning off a light when we leave a room, we can protect the environment and the animals within it.
- Pollution has a huge impact on animals. By not dropping rubbish that an animal might swallow or become tangled in, we are protecting animals.
- Sometimes, chemicals such as fertilizer that we use in our gardens can get into the waterways and affect animals. By being careful and reading labels on garden products, we can protect animals.
- Many charities encourage us to adopt an animal. By doing this, we can use our pocket money to help an endangered animal, sometimes in a faraway country.
- We can research different types of animals and learn more about how we can help to keep them safe.
Reread the book extract, pausing to allow time for thought at the end. You may wish to turn it into a prayer.
And as we close our eyes, let us pause to decide
To do all that we can to keep each creature alive.
To protect all the wildlife, to treat the world right,
So the animals can settle to sleep every night.
Sleep tight, animals . . . goodnight.
Sleep peacefully tonight.
Song/music
‘Tidal wave’ by Doug Horley, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWfYpF40i8U (4.25 minutes long)
‘Earth Day songs for children – Protect our planet’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfhyXx1kCz0 (1.09 minutes long)
‘We can save the Earth’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-awFKv14fz8 (1.50 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Learn more about how you could protect animals by visiting the National Geographic website at: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/save-the-earth/article/save-animals
- Design posters about protecting animals that can be displayed around school to encourage others to follow your lead.
- Write to a local animal charity, inviting them to visit school and tell you more about their work. Alternatively, maybe you could arrange to adopt an endangered animal as a class!
