 |
|
Me and My Pet is a highly motivating resource for FS/KS1. Though focusing particularly on science, it also supports the curriculum in literacy, citizenship, and personal, social and health education. It provides a novel way to approach the topic of Ourselves, as well as supporting topic work on Pets. Over 50 video clips of chidren and their pets are included, each with a short voiceover, usually by the child featured in the clip, and these are accompanied by a range of supporting activities.
The main program is accompanied by a full colour fact book based on the program, and also a second cd-rom of resources including extensive notes, resources to print and laminate to make games and classroom displays, worksheets and extra activities for the interactive white board.
An exciting feature of the program is that it can be personalised by importing additional video clips or photos. Add videos of the children speaking to the class or role-playing vets in the home corner, images and videos of the class pet or scanned artwork.
|
|
|
|
|
See how Me and My Pet links into the science curriculum: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
|
Videos include taking medicine, pet examinations by a vet (including the use of stethoscope and auroscope to check chests and ears), baby animals, and animal movement. Each video is accompanied by text at 3 levels of difficulty. |
The video clips serve as an ideal introduction to topics such as eating and drinking, growing, moving, body parts and taking medicine, and will stimulate discussion and the sharing of experiences. The introduction can be followed by on-screen activities such as matching young animals to adults, labelling body parts or ‘being a vet’ and treating sick pets. Linked photocopiable worksheets are provided for group or individual work.
The plenary session provides an opportunity to video the children talking about what they have learnt, or role-playing vets etc, and these can be later imported into the program. In addition, if visits by mothers and babies, health professionals or the local vet have been arranged, the visits can be recorded in video, photographs or children’s drawings, and the images imported into the program as a reminder of the visit. |
The simplicity of the interface enables children to work independently on the computer or IWB. The program incorporates a reward system of gold coins and medals which not only motivates children during whole-class use, but also keeps children on-task during independent play. |
 |
 |
 |
Using the IWB, the program can be be used as a virtual non-fiction “Big Book” for literacy hour, with follow-up on-screen and off-screen activities. Each day a new topic can be introduced by viewing and discussing the video clips, followed by whole-class reading of the accompanying text. The on-screen literacy activities then prepare the children for working in groups on related worksheets or magnetic letter activities. If a video camera is available, children can be filmed during the plenary session, describing what they have learnt. These clips can later be imported into the program and captions added.
If wished, at the start of the week all but one of the topics can be hidden, so that a new topic can be revealed each day.
The actual (not virtual!) non-fiction book based on the program can be read to the children at the end of the day as a reminder of their earlier work and to reinforce the knowledge gained. |
|
System requirements:
Windows- Pentium 200 MHz running Windows 95/98, 2000, XP or NT, with at least 32 MB of RAM and 16 MB free hard drive space. 640x480 minimum size display with True Color (32-bit). 16-bit sound card. Minimum 12-speed CD-ROM drive.
Macintosh- OS X with 128 MB of available RAM and 16 MB free hard drive space. Minimum 640x480 display and 12-speed CD-ROM drive.
|
