Originally appears in the Summer 2009 issue
Many people are unaware of the far-reaching implications of humane education — and may oversimplify this area of study to confine its teaching to responsible pet care and the spaying and neutering of domestic pets. However, the responsible care of domestic animals is only a fraction of the whole tapestry of humane education and all the topics and issues inherent to the field. Humane educators advocate for and encourage values of compassion, empathy, respect, kindness and positive regard towards all living beings — human and non-human alike. Humane education encompasses sets of knowledge for transforming our society from a state of violence, chaos and fragmentation towards one of peace, tranquility and harmony,1 and for connecting humans with one another and with non-human animals and the natural world in more cooperative and convivial ways.
The essence of humane education is to find ways of relating to nature, to non-human animals and to each other that are nurturing, supportive and positive. Concretely, this leading-edge curriculum promotes the transformation of attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding our connection with the environment, with other species and with fellow humans in the direction of humane values. One method for invoking humane relatedness is to remind people of the profound similarities between human and non-human experiences. If we can empathize with the experiences of other living beings and place ourselves in the shoes (or paws, claws, fins) of a suffering other, we can begin to develop compassion for this other. This is an opportunity to teach young people (and older) not only the importance of respecting all of life, but also the connections that we humans share with our fellow Earthlings.
Just as students need to be taught history, geography, arithmetic and writing skills, they also need to be taught about kindness. People need to understand the needs and desires of all living beings before they are able to appreciate that non-human animals also have the potential for suffering, for experiencing pain, and for feeling love and companionship.
For environmental educators, humane education can serve as a complementary pedagogical framework for supporting environmental protection, sustainability and advocacy; both fields share objectives for creating a healthier environment and less exploitative ways for humankind to co-exist with nature. Providing environmental education through a humane perspective allows us to evoke a more compassionate and empathic society starting with the next generation. If we can realize our connection with the other-than-human life forms as fellow Earth residents, we can begin to acknowledge our similarities and shared needs as a body of diverse species.
Integrating humane values into curricula
It is especially crucial for younger students to learn about our interconnectivity with nature, since opinions, beliefs and character are formed at a very young age. Although anyone at any age can learn more humane ways of living, young children are far more flexible in their habits, attitudes and behaviours.2 Teaching these younger students about our inter-relatedness, interconnectivity and interdependence with the natural world provides them a chance to examine critically how they may relate to nature in more sympathetic ways.
Elizabeth Gredley proposes that humane education needs to be integrated throughout the learning journey and across the curriculum to encompass the learning environment in any and all ways that bring about humane objectives. She asserts that children who are kinder toward animals tend to be kinder toward fellow humans.3 In this sense, the field endeavours to facilitate what many people would think of as good sense: being kind to others. That said, humane education is not a discrete scholastic subject such as math, science or history: teaching humaneness and humane values is more about process and pedagogy. Educators need to realize that the values grounded in humane education — respect, kindness, empathy, compassion, integrity, positive regard — flow across the curriculum and may be easily integrated into all core subjects.
Current pedagogy and curricular design throughout scholastic and academic environments are based upon anthropocentric paradigms.4 Students are taught about the world from a perspective of how it can serve their needs. Economics, career building and monetary success are stressed as motivations for studying hard, staying in school and establishing oneself as a productive member of the community.5 Throughout curricula, references to the natural world, other species’ needs and our role as caretakers of the environment and the biosphere are practically non-existent. Rather than invoking standards of caring for nature, traditional environmental education often prescribes stewarding, managing and controlling nature for the sake of humankind — specifically, nature is viewed as natural resources for human consumption.
One of the primary objectives of humane education is to deliver a message of planetary care that is inclusive of all of Earth’s inhabitants, but this does not mean that we ought to eliminate present-day curricula entirely. Rather, we must find new ways to teach core curricula that permit and infuse more humane ways of relating to nature. Any teacher can serve as a humane educator by integrating humane values and lessons throughout the current core curricula. Sometimes, this requires only minor alterations in lesson plans. For example, during a mathematics lesson on percentages, the teacher may introduce some facts about the rate of extinction of a species and provide data on the numbers of animals killed each year in various geographical regions due to hunting, agricultural expansion or disease. Then, students can figure out how many members of a given species still exist and the percentage of the population that has died each year or over a period of several years. Students may even predict, assuming that current mortality rates remaining unchanged, when a given species may cease to exist altogether. Such a reality-based math lesson may also prompt a class discussion about the numerous ways humans contribute to species extinction.
Any academic subject remains open to integrating non-human-centered positions. For example, within an elementary setting, reading and writing activities could be approached from this standpoint. When reading stories that include non-human animals, students can be asked to reflect upon the feelings, thoughts and experiences of the animals and to draw parallels with their own feelings, thoughts and experiences. Students can also write creative essays from the perspective of a non-human animal and can then compare and contrast how the story, perspective and outcome might vary if the characters were human. These activities serve to introduce children to the idea that other species undergo physical, psychological and emotional experiences very similar to our own.
Within secondary schools, geography teachers can similarly infuse humane perspectives into existent curricula by examining environmental issues from both human and non-human perspectives. In history lessons, students may investigate the legacy of human interaction with other species and how humans have contributed to the demise of other species.
The post-secondary setting remains open to even broader integration of non-anthropocentric views. Philosophy courses, in particular, can serve as ideal venues for introducing and discussing issues of animal exploitation and animal liberation. Debates and in-depth discussions need to be permitted whereby students can contemplate our speciesist ways of relating to, thinking about and living alongside other species.
Humane education, as with other anti-oppression paradigms — women’s rights, civil rights, gay and lesbian rights — will take time to catch on and become integrated into the mainstream. The process of change can be excruciatingly prolonged, but that is no reason to give up. As we have seen in other movements, persistence and perseverance are part of the territory for accepting the challenge of creating a more humane world. To begin facilitating students’ learning of humane values, we need to introduce an integrated program throughout curricula that allows both educators and learners to become acquainted with more humane ways of thinking and relating.
The following activities serve as springboards for developing empathic feelings for other species. These activities also provide concrete classroom examples that demonstrate the dynamics and creativity inherent to humane education. As educators become more familiar with non-speciesist ways of thinking and teaching, they may engage in brainstorming sessions to conjure more expansive lessons and activities for introducing and sustaining non-anthropocentric curricula and kinder, more humane classroom environments.
Theory into practice
Activity 1: Discovering Empathy for Non-Human Animals
Grade levels: 6–12
Overview: The main purpose of this activity is to allow students the opportunity to discover and develop a sense of how any given non-human animal may feel. The intent is to allow students to tap into feelings, thoughts and experiences of their own and translate these events for how they believe other species may feel, think and/or experience given events. We want our students to develop empathy for the pain, suffering, joy, love, and a variety of other experiences of other living beings.
Materials: Open classroom with ample space for students to sit in a large circle. Optional: Coloured construction paper, crayons or markers, popsicle sticks, glue or tape, paper cut into 2” x 2” pieces, a hat.
Procedure:
- Cut paper into 2” x 2” pieces. Brainstorm the names of as many animal species as there are students in the classroom (this can be done as one large group). Write the name of one animal species on each piece of paper. Place all papers into a hat and have students randomly choose one piece of paper each.
- Arrange students in a large circle. Instruct them to remain silent for one minute, allowing them time to think about the characteristics, physical appearance, habitats and eating habits of their animal.
Optional: After one minute of silence, distribute coloured construction paper, one popsicle stick per student, crayons or markers, and glue. Instruct students to create a mask of their animal, gluing the stick to the bottom of the mask as a way to hold it in front of their face.
- Give each student a chance to discuss their animal’s characteristics. The teacher may write these characteristics on a large sheet of chart paper at the front of the room. After all students have discussed their animals, have a few students read the list from the chart paper.
- Begin a discussion about the animals’ characteristics and prompt students to reflect on what they share with these animals. The idea is to discover the many similarities between human experiences and those of other species.
- Closure: Engage students in a discussion about what they learned about other species, and what they may have learned about themselves. Encourage students to brainstorm various times in their lives when they experienced such emotions as sadness, joy, love, kindness, generosity and anger. Prompt students to ponder these past emotional experiences and whether other any animal species may experience similar emotions.
Example:
Student’s statement: “I feel hurt when others laugh at me.” Prompt: “Do you think other animal species ever feel hurt? When? Why?”
It is important to ensure that students understand key ideas such as the following:
- Both humans and non-human animals are capable of experiencing pain and suffering.
- Both humans and non-human animals have family and friends/community members.
- Both humans and non-human animals experience anger, sadness, loss, joy and love.
The teacher may wish to display the animal masks (if made) and the chart of characteristics in the classroom as a reminder of the activity and key messages learned.
Activity 2: “How May We Help You?”
Grade levels: 7 and higher
Overview: In this activity, students have a chance to think about ways in which humans harm other species (e.g., food production, medical experimentation, cosmetic toxicity testing, hunting). Through brainstorming and group discussion, students engage in critical thinking, speaking, and sharing ideas about alternative humane ways of relating to other species. An arena of respect and tolerance of others’ perspectives needs to be maintained as controversial and contentious topics may surface. It is essential that all perspectives are heard and that students have opportunities to give reasons for why they believe in their point of view.
Materials: Space for students to sit in a large circle (grades 7 through 9) or in small groups of 4 or 5 (grades 10 and up), several pieces of large chart paper, coloured markers
Procedure:
- Select one student to be the questioner (or if using small groups, one student per group) and another student (or the teacher) as the recorder. The questioner and recorder stand at the front of the room with a large chart paper posted for all to view. The remainder of the class sits in a large circle (one large group is ideal for younger students, but small groups of four or five work better for older students since more mature students are usually better equipped to express their ideas about such topics.)
- Have each student, one at a time, name an animal. The writer records the name on the chart paper, leaving space for ideas about how we may help this animal survive and thrive without suffering and exploitation.
- After each student has provided an animal name, have the class (or small groups) brainstorm ways that humans harm or exploit other species
- Next, have the class (or groups) think of ways that we, as humans, can provide a more humane and less exploitative environment for each animal species listed on the chart paper. The recorder writes the ideas next to the appropriate names of animal species.
Optional: If students are in small groups, have all groups join in one large circle to share their findings after the brainstorming session. This dynamic serves as an excellent vehicle for students to check to see how their ways of thinking are similar or different from those of their peers. Remind students that all perspectives need to be heard and to guard against intolerance of differing views.
- Closure: As a closure and debriefing, facilitate a discussion about what the class has brainstormed. It is critical that to allow all perspectives and belief systems to surface. Even those who do not adhere to an “animal liberationist” view need to be given opportunity to express their opinions; from such sharing, critical and respectful discussions and debates can ensue.
Extension: Students may write a one-page essay discussing any given species. This essay should explore the exploitation of that species by humans, and offer possible humane alternatives to this treatment.
Activity 3: “I am like a rabbit because…”
Grade levels: K–5
Overview: This activity permits students an opportunity to find characteristics they may share with other species. Students engage in brainstorming, comparative analysis, speaking and reflection. Students also have opportunity to work independently and within small groups.
Materials: Open classroom with ample space for students to sit in a large circle, large chart paper (several pieces may be needed), coloured markers.
Procedure:
- Ask students to think of any animal species with whom they believe they share common characteristic(s). For example, one student may say, “I am like a rabbit because I like to hop.” Another example: “I am like an elephant because elephants are family-oriented and I enjoy spending time with my family.” If necessary, for younger students, the teacher may initiate the activity by having the whole class brainstorm names of animals; the teacher may write the animal names on the front board as a reference for students to use.
- Divide the class into small groups of four or five. Give each group one large chart paper and enough markers so that each group member has a different colour of marker.
- Instruct each group to write the group members’ names on the paper. Below their names, they write the names of their chosen animal species. For example:
- Have each small group list as many characteristics as they can think of for each animal. .
- Ask each student to use her/his coloured marker to underline all the characteristics written on the chart paper (of all the animal species) that they believe they also possess.
- Have each group present their findings to the class. The teacher may wish to facilitate this in order to confirm student achievement and possibly to expand students’ thinking towards further characteristics that may not have been discussed.
- Closure: After all groups have presented their findings, debrief the activity by pointing out the many similarities of characteristics among students and animal species. Posters may be displayed in the classroom as a walking-gallery for the class to view.
Notes
- Z. Weil and R. Sikora (Eds.), Sowing Seeds Workbook: A Humane Education Primer, Center for Compassionate Living, 1999.
- J.W. Vander Zanden, Human Development. (4th ed), McGraw Hill, 1989.
- E. Gredley, “Violence Link Research and Humane Education,” The Humane Educator, Spring/Summer 1999, pp. 1, 3.
- David Orr, Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect, Island Press, 1994.
- E. O’Sullivan, Transformative Learning. Educational Vision for the 21st Century, University of Toronto Press, 2001.
Other references
Pike, G. “A Tapestry in the Making: The Strands of Global Education.” In T. Goldstein and D. Selby (Eds.), Weaving Connections. Sumach Press, 2000, pp. 218-241.
Selby, D. Earthkind. Trentham Books, 1995.
Selby, D. “The Signature of the Whole: Radical Interconnectedness and its Implications for Global and Environmental Education.” Connections 25:1 Fall 2000, pp. 16-25.
Singer, P. “All Animals Are Equal.” In Zimmerman, M.E. et al., (Eds.). Environmental Philosophy: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology, 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, 1998, pp. 26-40.
Weil, Z. “Preventing Violence through Humane Education.” The Ellsworth American, June 10, 1999.
[/content_protector]
To view the photo-rich magazine version, click here.
If you are not already a subscriber, please subscribe to read the full article
Robert S. E. Caine earned his Ph.D. specializing in Environmental and Humane Education and Environmental Philosophy from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, where he remains highly dedicated in educating for compassion, empathy, and respect towards non-human animals.