Learning from Animals
Podcasts
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by This Teenage Life
What it is
- This 13-minute podcast from This Teenage Life features young people talking about the lessons they have learned from animals about compassion, joy, and harmony with nature.
- Students will also hear from Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson about their work with turtles and the lessons they have learned from them about time and connecting with nature.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This podcast features the voices of young people and their experiences.
- This podcast highlights moments of joy and kindness in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Prerequisites
- Students can take time to look up Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson before listening so they know whose voices they are hearing.
- The link in the description of the podcast to Matt's drawings of turtles is broken. You can find his website here.
- Hearing about harm to animals can bring up strong emotions for some students.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Expand on SEL conversations around climate emotions with the following activity.
- Continue to discuss environmental justice themes with students using this lesson.
- Students can share with the class lessons they have learned from animals they love.
- This podcast can be used in a science class to introduce a unit on human impacts on the environment.
- In a biology class, this podcast could be used to discuss behavior in a unit on evolution and natural selection.
- Students in an English class could use this podcast to practice listening skills.
From the scientist review
This podcast episode discusses what we, as humans, can learn from animals. It focuses on the wisdom and traits animals have, such as patience and compassion, that can help us feel more connected and content in our lives. The idea of connecting and living in harmony with the environment, including animal species, is included and can be related to topics of climate change, climate/ environmental justice, and caring for the environment. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on thisteenagelife.org
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