Feelings in focus
Do you always know how other people feel? Probably not. Even though people can talk, they don't always express their feelings.
Can you tell how someone is feeling by their appearance and behaviour, even if they don't use any words?
Question 1
How do you look and behave when:
- you are very angry because someone has treated you unfairly?
- you are frustrated because you can't something you really want to do?
- you are in pain?
- you feel hurt and disappointed?
- you are really excited and looking forward to something?
Write down your own ideas first, and then compare your ideas to those of other people in your group.
Is it possible to guess someone's feelings by the way they look and behave?
Does everyone in the group behave in the same way?
Question 2
Animals can't talk, so how can we find out how they feel?
Is it reasonable to think about how a human would feel in the same situation?
Why or why not?
Question 3
How do you think an animal would feel in these situations? Do other people in your group agree with you?
- A hen in a battery cage.
- A bird splashing in a bird bath.
- A fox caught in steel-jaw trap.
- A dog about to be taken for a walk.
- A fish caught on a hook and being pulled out of the water.
- A cat being stroked on a warm lap.
- A day-old dairy calf who has just been taken away from his mother.
Question 4
Read through the section of
Poems
written by students to show how animals feel.
Choose the one you like best and explain why.
Write your own poem or story to show how a particular animal feels.
To conclude this section on the feelings of animals, choose 1 or more of the following activities:
Design a poster
The poster should encourage people to consider the feelings of animals. The animals could be ones people have direct contact with, such as pets who are sometimes mistreated and dumped. The animals could also be ones that people have more indirect contact with, as in the meat or fur they buy.
Debating topics
"Animals are not ours to eat wear or experiment on".
"Human welfare is more important than the feelings of animals".
"Animals are treated now as slaves were in the past."
Survey of student opinions
Write a set of statements about the feelings of animals. Find out whether students in your school agree with these statements. For example:
| Agree | Disagree | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals can feel happy or sad just as we do. | |||
| Fish feel pain when they are hooked. | |||
| People often ignore the feelings of animals. | |||
| The feelings of animals don't matter. |