By Jeannie Russell Teaching about climate change, and its current and projected impacts on our communities, is a moral obligation we have to our youth, who will have to bear the heaviest burdens of response in the years ahead. We need to offer our students a clear and accurate scientific
By Mickey Kudia It is common for children’s books to use farm animals as protagonists. Sometimes these books fall into the genre of fantasy, as Charlotte’s Web does, and other times these characters are portrayed more realistically, such as in Black Beauty. I’ve noticed that most of the children’s books
The “Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act” is a ballot initiative that will be part of California’s November election. If this act becomes a law, it will change the way cows, pigs, and chickens are confined on farms in California and will require pork, eggs, and veal that are
By Liz Walch A few minutes before this photo was taken, roughly 35 people were seated in the rows of white chairs, ready to see whatever it was I had displayed on the screen behind me. But no, I had different plans for them! “Ok everyone! How about we all
By Liz Walch When I teach the lesson on dog and cat homelessness and overpopulation as part of HEART’s Taking Action For Others program, there are always two pieces of information that get a “Whoa!” from the students. The first is that there are at least 8 million homeless dogs
By: Macy Jenks I joined the animal advocacy club at Cleveland High School in the beginning of the 2015 school year. Just one month earlier, I had become vegetarian after learning about the atrocities that take place on factory farms. I was eager to discuss my newfound knowledge with a
By Claire Howe Hood River, a small town about an hour east of Portland, Oregon, is home to a very special place, a place where respect for the environment and compassion for animals, human and non-human alike, emanates both freely and purposefully. This place sits quietly on a glittering river,
Teaching elementary students about farmed animals is a tricky topic. Students this age are developing both intellectually and emotionally, and we want to shield them from information that might be disturbing, including facts about how animals are raised for food. However, elementary students are also developing their own sense of