Resources for Educators

AWI offers publications at no cost to teachers, libraries, and animal shelters. We have also produced children’s activities and free classroom lesson plans for a select number of these publications, with more to come. Learn more about our lesson plans and additional teaching resources below.

For Young Children

Kamie Cat’s Terrible Night; Pablo Puppy’s Search for the Perfect Person (books, lesson plans, activities)
Two AWI books by award-winning author Sheila Hamanaka, ideal for teaching children in grades K–2 about responsible pet care and kindness to animals. In collaboration with teacher Nancy Kellum Brown, AWI has produced free lesson plans for each book that include activity cards and worksheets—for use on their own or in conjunction with an interactive notebook—as well as additional activities that include coloring pages, game cards, and more. Available in English and Spanish.

Kamie Cat’s Terrible Night: Order Book | View Lesson Plan | View Activities 
Pablo Puppy’s Search for the Perfect Person: Order Book | View Lesson Plan | View Activities
La Terrible Noche de la Gata Kamie: Order Book | View Lesson Plan | View Activities
El Cachorro Pablo en Busca de la Persona Perfecta: Order Book | View Lesson Plan | View Activities

For Middle School-Aged Children

A Dangerous Life (book, lesson plan)
A graphic novel for middle school–age readers, written and illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka with Lisa Barile, Rosalie Knox, and Julie Lien and published by AWI in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service. The story focuses on the true costs of the ivory trade and the importance of human connections, wildlife conservation, and compassion for all living things. In collaboration with teacher Nancy Kellum Brown, AWI has produced a free classroom lesson plan for the book that includes activity cards and worksheets for use on their own or in conjunction with an interactive notebook. The plan is applicable across a variety of subjects, including science, environmental education, social studies, and language arts. Order Book | View Lesson Plan

Ocean Noise (lesson plan)
Lesson plan on the impact on marine life from anthropogenic ocean noise (sounds in the ocean that are the result of human activities from vessels, oil and gas exploration, etc.) and ways to mitigate its damaging effects. Middle school teachers can use this lesson plan to meet science and literacy standards and engage students in perspective-taking and critical thinking. View Lesson Plan

Endangered Species (poster, handout)
Features 20 beautiful images of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. An accompanying handout discuss facts about endangered species and actions we can take to protect them. Recommended for middle school and above. Order poster | View handout

For Students High School and Beyond

North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation and Vessel Strike Protections (lesson plan)
Students will learn about North Atlantic right whale conservation efforts along the East Coast of the United States, focusing on protections from vessel strikes, one of their leading threats. For grades 10–12; integrates interactive exploration with critical thinking and creativity, while emphasizing the importance of wildlife conservation. View Lesson Plan

The Magic of Touch (book, lesson plan)
For instructors teaching in high school and beyond, this book by Annie and Viktor Reinhardt reviews the scientific and professional literature on the calming, stress-buffering, and life-enhancing effect of touch among animals and humans. AWI has collaborated with teacher Nancy Kellum Brown to produce an associated lesson plan  appropriate for courses involving animal behavior, ethology, environmental studies, and philosophy. Order Book | View Lesson Plan

Dissection Alternatives

Frogs; Pigs; Rats (lesson plans, workbooks)
Lesson plans developed by Elisabeth Ormandy, an educator specializing in non-animal teaching methods, that cover biology and anatomy concepts for students in grades K–6 using dissection alternatives. To learn more about how AWI can help schools transition from animals specimens to effective, humane, and sustainable teaching methods, contact us here.