Pet Meal Planning

Learning Intention

Students will create a simple, balanced meal plan for a specific pet by understanding the pet’s dietary needs.

Success Criteria

• I can identify the dietary needs of a chosen pet.
• I can design a simple, balanced meal plan that meets those dietary requirements.
• I can explain why the chosen foods are suitable for the pet’s health and wellbeing.

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Relevant Content Descriptions

Health and Physical Education

• VCHPEP097: Investigate how food and nutrition affect growth and health, including for animals.
• VCHPEP101: Plan and prepare healthy food options, considering nutritional needs.

Science

• AC9S7U01: Investigate classification and features of living things, including pets, to understand their needs and adaptations.
• AC9S7I02: Conduct investigations and make evidence-based decisions about living things, including ethical considerations in animal care.

Personal and Social Capability

• Recognise the importance of care and responsibility for others, including animals.

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Lesson Overview

This 60-minute lesson involves explicit teaching, hands-on activities, and guided group work to help Year 7 students understand the dietary needs of pets and create balanced meal plans specifically for therapy dogs or other common pets. It supports the ongoing focus on pets and therapy dogs at school, and develops critical thinking and planning skills.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Explicit Teaching (15 minutes)

• Hook: Show a short video (3-5 mins) explaining what therapy dogs eat and why balanced nutrition is important for their health and behaviour (teacher-selected video from educational sources, no hyperlinks).
• Introduce the concept of balanced pet nutrition: explain proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and water — tailor this to dogs or another chosen pet.
• Discuss why different pets have different dietary needs (e.g., dogs vs. cats vs. small mammals).
• Introduce the learning intention and success criteria clearly.

2. Group Activity: Investigate Pet Nutritional Needs (15 minutes)

• Students work in pairs or small groups (2-3) to investigate information on the dietary needs of a specific pet (preferably therapy dogs, linking to the school's focus). Provide printed fact sheets or teacher-prepared resource cards with nutritional facts and common pet foods.
• Guide the students to identify protein sources, types of carbohydrates, fats, and supplements needed.

3. Hands-On Meal Planning Activity (20 minutes)

• Each student creates their own simple daily meal plan for their chosen pet on worksheet templates. They must:

  • List balanced food types.
  • Include estimated portions for proteins, grains, vegetables (if suitable for pet), etc.
  • Justify their choices according to the pet’s dietary needs.

• Encourage students to be creative but realistic in their meal plans.

• Provide sample pet food packaging images (or calico bags/empty boxes from home) for visual aid.

4. Sharing & Reflecting (10 minutes)

• Students present their meal plans to the class, explaining the rationale for their choices.
• Teacher provides positive feedback and ties back to the success criteria.
• Wrap up with a brief class discussion about the importance of caring for pets through proper nutrition and how this links to the role of therapy dogs in the community.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observation during group activity discussions and individual meal plan creation, using a checklist based on success criteria.
• Summative: Completed meal plan worksheet demonstrating understanding of balanced nutrition for pets.

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Inquiry and Ethics Extension (Optional)

• Briefly discuss ethical considerations in feeding pets, such as avoiding harmful foods (e.g., chocolate for dogs), sustainable pet food choices, and respecting animal welfare.
• Could include a simple class commitment or pledge to care for pets responsibly.

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Resources Needed

• Printed fact sheets detailing pet nutritional needs.
• Worksheet templates for meal planning.
• Visual aids: images or empty packaging of pet food.
• Video clip on therapy dog nutrition (teacher-selected from offline or approved educational resources).
• Whiteboard and markers for teacher explanations.

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Notes for Teachers

• Adapt meal planning complexity to student ability levels within Year 7.
• Encourage use of digital or illustrated resources if available (such as a digital pet food database or visual charts).
• Emphasise responsible animal care throughout to connect with Personal and Social Capability goals.
• You may choose any common pet relevant to your classroom or community, though therapy dogs are recommended given the school’s focus.

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This lesson plan supports the Victorian Curriculum’s health and sciences goals with a practical, inquiry-based learning approach that encourages critical thinking, personal responsibility, and empathy towards animals. The hands-on and discussion components aid engagement and deepen understanding through real-world connections.