This blog is intended to show that we are not the only ones who have feelings and social interaction; other animals do also. It also raises the question of why people cannot get along. Other animals experience grief, sorrow, and joy too. If cats and dogs can be friends, there is no reason why people cannot do the same.
This discussion should be held as early as possible so that children grow up with the understanding that what matters is friendship, and it is possible among even very different animals. The topic here is friendship, interaction, basic people skills and how to live in today's society. There doesn't seem to be a specific standard, but 9.1.D seems the closest. In school there is no class to teach students basic human interaction, so it's no surprise that we are plagued with so many social problems. The lesson here is that we can and should all get along, and animals have feelings and emotions just like us. I would present this in every grade, starting with 1st. Then after watching the videos I would ask the following questions as a class discussion:
Why can't people get along? Why do we hate each other? Why is there so much violence and war and intolerance? Maybe we can learn something from other "less developed" animals. We have conclusive proof today thanks to DNA analysis that we share a common ancestry with all other animals.
Cats and dogs can be friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQeoHVKpeqU
Another cat and dog are great friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKBzgJp28ag
Suryia the orangutan befriends a dog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9iLjHHoaP8
Cat mourns its friend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0L6uW9nOxY
