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Animals are not ours
to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.

Humane Science Projects

This lesson plan is designed to help teachers present animal rights issues to their students. If you’re an educator, please feel free to adapt this material to fit your needs, and contact us if you need help incorporating this activity into your curriculum.

Suggested grade levels: 3rd–12th grade

Objectives: To meet educational standards by completing scientific projects that don’t involve the use of animals

Keeping live animals as classroom “pets” is inhumane, and cutting up dead ones for dissection in the name of science is not just cruel (the animals didn’t start out dead!) but also unnecessary. Students can learn about animals, nature, biology, physiology, chemistry, and any other science without harming animals. Check out this list of more than 25 ideas for humane science projects that will help kids learn about the world around them without supporting cruelty of any kind.

science project ideas worksheet

These projects can be applied to all grade levels and branches of science. Please feel free to tweak the projects to suit your curriculum. Have a great suggestion for a cruelty-free science project that’ll pique students’ interest? Share your ideas with us!

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“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind

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