In one of my lessons, I’m giving the imaginary students to articles. One that is pro-zoo, and one from the PETA kids website that is against zoos.
I’m generally pro-zoo given that the animals are cared for properly and given PLENTY of enrichment. But that’s not the point of the assignment. I just want the students to be able to read and comprehend each article before writing about the conclusion these articles lead them to based on previously taught critical thinking questions.
Anyhoo, while I was on the PETA kids website (gross), I saw an article about how horrible it is that people ride horses, and I got to thinking. If mankind had never domesticated horses, we literally would not have technological advancements like cars. Wars would have been fought VERY differently. City development would not have been nearly as expansive. The American West would have never been settled. The domestication of horses shaped the world as we know it. Without horses, the history of the human race would be so incomprehensibly different. It’s kind of mind blowing when you think about it. I’d even go so far as to say that horses had more influence over our advancements as a species than just about any other domesticated animal. (Livestock excluded. They played a similarly critical role in our development.)