Jinhu Township Elementary School in Kinmen County – Protecting Every Family on the Island

Kinmen, an island situated on the East Asian Flyway for migratory birds, boasts over 400 bird species thanks to its diverse habitats, making it a true "bird paradise." It is home not only to the horseshoe crab, considered a living fossil, but also to one of the few remaining important habitats in Taiwan where Eurasian otters can still be stably observed. The unique island environment, wartime history, and natural landscape intertwine to create a rich and precious ecological landscape. However, island ecosystems are also exceptionally fragile. With increasing human development, habitat alteration, and the presence of stray dogs and cats, the question of how humans, pets, and wildlife can coexist has become an issue Kinmen cannot ignore, echoing the focus on biodiversity and ecological conservation in SDG 15, "Terrestrial Life."
There are often differing stances on issues related to stray cats and dogs and wildlife conservation. Some prioritize animal welfare, while others focus on native species and ecological balance. This "Protecting Every Family Member on the Island" course doesn't rush to provide answers for students. Instead, it starts with real-world issues such as *Twelve Nights*, zero euthanasia, TNVR, feeding stray dogs and cats, and the impact of dogs and cats on wildlife. Through videos, research, and group discussions, students are guided to understand different perspectives. While expressing their own positions, they also learn to listen, empathize, and respect differences, gradually building responsible judgment and decision-making abilities. This learning process truly puts the rational dialogue and public participation emphasized by SDG 16 and SEL into practice in students' thinking about real-world social issues.
Following the exploration of secondary sources, the course takes students out of the classroom to visit the Kinmen County Animal and Plant Disease Control Center, and invites frontline wildlife rescue personnel to share their experiences in class. Students use the 5W1H questioning strategy to verify their initial questions in a real-world setting, gaining a renewed understanding of the actual work involved in stray animal management, wildlife rescue, and ecological conservation. Through this real-world experience, they solidify and adjust their own stances and perspectives. This process, from reading and questioning to on-site investigation, transforms learning beyond mere knowledge comprehension into a growing concern and responsibility for their home environment.
To make this care more warm and impactful, the course further guided students to express themselves through art. Students began by creating "Animal Emotion Dice," drawing inspiration from the real behaviors and living conditions of animals. They attempted to understand the fear, anxiety, wariness, and helplessness these animals might experience from their perspective. Then, through paper puppetry, theater, and stop-motion animation, they transformed the initially rigid issues of conservation and conflicting viewpoints into stories, characters, emotions, and visuals, conveying them to a wider audience in a softer and more aesthetically pleasing way. This process also allowed empathy, social awareness, collaboration, and self-reflection—practices within SEL—to naturally occur in the students' creative work and actions.
The "Protecting Every Family Member on the Island" course centers on "Hearing the Voices of Animals and Turning Care into Action," connecting fields such as society, nature, Mandarin, art, mathematics, technology, and sports. It progresses from "understanding the issue, authentic exploration, empathy, and aesthetic translation" to "practical action and digital advocacy." The course aims to help students, through repeated exploration, creation, and action, not only increase their understanding of animal conservation but also foster a stronger sense of belonging to the land they live on. Kinmen Wudao Island is also "our island." The cats, dogs, and wild animals on the island are all "island family members" who share our lives, and students can use their knowledge, emotions, and creativity to become a force for protecting their home and changing the environment.