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People and dogs have been living with each other for thousands of years. Dogs used to keep people safe from predators that could hurt them. If a big animal like a bear came near, dogs would bark and growl. “Ruff, ruff, go away!”
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Dogs Are Paw-some
You are going to read an article about dogs. Here are five things to know first.
From the May/June 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 470L
Guided Reading Level: L
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: predators, commands, train
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
1. Humans and dogs have a history together!
2. Dogs are smart.
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People realized that dogs are intelligent. They can understand commands like sit, stay, and fetch. Some dogs can understand up to 200 commands! Those are some smart pups.
3. Dogs have super senses.
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Dogs’ ears move to hear sounds from different places.
Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than people do. In fact, their sense of smell is a hundred thousand times stronger than ours!
Their hearing is also better than ours. Someone could yell out, and another person might not hear it. But a dog would!
4. Dogs can do jobs.
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What sound does a sheepdog make? Baaaa-rk!
People train dogs to do many kinds of jobs. Dogs watch sheep. They help soldiers and police. Dogs can sniff out people who may be lost.
5. Dogs can save people!
SCUOLA ITALIANA CANI SALVATAGGIO
Some dogs are great swimmers. People began to train them to be lifeguards! How do they save people? Read Dogs to the Rescue to find out.
Activities
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Skills Activities
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Quizzes
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Answer Key
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Skills Activities
Quizzes
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More About the Article
Social Studies Focus:
Long ago and today
Vocabulary
predators, commands, train
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Building Background Knowledge
This article gives kids background knowledge that will help them better understand this issue’s Big Read, “Dogs to the Rescue,” on pages 6-11.
1. BEFORE READING
Text Preview Bookmarks (5-10 minutes)
- Students can use these evergreen bookmarks to help them preview the text. Our skills page has both fiction and nonfiction options for kids to cut out. They can use the nonfiction bookmark for this story.
2. READ THE ARTICLE (10 MINUTES)
- Tell students they will read about dogs. This piece works well as a whole-class lesson. While reading, stop to analyze the photos.
3. AFTER READING: Focus on ELA Skills
Pick and choose from a variety of activities:
ELA Focus: Play Vocabulary Slideshow (3-5 minutes)
- Now that your students have read the article, they have context for understanding the new words that appeared in it. Play the vocabulary slideshow after reading to reinforce these new words. Students can hear the definitions of the words read aloud and see photos illustrating each word. They can also practice saying the words out loud.
Assessment: Quiz (10 minutes)
- Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.
- We offer both multiple-choice and written- answer formats for the quiz.
ELA Focus: Writing (10 minutes)
- Using the “Nosey’s Fact File” printable, students can tell Nosey about facts they learned from the article.
- You can email students’ fact files to nosey@ scholastic.com. She will write back!
Enrich the Learning: Paired Text Opportunities (time amount varies)
- Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.
- Two Different Texts Use this printable to help your students compare and contrast the Background Builder with the Big Read, “Dogs to the Rescue” (pages 6-11).
Online: Whole Issue Scavenger Hunt (15 minutes)
- On our website, go to the Resources section of this article. Scroll down to Activities. The scavenger hunt is there.
- This is a self-contained group of slides that guide students on a scavenger hunt through the whole issue. It helps them make text-to-text connections.
- It can be done independently by students at home or during class time.
Text-to-Speech