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A Symphony of Whales
On-Level Reader
A Day with
the Dogs
A Day with the Dogs
Unit 3 Week 4
Target Skill GENERALIZE
Target Skill ANSWER QUESTIONS
LESSON VOCABULARY anxiously, bay,
blizzard, channel, chip, melody, supplies,
surrounded, symphony
SUMMARY Dana likes to help her mom, a veterinarian, at the animal shelter.
On this snowy day, Dana spends all her time with the dogs. Her favorite part
is showing the dogs to people who want to adopt them.
INTRODUCE THE BOOK
BUILD BACKGROUND Discuss what students know about animal shelters.
Ask students to describe their experiences.
PREVIEW/USE ILLUSTRATIONS Suggest that students look at the
illustrations to predict how the story will tell about a day with dogs. Can they describe how the girl helps with the dogs from looking at the pictures?
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY Talk with students about how some words
in a story create a mood. Ask: How does a blizzard bring urgency to the plot
of the story? Why might the sounds of a symphony help dogs in a shelter?
ELLAsk students to work in pairs, with each student writing a different
word and its definition on either side of index cards. Students can quiz each
other with the cards.
TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
Target Skill GENERALIZE As students read, have them look for the specific ways
Dana helps the dogs compared with how her mother and Dr. Tran help them. Suggest that they track this information in a cluster diagram around a central
idea of humans helping animals. Then ask students to generalize about how people help animals.
Target Skill ANSWER QUESTIONS Before students read, ask them questions in
order to help them read with more focus. Then monitor their comprehension
as they read. Remind students to draw on their own experience as they read,
so that what they know about pets or animals from shelters can help them
answer questions the author raises.
READ THE BOOK
Use the following questions to support comprehension.
PAGE 7 Why does Maria say that the dogs were wailing? (The dogs are crying
about the weather’s impact on them.)
PAGE 9 What was one very difficult part for Dana when she helped at the
shelter? (when dogs she loved were adopted)
PAGE 13 Why did Dr. Tran wrap the lost dog in a blanket? (The dog needed
warmth.)
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE
  1. Responses will vary.
  2. Possible response: They wrapped the puppy in warm towels and rubbed
    him softly.
  3. Possible response: Dana was worried about the dog getting back to its
    owners.
  4. Possible response: The chip identified the dog’s owners; without it, the
    dog would have had to stay at the shelter.
RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING Suggest that students use the questions they had from reading and research some aspect of caring for dogs or other animals in rescue situations.
Time for SOCIAL STUDIES
CONTENT CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL STUDIES Students may want to research shelters or seeing eye dogs. If possible, have stories available of dogs helping humans.
 
   
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Vocabulary
Vocabulary