Dog Fighting Curriculum Lesson Two- Bite Prevention and Community

Grade Level- Secondary

Character Concepts: Respect and citizenship- Students will recognize that respecting others includes accepting their need for peace, space, and privacy and that good citizens work to help keep each other safe.

Objective: The students will understand that dog fighting is harmful to people, is illegal, and leads to bites or serious injury. Students will identify ways to prevent bites and recognize situations in which respect for dogs means leaving them alone.

Curriculum Connections:
Students will compare behaviors that are safe and those that are unsafe when interacting with dogs. Students will learn about nonverbal behavior and show ways in which they can respond safely to nonverbal behavior in dogs. Students will create a picture book to communicate their knowledge to younger students.

National Standards Addressed:
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NPH- H.5-8.3 and NPH- H.9-12.3 Reducing Health Risks
NPH- H.5-8.4 and NPH- H.9-12.4 Influences on Health

Materials Needed:
-Dogs, Cats, and Big Kids video
-“Dogs, Cats & Kids Quiz” worksheet from B.A.R.K Dog Bite Prevention Program book (page 6)
-“What is This Dog Telling You?” worksheets from B.A.R.K Dog Bite Prevention Program book (pages 8 and 9)
-drawing or construction paper
-crayons, markers, and/or colored pencils
-copies of “Bite Prevention Safety Tip” worksheet cut into strips (enough so that one can be given to each student, there will be multiple copies of each)
-hole punch
-yarn or circle clips
-book cover template “Reading Dogs”
-“Teach Kids to Read Dogs” bookmarks (optional)

Lesson Procedure:

Opening:

1) Paraphrase the following to the class: “During the “game show” lesson we learned that one negative aspect of dog fighting is the fact that you could be injured or bitten by a dog who has not been properly socialized or trained. Since a dog bite can be serious, let’s spend a little time learning about how we can be safe around dogs.”
2) Ask students to tell you, by show of hands, how many of them have been bitten. Then ask, how many know some one who has been bitten.
3) Ask the students how many of them have younger siblings or cousins who need to stay safe around dogs? Tell the class that today they are going to learn how to stay safe and since young students look up to them they are going to educate younger students in the community.

Body:
1) Watch Dogs, Cats, and Big Kids video. Tell students to pay close attention because they will be using the information to prepare safety tips for elementary students. They should be encouraged to take notes.
2) After the video is complete, ask students to complete the worksheet “What is This Dog Telling You?” (page 9 of B.A.R.K. book)
3) Review the answers with the class and remind students that the video also mentioned that spaying and neutering helps a dog to become more calm and less likely to bite. Ask students to describe how the dog in each picture on the worksheet might be feeling.
4) Ask students to take the Dogs, Cats, and Kids quiz. (page 6 of B.A.R.K. book) (This can be done later if time is limited.) Review answers.
5) Describe the book making project to the students and read the directions. Directions: “Each of you will receive one of the tips from the “Bite Prevention Safety Tips Worksheet.” Once all of the pages are complete the pages will be combined and bound into a book. This book will be given to local elementary students to help them learn about staying safe.”
6) Give each student one of the tips from the “Bite Prevention Safety Tips Worksheet.” Ask students to write or type the tip neatly on a piece of drawing or construction paper and create a corresponding illustration.
7) Show the class the “Reading Dogs” book cover. Ask the class to create illustrations for the book cover.
8) Ask the class to use hole punch and yarn or circle clips to construct their book.

Closure:
1) Visit local elementary classrooms with your students to share the book and to educate the younger students about dog safety.
2) (Optional) Give your students bookmarks as a thank you for their work. Bookmarks are available on request by emailing youth@humanesociety.org 

Extension:
1) Donate the book to one elementary classroom. Have your students tape the reading of the book for the elementary classrooms so the children can listen to the book numerous times.