Grades: 3-5
Subject: Language Arts

Character Concepts: Justice, Citizenship, Responsibility, and Fairness

Objective: Students will review, identify, and explain how language develops mood and meaning. Students will also review the topic of author’s purpose using details from the text. Figurative language will be identified and examined in terms of how it is used to describe characters and objects.

Curriculum Connections: Students will use figurative language and imagery as well as characterization knowledge and higher order thinking skills.

National Standards Addressed:
NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluating Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

Materials Needed:
*copy of chained dog comic for each student (Optional: Create a poster-sized comic or project comic using PowerPoint.)
*copy of the poem “Chained Dog’s Plea” by Edith Lassen Johnson for each student
*copy of The Facts About Chaining or Tethering Dogs for each student
*copy of Do You Chain Your Dog? for each student
*highlighters for each student
*lined paper for each student
*construction paper for each student
*pens or pencils for each student
*crayons, markers, or other art supplies
*tape or rubber cement

Lesson Procedure:

Opening:
1) Show comic to the students.
2) Ask students to identify what message the artist was trying to convey. (Answers may include, but are not limited to: Chaining dogs takes away their freedom. Chained dogs are lonely.)
3) Review with students that tethering, or chaining, not only takes away the freedom of the dog, but it presents risks to the community as well.

Body:
1) Ask students to read The Facts About Chaining or Tethering Dogs. (Note: The educator can read the item aloud for younger students or low readers.) As they read, ask students to highlight answers to the following questions:
-Why is tethering bad for dogs?
-Why is tethering dangerous for people?
-Are tethered dogs usually treated well?
2) Review answers to the above questions referring back to the comic shown in the opening; recalling how the author was trying to convey a message similar to the information presented in the reading.
3) Review with students that messages can be conveyed in many ways other than comics or in paragraph form. Distribute the poem “Chained Dog’s Plea” by Edith Lassen Johnson.
4) Ask students to read the poem, looking for the poet’s main message. (If being used in a language arts classroom discuss the approach and figurative language such as rhyme, alliteration, personification used to create the message.)
5) Ask students to compare and contrast the message of the poem with the message of the comic. Accept all answers.
6) Ask students to create their own anti-chaining message using a form of figurative language. Introduce the form of poetry known as a cinquain. Read the below example aloud. (Note: You may wish to post the cinquain pattern in the front of the room.)           

Pattern:
Line 1 =     1 word (noun) that tells the subject
Line 2 =     2 words (adjectives) that describe the noun
Line 3 =     3 words (verbs ending with “ing” about the noun
Line 4 =     4 word sentence describing your feelings about    
                 the noun
Line 5 =     1 word (synonym) for the noun

Example:
chains
cold, metal
confining, choking, imprisoning
locks away your friend
shackles

7) Pass out lined paper to each student. Ask participants to write their own cinquain about why tethering is bad for both dogs and people.
8) After students have completed their cinquain ask each participant to choose a piece of construction paper and decorate their poem.

Closure:
1) Ask students to share their poems.
2) Discuss answers to the following questions: (Note: These can also be used as writing prompts.)
-Besides comics and poems, what other ways could an anti-chaining message be conveyed?
-Can chaining a dog outside ever be considered fair or just? Why or why not?
-What is the most important reason for not chaining dogs?
3) Hang the student created poems on a bulletin board.
4) Pass out copies of Do You Chain Your Dog? to each student.
 

Extension:
1) Hang the poems in the school lobby during open house or conferences, in a local library, or other community location.
2) Ask students to participate in Have Heart for Chained Dogs.
3) Read Buddy Unchained and compare/contrast Buddy’s life before and after tethering.
4) Ask students to write letters to the editor promoting that tethered dogs be brought indoors and asking for stronger anti-tethering laws.