Jan. 28, 2009: The Seeing Eye

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Make a "Puppy Plans" poster. Look in the classified ads for breeds that make good service dogs. Cut out the ads and paste them on a piece of paper. Now look in the regular ads to find words and pictures of items you would need to train a puppy. Paste them on your poster.

2. Discuss with a family member what it would be like to be a foster family that trains a service dog. Make a list showing why you would like to be a foster family. Make a list showing why it might be difficult to be a foster family.

3. Find a large newspaper photo that shows a scene such as a street, a mall or a ballpark. Cut out the picture and paste it on a piece of paper. Start at one side of the picture and draw a path to the other side. Now describe how a Seeing Eye dog would help its owner travel that path. What potential obstacles are there? Where would the owner and dog have to make turns?

4. How are these qualities important for service dogs: (a) temperament, (b) breed, (c) size and (d) intelligence?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn about different service animals. Use these questions to guide your research: What is the animal? What type of service does this animal provide? Why is this animal suitable for this type of service? Where and how are these animals trained? Write a paragraph describing the animal and the service it provides.

This week's standards:

• Students understand the characteristics and life cycles of organisms. (Science: Life Science)
• Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. (Science: Life Science)
  
  

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)