Dog I Share, The 6-pack Author: Janice Marriott ISBN: 9780478122565 Copyright Date: 1999 Lesson Plan Blackline Master Grade Level: 5 Reading Level: R Strategy/Skill: Author's purpose, Character study, Comprehension strategies, Prior knowledge, Using graphic sources Genre: Realistic Fiction Theme/Topic: Character Education, Neighborhood, Pets, Relationships, Responsibility Classification: Fiction

Book Summary

When a new tenant with a dog moves into the ground floor of her apartment block, Becky gets very excited.  She can’t wait to have a dog to play with, as pets are not usually allowed in her building.  But the new neighbor isn’t very friendly, and Becky has to think of a plan.  A chance event allows Becky to help Carlos, the dog’s blind owner.

Features of the Book

• First person point of view
• Additional information in the illustrations
• Speech bubbles that introduce and close the story
• The theme of people with special needs
• Thoughts expressed as pictures
• The humorous style – I almost barked; I waved – not my tail, just my arm; I can’t let her out of my sight

Purpose

The Dog I Share can be used to introduce and reinforce the following skills:

• using prior knowledge to make sense of the text
• discussing in detail the issues that arise in a text
• exploring additional information in the illustrations
• determining the author’s intention
• analyzing characters’ motives

For more information please see our Lesson Plan