Sample Lesson Plans

Setting Expectations

Create class rules on chart paper WITH students:

• Ask students: “If you were a dog, what would scare you?” (loud voices, grabbing, running)
• Guide to 3 rules: (1) Quiet voices (2) Gentle hands (3) Wait for your turn
• Practice “gentle hands” on stuffed dogs at tables (30 seconds each)

First Greeting

Handler brings dog in on leash. Dog settles on blanket. Students observe from carpet (3–4 feet away). Teacher narrates dog's body language: “See her tail? It's wagging gently — that means she's happy to be here.”

How to Pet Gently

Handler demonstrates. Teacher calls students one table group at a time (4–5 students). Each child:

1. Approaches calmly
2. Offers hand for sniff
3. Pets gently on shoulder/back (2–3 strokes)
4. Says “thank you, Biscuit”
5. Returns to seat

Guided Interaction (Rotate Table Groups)

Each table group (4–5 students) gets 2 minutes of close interaction while other groups work on “draw Biscuit” activity at their desks. Handler guides gentle petting. Teacher circulates.

Feelings Check-In

Guide discussion toward: animals have feelings just like us. They feel happy, scared, tired, excited. When we're gentle, we help them feel safe and happy.

Goodbye Ritual + Certificate

Distribute certificates. Hand washing/sanitizer. Handler exits with dog.

Recall Last Visit

Reading Dog Faces & Bodies

Show each photo. Guide observations:

• Happy dog: “What do you see? Mouth open, tongue out, relaxed ears, wagging tail. This dog is saying 'I feel great!'”
• Scared dog: “Look at this dog's tail — tucked between legs. Ears flat. Body low. This dog is saying 'I'm frightened.'”
• Playful dog: “Front legs down, bottom up — that's called a 'play bow!' This dog is saying 'Let's play!'”
• Tired dog: “Slow blinks, yawning, lying down. This dog is saying 'I need rest.'”
• Nervous dog: “Licking lips, looking away, body stiff. This dog is saying 'I'm uncomfortable. Please give me space.'”

Watch Biscuit (Live)

Handler moves dog through several states: resting (tired), greeting teacher (happy), hearing a noise (alert). Students identify emotions in real-time.

We Talk Without Words Too!

Quick game: Teacher acts out an emotion silently. Students guess. Do 4–5 rounds. Then students pair up and try with each other.

Practice Reading Biscuit

Each table group approaches Biscuit. Before petting, each child must say what Biscuit is feeling based on body language: “Biscuit looks happy because her tail is wagging, so it's okay to pet her.” Handler confirms or gently corrects.

Reflection & Take-Home

Distribute “Dog Body Language” take-home handout. Wave goodbye to Biscuit.

What Do YOU Need Every Day?

Chart student responses: food, water, sleep, exercise/play, love/hugs, bath/clean clothes, doctor visits. Write on left side of chart paper.

What Does Biscuit Need?

As students name needs, handler shows real items: food bowl, water, leash (walks = exercise), brush (grooming), toy (play), bed (sleep). Write on right side of chart. Draw lines connecting matching needs (food ↔ food, exercise ↔ walks, etc.).

Watch a Care Routine

Handler demonstrates a mini-care routine with Biscuit while narrating: checking water, gentle brushing (Biscuit enjoys this), a short walk around the room, offering a treat. Students observe the gentleness and attention required.

My Care Plan

Students complete “My Care Plan” worksheet: a simple daily schedule showing when a dog would need care (morning: food + water + walk; afternoon: play + water; evening: dinner + walk + bed). They draw pictures in each time box.

While working, 2–3 students at a time can brush Biscuit gently (handler supervises).

Who Takes Care of You? Who Do YOU Take Care Of?

Responsibility Promise

Wave goodbye to Biscuit. Distribute care plan worksheets to take home.

The Numbers

Brief discussion: What surprised you about those numbers? What questions do they raise?

Why Shelters Exist & How They Work

Slideshow covering:

• Types of shelters: open-admission (must accept all) vs. limited-admission (can be selective)
• How animals arrive: strays, owner surrenders, cruelty cases, transfers
• What happens inside: intake, medical evaluation, behavioral assessment, housing, adoption process
• Staff and volunteers: who works there, what their jobs look like, emotional toll
• The local shelter we'll visit: name, size, philosophy, adoption rates

Building Our Inquiry Questions

Students brainstorm on index cards individually (3 min), then share at tables (3 min), then select best questions to share with class (4 min). Teacher captures themes on whiteboard.

Sample student questions: “How do you decide which animals are adoptable?” “What happens if an animal is here for a long time?” “How do you help scared animals feel safe?” “What can people our age actually do to help?”

Managing Complex Emotions

Discuss coping strategies: take a breath, step back if needed, write in journal, ask an adult for support. Emphasize: it's okay to feel, AND we channel feelings into understanding and eventually into action.

Safety, Etiquette, Roles

Distribute “Shelter Etiquette” handout. Cover:

• Quiet voices (animals are already stressed; loud noises make it worse)
• Don't put fingers in kennels unless staff says it's okay
• Follow all staff instructions immediately
• Stay with your assigned group at all times
• Phones away unless using for journal notes (no flash photography)
• Dress code: closed-toe shoes, comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty

Assign roles: 2 students will interview staff (prepared questions), 2 will sketch the facility layout, all will complete observation journals.

My Learning Goal

Students write goals. Collect journals (bring on field trip day). Remind: permission slips due tomorrow if not already submitted.

Bus Loading & Expectations Review

At school. Attendance check. Review expectations (from Lesson 4 handout). Assign chaperone groups. Distribute journals and clipboards. Bus rules.

Bus Ride

Journal prompt on the bus: “Write your learning goal from Lesson 4 at the top of today's page. Below it, write 3 things you're curious about and 1 thing you're nervous about.”

Shelter Orientation

Shelter manager welcomes the group. Brief overview: how many animals currently housed, staffing, shelter philosophy. Ground rules repeated. Restroom break. Groups assigned to rotation stations.

Three Learning Stations

Station A: Behind the Scenes Tour

• Intake area, medical clinic, behavior assessment room
• Staff explains process: how animals are evaluated, treated, matched with adopters
• Journal prompt: “Sketch the intake process as a flowchart”

Station B: Supervised Animal Interaction

• Shelter selects 3–4 calm, friendly animals appropriate for student interaction
• Students sit quietly; animals brought to them by staff
• Practice reading body language (from K lessons — now applied to unfamiliar animals)
• Journal prompt: “Describe one animal you met. What was their body language telling you?”

Station C: Staff Interview

• Small group interviews shelter staff and volunteers using prepared questions
• Students record answers in journals
• Encourage follow-up questions: “What surprised you about working here?” “What do you wish people understood?”
• Journal prompt: “What's the most important thing you learned from talking to staff?”

Outdoor Break

Snacks and water outside or in a break area. Informal debrief: “What's surprised you so far?” This is emotional processing time — let students talk freely.

Giving Back

Students contribute meaningfully to the shelter (arranged in advance with shelter staff). Options:

• Making enrichment toys (knotted t-shirt toys, puzzle feeders from approved materials)
• Writing adoption profiles for specific animals (creative writing meets marketing)
• Organizing donated supplies
• Creating “Welcome Home” cards for adopters to receive with their new pet

This is critical: students leave having CONTRIBUTED, not just observed. The emotional residue of “I helped” is dramatically different from “I watched.”

Group Thank-You

Students thank shelter staff verbally. Group photo (with permission). Load bus. Journals collected or secured.

Bus Reflection

Journal prompt: “Write continuously for 10 minutes about your experience. Don't stop writing. Just let your thoughts flow. What did you feel? What did you learn? What will you remember?”

Regular Lunch Period

Allow normal socialization. Students will naturally process with friends.

Processing & Meaning-Making

Discussion prompts (choose 4–5):

• “What was the hardest part of today? What made you feel uncomfortable?”
• “What was the most hopeful thing you saw?”
• “Did anything challenge an assumption you had about shelters?”
• “How is what you saw different from what you expected?”
• “What did you notice about the staff? How did they seem to feel about their work?”
• “Think back to your learning goal. Did you answer your question? What did you discover?”
• “If you could change ONE thing about how society treats animals, what would it be?”

From Empathy to Action

Brainstorm class actions: supply drive, fundraiser for shelter, writing adoption posts for social media, volunteer commitment, awareness campaign, letter to city council about funding. Vote on one action to pursue as a class.

Thank-You Cards & Final Reflection

Students write thank-you cards to shelter staff. Final journal entry: “One thing I will do differently because of today.”