Lesson Plan - Helping a Hero

Watch a Video: Honoring Our Veterans
Discuss: What is a veteran? What are the military branches in which they have served, and what does each branch do?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• anxiety
• deployed

Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the “As You Read” question. Have students look for ways service dogs help veterans.

1. What does the author mean when she writes that David Crenshaw “wasn’t feeling like himself”?
The author means that Crenshaw felt different from how he usually felt. He felt stressed and anxious and was having terrible nightmares.
^{R.3 Explain Ideas}

2. What are some ways a service dog like Doc can help a veteran with PTSD?
A service dog can help calm the veteran down when the person gets anxious in crowded places. The dog can wake the veteran during a bad dream.
^{R.5 Problem/Solution}

3. What is the PAWS Act? How does it help veterans with PTSD?
The PAWS Act, or Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act, is a law that helps veterans with PTSD by allowing them to train and adopt service dogs.
^{R.1 Text Evidence} 

FEATURED SKILL: Paired Texts
Use the Skill Builder “Training Time” to have students read a text about service-dog training along with the article.
^{R.9 Paired Texts}