Lesson Plan - A Hero's Best Friend

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.

• anxious 
• symptoms

Set a Purpose for Reading

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

1. 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.
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2. 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 nervous and was having terrible nightmares.
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3. What is the section “A Special Bond” mostly about?
This section is about Crenshaw’s recent work. He travels to raise awareness about how service dogs can help veterans. He pushes for laws like the PAWS Act.
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FEATURED SKILL: Paired Texts

Use the Skill Builder “Training Time” to have students read a text about service-dog training in conjunction with the article. 

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