Core Skills Analysis
Social Studies and Life Skills
- Grace learned how service dogs assist individuals with autism, understanding the role these animals play in providing support and enhancing daily life.
- She explored the concept of disability awareness, gaining empathy and respect towards people with special needs and how service animals help bridge accessibility gaps.
- Grace identified specific tasks service dogs perform, such as safety monitoring and emotional support, which deepen comprehension of caregiving and assistance roles in society.
- She may have begun to recognize the broader community and societal efforts in supporting individuals with disabilities through helpful resources and trained animals.
Tips
To deepen Grace's understanding of service dogs, you could engage her in experiential learning by inviting a local service dog handler or visiting an organization that trains these dogs. Creating role-playing scenarios where Grace imagines the life of a person with autism and how a service dog assists them could foster empathy and practical awareness. Additionally, researching different types of service animals and comparing their roles will broaden her knowledge of support systems designed for various disabilities. Encourage Grace to keep a journal or make a presentation about what she learns to reinforce retention and communication skills.
Book Recommendations
- My Friend Lightspeed: Oliver and His Autism Service Dog by Eileen C. Hare: This picture book introduces children to the special bond between a boy with autism and his service dog, showcasing how the dog helps him in everyday situations.
- Service Dogs (Helping Hands: Occupational Therapy) by Meghan Dennis: A nonfiction book that explains how service dogs assist people with disabilities, perfect for young readers interested in learning how these animals are trained and help.
- Autism Heroes & Helpers by Jason Goodell: This book shares stories of individuals with autism and features helpers like service dogs to inspire understanding and inclusion.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 - Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 4 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 - Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams) and explain how the information contributes to understanding the topic.
Try This Next
- Create a coloring worksheet illustrating different tasks a service dog performs for an autistic individual.
- Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of a service dog helping its owner through daily activities.