Darcy is a special dog. She is a therapy dog. She works at a school. The school is Abbotts Hall Primary School. It is in Stowmarket. Darcy is two years old. She is a sprocker spaniel. She has been at the school for one year. The head teacher is Rachel Bailey. She said Darcy is a secret weapon. She said everyone loves Darcy.
Darcy helps the children feel happy and safe. She makes them want to come to school. Darcy was trained by a professional. She helps the children when they are sad. She also helps them when they find things hard. Miss Austin is a teacher at the school. She said Darcy is amazing. She said Darcy is like a friend to the children.
Original news source: Stowmarket: Therapy dog hailed as primary school’s ‘secret weapon’ (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– NAME THE DOG
Instructions: Show the students a picture of a sprocker spaniel and ask them to guess the name of the dog in the story. Give them a hint that it starts with the letter “D”.
– EMOTION CHARADES
Instructions: Write a list of emotions on the board (happy, sad, safe, etc.). Have students take turns acting out an emotion, while the rest of the class guesses which emotion they are portraying. Explain that Darcy the dog helps children with these emotions.
– FRIENDLY SENTENCES
Instructions: Write a few sentences from the article on the board, but with some words missing. Have students work in pairs to complete the sentences using vocabulary from the article. For example, “Darcy is a ______ dog” or “Miss Austin said Darcy is _______.”
Comprehension Questions:
1. What kind of dog is Darcy?
2. Where does Darcy work?
3. How old is Darcy?
4. How long has Darcy been at the school?
5. What does the head teacher call Darcy?
6. How does Darcy help the children?
7. Who trained Darcy?
8. What did Miss Austin say about Darcy?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Darcy is a special dog. She is a therapy dog. She works at a (1)______. The school is Abbotts Hall Primary School. It is in (2)______. Darcy is two years old. She is a (3)______ spaniel. She has been at the school for one year. The head teacher is Rachel Bailey. She said Darcy is a secret (4)______. She said everyone loves Darcy.
Darcy helps the children feel happy and (5)______. She makes them want to come to school. Darcy was trained by a (6)______. She helps the children when they are sad. She also helps them when they find things hard. Miss Austin is a teacher at the school. She said Darcy is amazing. She said Darcy is like a (7)______ to the children.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Do you like dogs?
2. What kind of dog is Darcy?
3. Where does Darcy work?
4. How old is Darcy?
5. How long has Darcy been at the school?
6. What does Darcy help the children with?
7. How does Darcy make the children feel?
8. Who trained Darcy?
9. What did the head teacher say about Darcy?
10. What did Miss Austin say about Darcy?
11. Would you like a dog like Darcy at your school?
12. How do you feel when you are sad?
13. Do you have a friend who makes you feel happy?
14. What do you find hard at school?
15. What makes you want to go to school?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. therapy
2. school
3. primary
4. teacher
5. secret
6. professional
7. sad
8. friend
Shuffled Meanings:
A) A person who helps you learn things
B) A place where children go to learn
C) Something that is not known or seen by others
D) A person who is very good at their job
E) A person you like and enjoy spending time with
F) Feeling unhappy or upset
G) A type of school for young children
H) A kind of treatment that helps people feel better mentally or emotionally
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What kind of dog is Darcy?
(a) a sprocker spaniel
(b) a golden retriever
(c) a poodle
(d) a German shepherd
2. Where does Darcy work?
(a) at a hospital
(b) at a police station
(c) at a fire station
(d) at a school
3. How old is Darcy?
(a) one year old
(b) three years old
(c) four years old
(d) two years old
4. How long has Darcy been at the school?
(a) six months
(b) two years
(c) one year
(d) three years
5. What is the head teacher’s name?
(a) Miss Austin
(b) Rachel Bailey
(c) Sarah Johnson
(d) Emily Smith
6. What does Darcy help the children feel?
(a) scared
(b) bored
(c) happy and safe
(d) tired
7. Who trained Darcy?
(a) the head teacher
(b) the children
(c) a professional
(d) Miss Austin
8. What does Miss Austin say about Darcy?
(a) Darcy is lazy
(b) Darcy is amazing
(c) Darcy is too big
(d) Darcy is noisy
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Darcy is a cat.
2. Darcy works at a school.
3. The school is in Stowmarket.
4. Darcy is five years old.
5. The head teacher is Rachel Bailey.
6. Darcy makes the children feel scared.
7. Miss Austin is a teacher at the school.
8. Darcy is not a friend to the children.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Who is Darcy?
2. Where does Darcy work?
3. How old is Darcy?
4. What kind of dog is Darcy?
5. What does Darcy help the children with?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What kind of dog is Darcy?
Darcy is a sprocker spaniel.
2. Where does Darcy work?
Darcy works at Abbotts Hall Primary School.
3. How old is Darcy?
Darcy is two years old.
4. How long has Darcy been at the school?
Darcy has been at the school for one year.
5. What does the head teacher call Darcy?
The head teacher calls Darcy a secret weapon.
6. How does Darcy help the children?
Darcy helps the children feel happy, safe, and want to come to school. She helps them when they are sad or find things hard.
7. Who trained Darcy?
A professional trained Darcy.
8. What did Miss Austin say about Darcy?
Miss Austin said Darcy is amazing and like a friend to the children.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. school
2. Stowmarket
3. sprocker
4. weapon
5. safe
6. professional
7. friend
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. therapy
Answer: H) A kind of treatment that helps people feel better mentally or emotionally
2. school
Answer: B) A place where children go to learn
3. primary
Answer: G) A type of school for young children
4. teacher
Answer: A) A person who helps you learn things
5. secret
Answer: C) Something that is not known or seen by others
6. professional
Answer: D) A person who is very good at their job
7. sad
Answer: F) Feeling unhappy or upset
8. friend
Answer: E) A person you like and enjoy spending time with
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What kind of dog is Darcy?
Answer: (a) a sprocker spaniel
2. Where does Darcy work?
Answer: (d) at a school
3. How old is Darcy?
Answer: (d) two years old
4. How long has Darcy been at the school?
Answer: (c) one year
5. What is the head teacher’s name?
Answer: (b) Rachel Bailey
6. What does Darcy help the children feel?
Answer: (c) happy and safe
7. Who trained Darcy?
Answer: (c) a professional
8. What does Miss Austin say about Darcy?
Answer: (b) Darcy is amazing
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Darcy is a cat.
Answer: False
2. Darcy works at a school.
Answer: True
3. The school is in Stowmarket.
Answer: True
4. Darcy is five years old.
Answer: False
5. The head teacher is Rachel Bailey.
Answer: True
6. Darcy makes the children feel scared.
Answer: False
7. Miss Austin is a teacher at the school.
Answer: True
8. Darcy is not a friend to the children.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧
