Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com
A robot dog looks and acts like a puppy. It wags its tail and barks. Woof! Woof!
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters/Alamy
Robot Dog, A Good Pet or Not?
Read about robot pups and give your opinion!
From the March/April 2023 Issue
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters/Alamy
This robot dog is called Aibo (I-bo).
You can play with it. Throw the ball, and it will fetch.
Its body is hard plastic. It does not have soft fur.
Shutterstock.com
It has a computer inside that tells it what to do. It is not alive.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters/Alamy
charging pad
You need to charge a robot dog or it will shut off.
Shutterstock.com
It doesn’t poop or make a mess! It is a robot.
What does your class think?
Would a robot dog make a good pet?
Would a robot dog make a good pet?
Would a robot dog make a good pet?
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Activities
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Skills Activities
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More About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Opinion writing
Science Focus
Science and technology, Animal behaviors
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation Suggestions
Whole Class
- Our What Do You Think? feature introduces a high-interest topic and asks students their opinions. Students can back up their opinions with facts from the article and observations of the photos. This feature works well in a whole-class read-aloud and discussion.
Writing Block
- After reading and discussing the article, you can return to it later for your writing block. Have children write opinion pieces using our skills pages.
1. BEFORE READING
Show a Video (7 minutes)
- Watch the “Robots on the Job” video to engage children and build background knowledge.
Opinion Mini Lesson (7-10 minutes)
- Remind students that a fact is something that is true. It is true for everyone and can be proven. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. It is not the same for everyone. Give them some statements orally and ask them to say whether each is an opinion. (Pizza is a kind of food. Pizza is the best food.) Tell them they will use their Storyworks 1 magazine to give their opinions on whether a robot dog is a good pet or not.
Preview Visuals/Text Features (7-10 minutes)
- Preview the photos and headline: “Robot Dog, A Good Pet or Not?” Children will be excited to answer the question right away. Take a vote.
- Tell children that they still have facts to read about robot dogs. Will their opinions stay the same? Remind them that they can use the pictures and the facts to give reasons for their answers.
2. READ THE MINI ARTICLE (15-30 minutes)
- Gauge the readability of this text for your class. You may choose to invite individual students to read each froggy fact.
- After reading all the facts, consider the question again. Do students think a robot dog is a good pet or not? Have them back up their opinions with reasons. They can use the sentence frame “I think a robot dog is/is not a good pet because ____________.”
3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON SKILLS
Writing Focus: Opinion Writing (15 minutes)
- Have children share their opinions and practice their writing skills with the Write What You Think skills page. You can email Nosey at [email protected] with what they wrote!
ELA Focus: Opinion Writing (15 minutes)
- This version of the Write What You Think page will allow you to give the same content at a lower skill level.
Text-to-Speech