Image of two kids posing with a group of dogs and cats
Shutterstock.com (All Images); Tierfotoagentur/Alamy Stock Photo (Sniffing); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images); RuslanDashinsky/Getty Images (Cuddle); Svetlana Lazarenka/Alamy Stock Photo (Cat on Ball); Juniors Bildarchiv GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo (Black Cat)
Alike and Different,

Bark or Meow?

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

By Laine Falk
From the February 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will compare and contrast dogs and cats and decide which pet they prefer.

Lexiles: 390L
Featured Skill: Comparing Texts,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use visuals RI.1.9 Compare texts SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read-aloud
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (12) Organisms and environments. The student knows that the environment is composed of relationships between living organisms and nonliving components. The student is expected to: (A) classify living and nonliving things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce young. (13) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and undergo processes that help them interact and survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) identify the external structures of different animals and compare how those structures help different animals live, move, and meet basic needs for survival.

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Are You a Dog Person?

Dogs Get You Outside

Do you like to go outside? Then you might be a dog person. Dogs need to go on walks. They go to the bathroom outside. They run and play. Ruff, ruff!


Dog Tricks

Sit. Stay. Fetch. These are commands that you can teach dogs. They can understand what you tell them to do. Go, dogs!


Super Sniffers

Sniff, sniff. Dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans. They can smell things from miles away.

Bark if you are a dog person!


Are You a Cat Person?

Cats Cuddle Inside

Do you like to stay inside and cuddle? Then you might be a cat person. Most pet cats stay inside. They go to the bathroom in litter boxes. Meow!


Cat Tricks

Did you know that cats can learn tricks too? People train them to roll over, jump, or give a high five. Go, cats!


Super Sight

At night, it can be hard for us to see. But it’s not hard for cats. They can see well in the dark.

Meow if you are a cat person! 


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Slideshows (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Compare and contrast

Science Focus

Animal behavior

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: “Poetry Kit: My Dog and Cat”
  • From the Storyworks 1 archive: “What Do You Think: Robot Dog, a Good Pet or Not?” (March/April 2023)
  • Suggested books: Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings; They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) command, sense, train
  • Video: Skill Power: Compare and Contrast (5 minutes) A fun how-to video on how and why we compare and contrast

Suggested Reading Focus

Compare and contrast (20 minutes)

 

  • Tell students they will be reading texts about dogs and cats. As they read, they should think about how the two pets are alike and different.
  • Preview the parallel structure of the texts. What do children notice about these two pages? (They are set up similarly. Each section has a heading. All the headings are the same.)
  • Read “Are You a Dog Person?,” stopping at the end of each section to check comprehension. Do the same for “Are You a Cat Person?”
  • Next, read the texts under the same headings back-to-back so students can focus on comparing and contrasting. Then discuss what they learned from the section.
  • Compare the photos. What do children learn from them?
  • To finish, have students turn and talk to a partner about ways dogs and cats are alike and different. You can also have a vote to see whether there are more dog or cat people in the class!

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Opinion writing; Compare/contrast (15 minutes each)

Text-to-Speech