Lesson Plan: Green Chimneys School: Where Animals Teach Children
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
- gangplank |ˈɡaNGˌplaNGk| noun-a movable plank used as a ramp to board or disembark from a ship or boat.
- emu |ˈēm(y)o͞o| noun- a large flightless fast-running Australian bird resembling the ostrich, with shaggy gray or brown plumage, bare blue skin on the head and neck, and three-toed feet.
- special needs |ˈspeSHəl nēdz| pl.noun- (in the context of children at school) particular educational requirements resulting from learning difficulties, physical disability, or emotional and behavioral difficulties.
- dyslexia |dəsˈleksēə| noun- a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence.
- tantrums |ˈtantrəm| noun- an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration, typically in a young child: he has temper tantrums if he can’t get his own way.
- philanthropist |fəˈlanTHrəpəst| noun-a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.
- skeptical |ˈskeptək(ə)l| (British sceptical) adjective –not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations: the public were deeply skeptical about some of the proposals.
- resist |rəˈzist| verb [no object] struggle against someone or something: without giving her time to resist, he dragged her off her feet.
- therapeutic |ˌTHerəˈpyo͞odik| adjective-having a good effect on the body or mind; contributing to a sense of well-being: a therapeutic silence.
- vanguard |ˈvanˌɡärd| noun- a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas: the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition
Dr. Morris and his team have been conducting research at Green Chimneys as part of an ongoing study into animal therapy. The researchers have installed cameras in the classrooms that record classes on a daily basis. They analyze the children’s behavior before and after they have been on the farm.
Reading Comprehension
Fill-ins
Animal-assisted therapy is no longer unique to Green Chimneys. Several schools in New York state, like the Orchard School, run by the nonprofit Andrus in Yonkers, and The Charlton School for girls in Burnt Hills, near Schenectady, offer some kind of therapeutic program incorporating animals.
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