During this difficult and challenging time of COVID-19, social and emotional skills including empathy and resilience are more critical than ever. While we are not in school, A Fair Shake remains committed to supporting the children we serve. We have updated our website with interactive content, lessons and activities so that the dogs can continue to make a difference in the lives of the kids.
Overview
Meet the Dogs
Lessons
Meet the Dogs section of the site allows the viewer to click on the photo of each Fair Shake dog to read a short bio and see photos and video. The bios are written with SEL lessons and sensibilities in mind. This section can be used for learning or simply as a meaningful, fun content for students.
Lessons have been created based directly on the dog bios. They are designed to be simple, fun, interactive and flexible. Lessons can be easily be adapted by a teacher and include a series of probes for discussion. The following are the first six lesson topics linked to the one-page teacher and one-page student worksheet:
#1. Reading Others' Needs
#2 Avoiding Judgment
#3 Adapting to Change
#4 Building Resilience
#5 The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication
#6 Making Informed Decisions
Click here for Menu of Teacher Guides and Student Worksheets
Each lesson follows the same format:
1. Read the bios of the five dogs listed and that are accessible through the Meet-the-Dogs link.
2. Identify the three dogs who characterize the skills or topic being discussed
3. Provide evidence for your choice.
4. Relate to your own life experience.
5. Optional: Suggested probes for discussion
Activities and Video
Self-guided activities include more casual opportunities for students to explore and engage with the content. These can be offered as simple lessons or be totally self-directed. Activities are available both on the site directly and through downloads to Word documents. See all on the Activities and Guides page.
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A series of fun videos are also found under this tab and are divided into four categories - Dogs Having Fun, Competitive Sports, Working Dogs and Tricks. They lend themselves to discussion but also simply provide fun engaging content during this stressful time.
Connect with the Dogs
We understand that after reading and discussing the dogs students may have specific questions about a dog. Given the importance of creating communication and a sense of community, we invite you to send any specific questions about a dog to Fair Shake Dogs. Depending on volume we may add a FAQ to each dog's bio. We are also open to interactive components including Instagram Live or video conferencing.