The Thing About Dogs

Ages: 5-11

A short video that shares how the narrator feels about dogs.

Watch this video with your children, and then try some of our teaching and activity ideas below.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

Pause the video at various points and think of speech / thought bubbles for the dogs.
Make a set of instructions that teaches people how to look after (or train) a dog.
Listen to the expression of the narrator. Can you read the same words that he says but with a different expression? How does it change the feeling that the video gives?
Write a non-fiction report about dogs.
Create your own story about a dog, told in the first or third person.
Make a list of different words that can be used to describe dogs. Can you use any of these to describe other animals?

How many dogs can you count in the video?
Think about the sizes of different dogs. How small is the smallest dog? How large is the largest? What units should we use to measure the height / length of a dog?

Design a toy that a dog might enjoy playing with. Remember to ensure that it is safe for the dog.

Look at photos of dogs (see Resources below) and use these as the starting point for your own artwork.

What do you think of the music used in this video? How does it make you feel? Could you find (or compose) a different piece of music to accompany the film?

Pause the video at various points and describe how you think the dogs are feeling. How can you tell?