Comic of lifeguard dogs swimming in the sea
Art by Alvin Epps
Paired Texts,

Dogs to the Rescue

Fourteen people were close to drowning. Who would save them?

By Janice Behrens, with reporting by Alessandra Potenza
From the May/June 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will compare and contrast two nonfiction accounts in which dogs keep humans safe from harm. They will compare both the content and the format of the stories; the first story is in graphic form and the second is an informational text. 

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    “Dogs to the Rescue” is about a group of human and dog lifeguards in Italy that rescued struggling swimmers. On another level, the story is about teamwork. “Sit, Stay, Keep Me Safe!” introduces readers to a girl with celiac disease and her service dog.
  • Structure
    The first story is told in a graphic format. It is chronological with one page-long flashback to the lifeguard training program attended by one of the lifeguard dogs and its human handler. The second text is mainly informational.
  • Language
    The paired texts contain some vocabulary related to the work of lifeguard and service dogs, such as handler, current, harness, and detection. The graphic story includes three rhetorical questions.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is required. The graphic story mentions Sperlonga, Italy. The second text refers to and explains gluten and celiac disease.
Lexile: 700L-800L , 600L-700L
Guided Reading Level: T
DRA Level: 40-50
Featured Skill: Connecting Texts, Compare and Contrast,
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, visual literacy, setting, identifying a problem, key details, inference, problem and solution, synthesizing, explanatory writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    Anchor Standards: R.1, R.2, R.3, R.9, W.2, W.7, SL.1, SL.2, L.6 Grade 4: RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.9, W.4.2, W.4.7, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, L.4.6 Grade 5: RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, RI.5.5, W.5.2, W.5.7, SL.5.1, SL.5.2, L.5.6 Grade 6: RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.9, W.6.2, W.6.7, SL.6.1, SL.6.2, L.6.6
  • TEKS
    Grade 4: 4.1a, c, d; 4.3a, b, d; 4.6; 4.7b, c, d, f, g; 4.9d, f; 4.10c; 4.11; 4.12b; 4.13 Grade 5: 5.1a, c, d; 5.3a, b, d; 5.6; 5.7b, c, d, f, g; 5.9d, f; 5.10c; 5.11; 5.12b; 5.13 Grade 6: 6.1a, c, d; 6.2a, b; 6.5; 6.6b, c, d, f, g, h; 6.8d, f; 6.9c; 6.10; 6.11b; 6.12
  • NGSS
    LS1.D: Information Processing

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Lexile® measure

  • 700L-800L (same as magazine)
  • 500L-600L
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Reading Level (500L-600L)

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UP CLOSE: Compare and Contrast

As you read about two special dogs, think about how their stories—and the way they are told—are alike and different.

Sit, Stay, Keep Me Safe!

How dogs (like Dundee!) are protecting kids with a dangerous disease 

By Talia Cowen

Emily Stephenson is at her favorite pizza restaurant in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In front of her is a steaming slice piled with toppings. Yum! 

But before she can dig in, the 10-year-old turns to her dog, Dundee. He points his snout at the slice and . . . sniff, sniff, sniff! He’s searching for gluten—an ingredient found in wheat flour, which is used in most pizza doughs.

Emily has celiac disease. Eating gluten makes her legs and stomach hurt terribly. And if she ate gluten too often, she could develop serious problems like weak bones.

That’s why Dundee is there. He’s a gluten-detection service dog. His job is to keep Emily safe.

Emily Stephenson is at her favorite pizza restaurant. She’s in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In front of her is a steaming slice piled with toppings. Yum! 

But before she can dig in, the 10-year-old turns to her dog, Dundee. He points his nose at the slice and . . . sniff, sniff, sniff! He’s searching for gluten. That’s something found in wheat flour. Wheat flour is used in most pizza doughs.

Emily has celiac disease. Eating gluten makes her legs and stomach hurt terribly. And if she ate gluten too often, she could start to have serious problems like weak bones.

That’s why Dundee is there. He’s a gluten-detection service dog. His job is to keep Emily safe.

COURTESY OF STEPHENSON FAMILY

Emily Stephenson and her special friend, Dundee

Sniff Test

After Emily was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2020, she and her parents tried to avoid gluten. They bought gluten-free cookies and pasta. They stopped going out to eat. On vacations, they carried a cooler full of food they knew was safe. 

But Emily still felt sick every few days. Doctors said it was because even tiny bits of gluten can give her a bad reaction. That’s when Emily’s family decided to get Dundee. 

The poodle sniffs Emily’s food before she takes a bite. If he smells gluten, he paws at her leg. If the food is safe, he looks away.

Emily was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2020. She and her parents tried to avoid gluten after that. They bought gluten-free cookies and pasta. They stopped going out to eat. On vacations, they carried a cooler full of safe foods. 

But Emily still felt sick every few days. Doctors said it was because even tiny bits of gluten can affect her badly. That’s when Emily’s family decided to get Dundee. 

The poodle sniffs Emily’s food before she takes a bite. If he smells gluten, he paws at her leg. If the food is safe, he looks away.

COURTESY OF STEPHENSON FAMILY

Dundee alerts Emily to gluten in a snack.

Sensitive Noses

Like all dogs, Dundee has an amazing sense of smell—10,000 times better than that of humans. Still, it takes months to train a dog to detect traces of gluten and alert its owners. 

First, Dundee had to learn what gluten smells like. (He did that by sniffing jars holding foods with and without gluten. Correctly identifying the dangerous foods earned him a treat.) Then he had to sniff out gluten in places filled with all kinds of smells, like grocery stores.

Having Dundee has changed Emily’s life. Since the poodle’s arrival six months ago, she hasn’t had any serious reactions to gluten. 

“He helps me feel more confident,” Emily says. “Dundee is my best bud. I love him.”

Like all dogs, Dundee has an amazing sense of smell. 

It’s 10,000 times better than that of humans. Still, it takes months to train a dog to detect traces of gluten and alert its owners. 

First, Dundee had to learn what gluten smells like. (How? He sniffed jars holding foods with and without gluten. Finding the dangerous foods earned him a treat.) Then he had to sniff out gluten in places filled with all kinds of smells, like grocery stores.

Having Dundee has changed Emily’s life. The dog arrived six months ago. She hasn’t had any serious problems with gluten since. 

“He helps me feel more confident,” Emily says. “Dundee is my best bud. I love him.” 

What’s the Connection?

In what ways are the jobs that Mya and Dundee perform similar and different? What is the same and different about the way their stories are told? Answer both questions in a well-organized essay with details from the texts.

What’s the Connection?

In what ways are the jobs that Mya and Dundee perform similar and different? What is the same and different about the way their stories are told? Answer both questions in a well-organized essay with details from the texts.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue.

This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue.

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Activities (9)
Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
Skills Activities
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Answer Key (1)
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Activities (9) Download All Activities
Core Skills Workout
  • The Core Skills Workout is a series of skill-based activities that will help your students "bulk up" in the comprehension skills they need most to become strong, analytical readers. The Core Skills Workout comes with every issue and will support your reading program no matter what your scope and sequence.
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

Close Reading, Critical Thinking

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Differentiate and Customize

Striving Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners

5. Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras

1. Preparing to Read

Watch a Video, Introduce Vocabulary, Set a Purpose for Reading

  • Invite students to briefly look at the opening headlines, subheads, and images in both stories. Be sure to point out the burst on the first page of “Dogs to the Rescue” that says “Based on true events.” Ask students to predict what each story will be about. What do they think the stories will have in common? 
  • Distribute or digitally assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder to introduce challenging words in the stories. Highlighted words: roiling, current, harness, detection, diagnosed, traces. (You can also review words for talking about graphic stories with our Graphic Story Glossary.)
  • Invite a student to read aloud the Up Close box on page 21 for the class.

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Have students read the stories independently or in small groups. Alternatively, have the class read the graphic text aloud, taking turns reading the speech bubbles and informational blocks. They can also listen to the Author Read-Aloud of both texts. The text pairing, “Sit, Stay, Keep Me Safe!,” is available as a lower-Lexile article.
  • Discuss the close-reading and critical-thinking questions together as a class. 

Close-Reading Questions

"Dogs to the Rescue"

  • Look at the opening image, on page 21. What do you think is happening? What does the expression on Mya’s face tell you about how she is feeling? (visual literacy) In the image, people and dogs are racing into the water from a beach. Combined with the headline and subhead, the picture suggests they are rushing to save others who are in trouble in the water. Mya’s expression is happy and confident. She probably feels good about putting her lifesaving skills to work.
  • When and where does the story take place? How do you know? (setting) The story takes place on August 8, 2021, in Sperlonga, Italy. This information can be found in a box in the upper lefthand corner of the first panel on page 22.
  • Based on the panels on page 22, what main problem arises? (identifying a problem) Swimmers in the rough waters of the Mediterranean Sea can’t get back to shore. 
  • In what ways are the panels on page 23 drawn differently than the other panels in the story? Why are they different? (visual literacy) These panels have rounded borders, and the colors are less bright.  They are drawn this way to indicate that this section is a flashback. The events started six years before the rest of the action in the story. 
  • What important skills do dogs learn in lifeguard school? What makes labradors well suited to be lifeguards? (key details) Dogs and their handlers learn to deepen their bond, become stronger swimmers, and stay calm under pressure. Labradors make good lifeguard dogs because, with their webbed paws, they’re excellent swimmers; their fur is almost waterproof; and they can pull people through water without getting tired.  
  • On page 24, notice the size of Mya and Michele in the middle panel versus the size of the figures in the bottom frame. Why do you think the artist drew the two panels this way? (visual literacy) The middle panel zooms in to a close-up of Mya and her handler. This way, we can see their expressions clearly and get a sense of their focus and effort to save the swimmers. The artist zooms out in the bottom panel to show the entire scene of swimmers and rescuers. The figures are smaller because we’re seeing them from farther away. This helps readers understand the scale of the rescue and how far away from the beach the people in danger are.
  • Look at the middle right panel on page 25. How do you think Mya’s cuteness helps swimmers stay calm? Would you find a dog calming in a tense situation? (inference) Seeing a creature that is cute and friendly probably helps swimmers focus their attention on the adorable dog rather than their panic about being in the water. Since Mya seems calm and confident, she probably helps swimmers feel that way too. Answers will vary for the second question.
  • The middle panel on page 26 has no words. What feelings do you see expressed in the picture? (visual literacy) Students will probably say they see excitement and relief that the swimmers are returning and, on Mya’s part, pride.

 

"Sit, Stay, Keep Me Safe!"

  • Based on the first section of the article, what problem does Dundee help solve? (problem and solution) Dundee sniffs to find out whether any of the food Emily Stephenson is about to eat has gluten in it. Eating gluten is a problem for Emily because she has celiac disease; gluten causes pain in her legs and stomach, and eating gluten could eventually weaken her bones.
  • How was Dundee’s training similar to that of Mya? How was it different? (compare and contrast) The training of both dogs took a long time—months for Dundee and years for Mya. They both learned specific skills, and they seemed to get a lot of attention and practice time to learn the skills. However, the skills they honed are different. Mya learned to rescue people in the water, while Dundee learned  to sniff out and alert a person to gluten in food. 

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • In what ways do you find out how Mya performs her job? How do you get this information about Dundee? (compare and contrast) The information about Mya’s job is delivered in pictures and words combined. It is told through the story of one dramatic event. Dundee’s job is described in words, with a photograph and caption showing him at work. The article tells how Dundee helps Emily at one restaurant and in her everyday life.  
  • Imagine you were making a movie about Mya and the swimmers’ rescue. How could the graphic story help you create a film? (synthesizing) Like a movie, the graphic story relies on both images and words to let the audience know what’s happening, how people feel, and what the setting is like. The graphic story could work like the script of a film, showing and explaining the action of each scene and giving the lines that the actors would say.
  • If you were to tell the story of another hero dog, would you choose to do so in a graphic story or a written article? What advantages would your choice give you? (compare and contrast) Answers will vary. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Synthesizing

Distribute or digitally assign the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder available on two levels. After students complete it, have them respond to the writing prompt on page 27.

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

Graphic texts can be a wonderful way for striving readers to engage with literacy. Invite them to read “Dogs to the Rescue” in pairs then work together to write their answers to the five W questions: Who is the story about, what happened, when, where, and why did it happen? Then have them read or listen to the lower-Lexile version of the pairing, “Sit, Stay, Keep Me Safe!” 

For Advanced Readers

Let students show their understanding of the graphic story and hone their writing skills by having them rewrite it in prose form. They can pretend they are reporters and write an article reporting on what happened and how Mya and Michele prepared for the rescue. Conversely, they can re-create the story of Dundee and Emily in graphic form. They will have to decide which parts of the article to include, what order they should be in, and what will be told in speech bubbles or labels on the panels.

For Multilingual Learners

Read the stories together with students, or play our author read-aloud. Then go back to “Dogs to the Rescue” and ask students to choose five panels where they can add thought bubbles for Mya. They can write them on sticky notes and place them on the panels. This will give them a fun and approachable way to practice writing. For extra speaking practice, have them work in pairs to read aloud what they’ve written. 

Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Explore the Storyworks Archive

Your students will love reading “The Amazing History of Dogs,” the paired texts feature from our September 2017 issue, and will want to meet two other amazing dogs in our Mini Read stories “The Coolest Dog in America” and “America’s Favorite Hero Dog.”

See Working Dogs in Action

The IMAX film Superpower Dogs has many behind-the-scenes videos that will introduce your students to various kinds of working dogs. There's Henry, an avalanche rescue dog; Gallup, a guide dog for the blind; and a group of water rescue dogs in the UK, to name just a few. (Note: Some videos start after a short ad.)

Read More About Dogs at Work

The Dogs at Work book series from Apex Editions has several titles written especially for striving readers about how our canine friends help us. Check out Search and Rescue Dogs, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Herding Dogs, and Sniffer Dogs.  

Understand Service Dogs

Some of your students may be eager to greet a service dog if they see one out and about. This webpage  from Twin Cities PBS offers guidelines about what to do if you encounter a service dog and its handler.

Watch a Video About a Super Sniffing Dog

This 5-minute video from Good Morning America features a 13-year-old boy with a deadly nut allergy and his allergy-alert dog Trixie. (Note: The video starts after a short ad.)

Text-to-Speech