Text Talk Lesson - Appalachian State University



Text Talk Lesson

for

Harry the Dirty Dog

by Gene Zion

Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

Scholastic Inc., 1956

Text Talk Resources

The teaching materials related to Harry the Dirty Dog developed by the Text Talk research team are included here.

SUMMARY: Harry is a white dog with black spots who does not like to take a bath. So one day he here’s the bathtub water running and decides to take the scrubbing brush and bury it in the backyard. Harry decided to run away from home. Harry played in the street, the railroad, with other dogs, and even in the coal chute and got very dirty. Harry turned into a black dog with white spots. Harry decided to go back home because he was tired and hungry, but the family thought that Harry was only a strange dog standing in the backyard. Harry tried doing all kinds of tricks, but the family still didn’t realize it was Harry. Harry gave up but then noticed that he had buried his scrubbing brush in the backyard. Harry ran back to the house with the scrubbing brush in his mouth. Harry sat in the bathtub wanting the family to wash him. After washing Harry, the family realized that it was Harry, their white dog with black spots.

FOCUS: The focus of the story is about teaching kids that they should not run away from home and why they should not do it. Another focus is that Harry was the same dog underneath all the dirt. The children should realize they should not judge people by their outside appearance.

COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:

Cover

Show cover and read the title. Ask the children what they think is going to happen during the book by looking at the picture on the front cover.

Page 3

1. What did Harry do with the scrubbing brush? (Harry buried the scrubbing brush in the back yard.)

2. Why did Harry run away from home? (Harry does not like taking baths.)

Page 9

1. What different places did Harry play at? (Harry played where they were fixing the street, at the railroad, and played tag with the other dogs.)

2. What happened to Harry? (Harry got really dirty.)

Page 11

1. What does Harry look like now? (Harry looks like a black dog with white spots.)

Page 13

1. Where is Harry going? (Harry is going back home.)

Page 15

1. Who id the family think Harry was? (The family thought Harry was a strange dog.)

Page 19

1. What is Harry doing to show the family that he really was Harry? (Harry started to do all of his old, clever tricks.)

2. Why didn’t they recognize Harry? (Harry was all dirty and he looked like a black dog with white spots instead of a white dog with black spots.)

Page 21

1. What did Harry dig up out of the back yard? (Harry dug up his scrubbing brush.)

Page 23

1. Where do you think Harry going with the scrubbing brush? (Harry is going up the stairs to the bathtub.)

Page 25

1. What did Harry want? (Harry wanted his family to give him a bath.)

2. Why did Harry want a bath? (Harry wanted a bath so that his family could see it was really him.)

Page 28

1. What did the family notice after cleaning the dog up? (That the strange dog was actually their dog Harry.)

2. What was hidden underneath his pillow when he went to bed? (The scrubbing brush.)

Wrap-up:

Do you think that Harry should have run away? Why not? (Let the children realize that Harry should not run away and that they shouldn’t either. The children should mention that Harry shouldn’t have run away because he could have gotten hurt.

VOCABULARY:

except

strange

wonder

except: In the beginning of the story, Harry liked everything except getting a bath. Except means “with the exclusion of; other than; but: everyone except me”. Say the word except.

• Like in the book, Harry liked everything except taking a bath. I am going to read you the beginnings of some sentences and you are going to make up the last part of the sentence that fits with the word, except.

o I wanted to eat something, except…

o I would buy me a new bike, except that…

o I like it when my friend comes over, except…

What’s our word? except

strange: In the story, the family looked out and said, “There’s a strange dog in the back yard…” Strange means “not previously known, unfamiliar, or different from the normal”. Say the work launch.

• Let’s think of some things that might be strange. Which would you think would be strange?

o A tree in your backyard or an alien?

o A pillow on your bed or a lion?

o The teacher not showing up to your kindergarten class or a substitute taking the teachers place?

What’s our word? strange

wonder: In the story, Harry began to wonder if his family thought that he had really run away. Wonder means “a state in which you want to learn more about something.”

• I am going to name some things that you might be able to wonder about. If you think you would wonder say, “I would wonder.” If you think that they are things you would not wonder about say, “I wouldn’t wonder.”

o Your mom crying (I would wonder)

o Your best friend not talking to you anymore (I would wonder)

o The color of your own eyes (I wouldn’t wonder)

o What food you have already eaten tastes like (I wouldn’t wonder)

What’s our word? wonder

We talked about three words: except, strange, and wonder. Let’s think about them some more.

• Harry liked everything, except taking a bath. What do you not like doing? Start your sentence saying, “I like everything, except…”

• What would be stranger—seeing a dinosaur out your window or seeing a bird?

• Tell me something that would make you wonder in school.

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