brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/bobbie-the-wonder-dog/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you have a pet? Do you think a dog can find its way home?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: family, café, lost, thin, paw. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (4:08). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 20–28′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 28–35′ | Grammar | object pronouns (him, her, them): him, her and them come after a verb or after words like for, with, to. Show “The family looked for him for days.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 35–43′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 43–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “Bobbie walked for six months to get home. What makes a place "home" for you?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- family (noun): a mother, a father and their children. “Bobbie lived with the Brazier family.”
- café (noun): a small place where you can eat and drink. “The family had a café in their town.”
- lost (adjective): not knowing where you are. “Bobbie was lost, very far from home.”
- thin (adjective): not fat. “Bobbie was very thin and tired.”
- paw (noun): the foot of a dog or a cat. “His paws hurt a lot.”
Grammar: object pronouns (him, her, them) — him, her and them come after a verb or after words like for, with, to. “The family looked for him for days.”
Discussion questions
- Bobbie walked for six months to get home. What makes a place "home" for you?
- What was the hardest moment in Bobbie the Wonder Dog's story? What did Bobbie the Wonder Dog do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “object pronouns (him, her, them)”. (From the story: “The family looked for him for days.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- family (noun)
- café (noun)
- lost (adjective)
- thin (adjective)
- paw (noun)
- car trip (noun)
- Oregon (noun)
- gas station (noun)
- a state in the west of the USA
- not knowing where you are
- the foot of a dog or a cat
- not fat
- (American English) a place where you buy petrol for a car
- a mother, a father and their children
- a long journey by car
- a small place where you can eat and drink
B Complete the sentences from the story
Oregon · thin · family · lost · car trip · gas station · paws
- Three dogs chased Bobbie at a .
- Bobbie lived in .
- His hurt a lot.
- The family went on a long .
- Bobbie lived with the Brazier .
- Bobbie was , very far from home.
- Bobbie was very and tired.
C Did you understand?
- Bobbie lived in Oregon.True / False
- Why did Bobbie run away in Indiana?
- Three dogs ran at him
- He was hungry
- He wanted to go home
- The car stopped
- The family found Bobbie in Indiana.True / False
- Who saw Bobbie in the street?
- One of the daughters
- The father
- A police officer
- A farmer
- Bobbie was in a film.True / False
D Put the words in order
- The / him / family / for / for / looked / days
E Grammar: object pronouns (him, her, them)
We use it for him, her and them come after a verb or after words like for, with, to. The family looked for Bobbie. → The family looked for him. · Bobbie went with the family. → Bobbie went with them.
Example from the story: The family looked for him for days.
- The family looked for for days. (him / he / his)
- One of the daughters saw Bobbie. He ran to . (her / she / them)
- Bobbie went on the trip with . (them / they / their)
F Your turn
Retell Bobbie the Wonder Dog's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1f 2h 3b 4d 5c 6g 7a 8e
B. 1 gas station · 2 Oregon · 3 paws · 4 car trip · 5 family · 6 lost · 7 thin
C. 1 True · 2 a · 3 False · 4 a · 5 True
D. 1 The family looked for him for days.
E. 1 him · 2 her · 3 them
Transcript
A family lost their dog on a long car trip.
Six months later, a thin, tired dog walked into their town.
Was it their dog?
This is the story of Bobbie.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Family. Your family is your mother, your father, your brothers and your sisters.
Bobbie lived with the Brazier family.
Café. A café is a small place where you can eat and drink.
The family had a café in their town.
Lost. If you are lost, you do not know where you are.
Bobbie was lost, very far from home.
Thin. Thin means not fat.
Bobbie was very thin and tired.
Paw. A paw is the foot of a dog or a cat.
His paws hurt a lot.
Now, one pattern: him, her and them.
We use these words after a verb.
The family looked for Bobbie.
The family looked for him for days.
Ready? Let's begin.
Bobbie was a young dog.
He lived with the Brazier family in a small town in Oregon, in the USA.
The family had a café in their town.
In August 1923, the family went on a long car trip to Indiana.
Bobbie went with them.
There, three dogs ran at him, and he ran away.
The family looked for him for days.
But Bobbie was lost, very far from home.
Sadly, the family drove back to Oregon without him.
Six months later, in February 1924, one of the daughters saw a dog in the street.
Was it Bobbie?
Yes!
She called him, and he ran to her.
Bobbie was very thin and tired.
His paws hurt a lot.
He walked about 4,000 kilometres, in winter.
Many people helped him on the way.
They gave him food.
Later, they wrote to the family about him.
Soon, Bobbie was famous.
People gave him a beautiful collar and a little house.
He was even in a film!
Let's review. Bobbie lived with the Brazier family.
The family had a café in their town.
Bobbie was lost, very far from home.
Bobbie was very thin and tired.
His paws hurt a lot.
And remember: the family looked for him for days.
Bobbie's story teaches us: never stop trying to get back to the people you love.
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