brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/hachiko-loyal-dog/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Do you have a pet? How does it say hello when you come home?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: station, greet, evening, loyal, wait. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (4:11). 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 | wait for + someone + to + verb: to say what you hope will happen. Show “He waited for his owner to come back.”, 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: “Hachikō waited for nearly ten years. Who is the most loyal friend in your life? Why?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- station (noun): a building where people start and end a trip by railway. “Every evening, Hachikō met the professor at Shibuya Station.”
- greet (verb): to say hello when you meet someone. “Hachikō ran to greet the professor.”
- evening (noun): the end of the day, before night. “Hachikō went back to the station every evening.”
- loyal (adjective): always staying with a person and caring about them. “People in Japan called him the loyal dog.”
- wait (verb): to stay in a place until something happens. “He waited at the station for nearly ten years.”
Grammar: wait for + someone + to + verb — to say what you hope will happen. “He waited for his owner to come back.”
Discussion questions
- Hachikō waited for nearly ten years. Who is the most loyal friend in your life? Why?
- What was the hardest moment in Hachikō's story? What did Hachikō do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “wait for + someone + to + verb”. (From the story: “He waited for his owner to come back.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- station (noun)
- greet (verb)
- evening (noun)
- loyal (adjective)
- wait (verb)
- Akita (noun)
- commuter (noun)
- bronze (noun)
- always staying with a person and caring about them
- a big Japanese dog with thick fur and a curled tail
- the end of the day, before night
- to stay in a place until something happens
- a hard brown metal used for statues
- a person who travels to work and back every day
- to say hello when you meet someone
- a building where people start and end a trip by railway
B Complete the sentences from the story
Station · Akita · evening · waited · greet · loyal · bronze · Commuters
- His statue is made of .
- at Shibuya Station saw Hachikō every evening.
- Hachikō went back to the station every .
- Hachikō ran to the professor.
- Hachikō was an .
- Every evening, Hachikō met the professor at Shibuya .
- He at the station for nearly ten years.
- People in Japan called him the dog.
C Did you understand?
- Hachikō met the professor at the station every evening.True / False
- What happened in May 1925?
- The professor became ill at work and died
- Hachikō was born
- People made a statue
- Hachikō went to Akita
- How long did Hachikō wait at the station?
- Nearly ten years
- One week
- One year
- Fifty years
- Hachikō was at the opening of his own statue in 1934.True / False
- Where did Hachikō wait every evening?
- At Shibuya Station
- At the university
- At the beach
- At a hospital
D Put the words in order
- waited / He / his / come / back / to / for / owner
E Grammar: wait for + someone + to + verb
We use it for to say what you hope will happen. wait for him to come · wait for the bus to arrive · wait for my friend to call
Example from the story: He waited for his owner to come back.
- He waited for the professor home. (to come / come / coming)
- Every evening, Hachikō waited his owner to come back. (for / to / at)
- Last night, I waited for my sister me. (to call / call / calls)
F Your turn
Retell Hachikō's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1h 2g 3c 4a 5d 6b 7f 8e
B. 1 bronze · 2 Commuters · 3 evening · 4 greet · 5 Akita · 6 Station · 7 waited · 8 loyal
C. 1 True · 2 a · 3 a · 4 True · 5 a
D. 1 He waited for his owner to come back.
E. 1 to come · 2 for · 3 to call
Transcript
Every evening, a dog waited at a busy station in Tokyo.
His owner never came back, but the dog came for nearly ten years.
This is the story of Hachikō.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Station. At a station, people start and end a trip by railway.
Every evening, Hachikō met the professor at Shibuya Station.
Greet. To greet someone is to say hello when you meet them.
Hachikō ran to greet the professor.
Evening. The evening is the end of the day, before night.
Hachikō went back to the station every evening.
Loyal. A loyal friend always stays with you and cares about you.
People in Japan called him the loyal dog.
Wait. To wait is to stay in a place until something happens.
He waited at the station for nearly ten years.
Now, one pattern: wait for someone to do something.
We use it for what we hope will happen.
He waited for his owner.
He waited for his owner to come back.
Ready? Let's begin.
Hachikō was born in Japan in 1923.
As a puppy, he went to live with Professor Ueno in Tokyo.
Every evening, Hachikō met the professor at Shibuya Station.
He waited for the professor to come out of the station.
Hachikō ran to greet the professor.
But in May 1925, the professor became ill at work and died.
That evening, Hachikō waited for the professor to come home.
His owner never came back.
But Hachikō went back to the station every evening.
He waited for his owner to come back.
Then a newspaper told his story.
People in Japan called him the loyal dog.
In 1934, they made a statue of him at the station.
Hachikō was there to see it!
Hachikō died in March 1935.
He waited at the station for nearly ten years.
Today, his statue at Shibuya Station is a famous place to meet friends.
Let's review. Every evening, Hachikō met the professor at Shibuya Station.
Hachikō ran to greet the professor.
Hachikō went back to the station every evening.
People in Japan called him the loyal dog.
He waited at the station for nearly ten years.
And remember: he waited for his owner to come back.
Hachikō's story teaches us: real loyalty means coming back, again and again.
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