Purpose: Help tutors run a complete lesson using Chapter 1 and the Self-Study page as student material.
Recommended Level: A2–B1 | Lesson Length: 30–45 minutes (with options to expand to 60+)
1) Lesson Overview
- Theme: Kindness, trust, and friendship (“friends for life”).
- Skills: Listening, reading, speaking (fluency + accuracy), short writing.
- Outcome: Student can retell the story in simple English and discuss trust/friendship using examples.
Tutor tip: Keep the story page open (audio + text) in one tab and the Student Self-Study page open in another tab.
2) Materials
- Chapter 1 page (audio + story text)
- Student Self-Study lesson page (vocab + questions + prompts)
- Optional: student notebook / Google Doc for writing task
- Optional: Tutor Note on using the Student Writing Workbook
3) 30–45 Minute Lesson Flow
A) Warm-Up (3–5 minutes)
Ask 2–3 questions. Keep it conversational.
- Do you like dogs? Why or why not?
- Have you ever helped an animal or a stranger?
- What makes someone a “friend for life”?
Goal: Activate topic vocabulary (help, trust, friend, kind, hungry, tired, safe).
B) Pre-Teach Vocabulary (5–7 minutes)
Choose 6–8 items only. (Don’t overload.) Use quick definition + student sentence.
| Target Word/Phrase | Simple Meaning | Quick Prompt (Tutor Use) |
|---|---|---|
| foreman | a ranch leader / manager | “Who is the foreman at your job/school?” |
| herd | a group of animals (cattle) | “Is a herd small or large?” |
| creek | a small river | “Do you have creeks near where you live?” |
| warily | carefully; not trusting yet | “How do you look at a stranger warily?” |
| flicker of hope | a small sign of hope | “What gives people hope?” |
| trust was earned | trust takes time | “How do you earn trust?” |
Pronunciation tip: Drill “foreman,” “herd,” “creek,” “warily,” and “trust.” Keep it light: model → student repeat → short sentence.
C) First Listening (Big Idea) (4–6 minutes)
- Open the Chapter 1 page.
- Student listens once without reading (or reads very minimally).
- Ask: “In one sentence, what is this story mainly about?”
Expected big idea: Jake finds a hungry dog, helps him, and gains a loyal friend.
D) Read While Listening (8–12 minutes)
- Play audio again while the student reads along.
- Pause briefly after these moments:
- Jake turns the stray steers back to the herd
- Jake sees the dog near the creek
- Jake gives jerky + water
- Boone follows Jake back to the ranch
- Jake names the dog “Boone”
Mini-checks while pausing: “What just happened?” “How does Jake feel?” “How does the dog feel?”
E) Comprehension Q&A (6–10 minutes)
Use the student page questions. Student answers aloud first.
- If the student struggles, ask smaller guiding questions.
- Encourage complete sentences, but don’t over-correct.
Helpful follow-ups: “What detail tells us the dog is hungry?” “What does Jake do that shows kindness?”
F) Speaking Output (10–15 minutes)
Choose 2–3 prompts depending on time. Aim for 1–2 minutes per answer.
- Have you ever helped an animal or a stranger? What happened?
- Why is trust important in friendship?
- Describe a peaceful evening like the one at the end of the story.
- What kind of person is Jake Harmon?
- If you were Jake, what would you do next?
Fluency trick: After the student answers, ask: “Tell me again, but faster and simpler.” Then: “Tell me again with more details.”
G) Writing Task (Homework or In-Class) (5–10 minutes)
If there’s time, do it in class. If not, assign as homework.
- Option A: Write 5–8 sentences summarizing the story.
- Option B: Write about a time you found a “friend for life.”
- Option C: Continue the story: what happens the next morning with Boone?
4) Optional Expansions (for 60+ minutes)
A) Role-play (5–10 minutes)
- Scene: Jake meets Boone the next morning.
- Goal: Use simple dialogue: greetings, feelings, plans for the day.
B) Retell Challenge (5–10 minutes)
Student retells the story using this structure:
- Setting (where/when)
- Problem (stray steers + tired dog)
- Actions (Jake helps)
- Result (Boone stays)
- Lesson (trust + kindness)
C) Light Grammar Focus (Optional, 5 minutes)
- Past tense review: “Jake saw… Jake gave… Boone followed…”
- Descriptive adjectives: “dust-colored,” “sharp-eyed,” “tired,” “hungry”
5) Simple Wrap-Up Script (1–2 minutes)
End with a short summary and one final question:
Wrap-up: “Today’s story shows that kindness builds trust. Boone didn’t have much, but Jake helped him. That’s how friendship begins.”
Final question: “What was your favorite part of the story, and why?”