Informational Reflection

Paulsen, G. (1998). My life in dog years. New York: Delacorte Press.

My Life in Dog Years is an autobiography written by Gary Paulsen with help from his wife Ruth Wright Paulsen.  This book was written to detail Paulsen’s life while exploring the different dogs he owned.   More specifically he details the relationship he had with each dog and the dog’s individual personality. The structure of this book is sequence.  This autobiography begins in the Philippines when Gary is seven years old.  Where he details his first dog.   The book then progress through his life in time order. My Life in Dog Years is written as a mix of biological science and social science.  This book is biological science because it deals with pets and living organisms, specifically Gary Paulsen’s dogs.  Also, I believe that this book is social science because it details Paulsen’s relationships with his dogs.  He gives the dogs human qualities, which contributes to my opinion that this is also a social science book. 

Big Question:  How has a relationship with an animal impacted your life?  How would your life have been different if you had not developed this relationship with the animal?

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Classroom Lessons:  Students could research information about the breeds of dogs that Gary Paulsen discusses in this book.  Then they could use what they learn about the breeds to explain some of the details Paulsen gives about the dog’s he owned.  For example; Paulsen discusses a farm collie that he believes is the smartest dog he has ever known.  Students can find information about collies that support Paulsen’s observation.