A dog is the man’s best friend

Topic: Unusual Friendship

Level Lower-intermediate

Lead-in

Focus students’ attention on the picture:

What famous saying does it illustrate?

A dog is the man’s best friend

Do you agree or disagree? Have you ever had a pet that was your friend? If no, what animal would make a good friend for you?

Spend some time discussing students’ pets.

Task 1

Focus on the title: Joao and Dindim: The Story of Unusual Friendship

Elicit ideas:

Who are Joao and Dindim?

Where are they from?

Why is their friendship unusual?

Don’t check answers at this point.

Task 2

Start reading the text. The students have to guess the next word (words in red). Divide them into pairs/teams if necessary.

Award points:

3 points - they name the exact word

2 points - synonym

1 point - the same part of speech

In 2011 on a beach in Brazil, 71 year old fisherman Joao Pereira de Souza found a tiny penguin covered in oil and close to death.

Joao took the penguin home, cleaned his feathers and fed the bird sardines over the next few days.

Dindim stayed outside while Joao nursed him back to health.

When Dindim seemed strong enough Joao took him to a nearby island and released him into the sea.

Later that day, the old man heard squeaking in his backyard. The penguin had returned and was calling out for him!

This has happened every year since then. Dindim returns in late June and stays with Joao until mid-February.

Count the points. Check the guesses from Task 1.

NB: If necessary check the meaning of the following words while reading: oil, feathers, nurse back to health, squeak.