STUDENT DIRECTIONS- Use of Service Dogs

The trainer and dog handler of a service dog in your area came to your school to introduce her dog, Champ, and give a presentation on what dogs can do to help humans. Once she left, your classmates became very animated, discussing how so few people really know the benefits of dogs beyond being great pets. Your teacher decides to take you to the library to conduct more research and you come back with these sources.

After you have reviewed these sources, you will answer some questions. Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read the sources carefully so you will have the information you will need to answer the questions and complete your research. You may use scratch paper to take notes.

Your Assignment:

Now that you have completed the research on the effectiveness of dogs as service animals, your teacher has assigned you with the task of writing an explanatory article about the most critical characteristics and benefits of dogs as service animals. The audience for your article will be the students, teachers, and parents reading the published journal.

Using more than one source, develop a thesis/controlling statement to explain the effectiveness of dogs as service animals. Once you have a thesis/controlling statement, select the most relevant information from more than one source to support your thesis/controlling idea. Then, write a multi-paragraph explanatory article explaining your thesis/controlling idea. Clearly organize your article and elaborate your ideas. Unless quoting directly from the sources, use your own words. Be sure to reference the source title or number when quoting or paraphrasing details or facts from sources.

Explanatory Article Scoring:

Your explanatory article will be scored using the following:

1. Organization/purpose: How well did you state your thesis/controlling idea, and maintain your thesis/controlling idea with a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end? How well did you narrow your thesis/controlling idea so you can develop and elaborate the conclusion? How effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
2. Evidence/elaboration: How well did you integrate relevant information from the sources? How well did you elaborate your ideas? How well did you clearly state ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose?
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage, punctuation, capitalization and spelling?

Now begin work on your explanatory article. Manage your time carefully so that you can

• Plan your multi-paragraph explanatory article.
• Write your multi-paragraph explanatory article.
• Revise and edit the final draft of your multi-paragraph explanatory article.

Word-processing tools and spell check are available to you.

For Part 2, you are being asked to write a multi-paragraph explanatory article, so please be as thorough as possible. Type your response in the space provided. The box will expand as you type.

Remember to check your notes and your prewriting/planning as you write and then revise and edit your explanatory article.