Gift Of The Sacred Dog
From Reading Rainbow · 1983
29 minK1st2nd3rdReading & Writing (ELA)Social Studies
Summary
Paul Goble's picture book tells how the Great Spirit sent horses — the Sacred Dogs — to the Plains people. LeVar Burton explores how horses transformed life for Native American communities on the Great Plains.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
A Plains tribe prays for help, and the Great Spirit sends horses.
- Why do the people call horses the "Sacred Dogs"?
- How did horses change everyday life for the Plains people?
- What does this story teach about gratitude and community?
- How is this story similar to or different from other stories where people receive a gift from a higher power?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: Sacred Dog, Great Plains, tribe, buffalo, gratitude.
Try it: Write two ways that horses changed life for the Plains people. Then write one thing you are grateful for in your own life.