STUDENTS: These four stories paint a picture of how animals act and feel. There are many times when people are heroes, cry for those they miss, and call each other names or laugh at their own jokes. Aren’t there also times when animals do the same?

Read the next four stories, and think about how the animals felt. Have you ever felt the same way? At the end of each story, write down how you think the animals were feeling in these stories. Then, follow your teacher’s instructions to write about a time when you felt the way these animals did and how those feelings made you act.

TEACHERS: These four adapted stories illustrate how animals experience feelings and act on them the same way humans do. Ask the students to read the stories in small groups or read them as a class. Discuss the way animals must have been feeling in the stories and why they acted the way they did. Then, ask the students to tell about times when they have had similar feelings and how they acted.

For each story, have the students write one to three memories of having felt the way the animals in these stories did. Ask them to pick their favorite or most interesting memory and to write a paragraph telling about the memory and explaining why their behavior was similar to that of the animal(s). These stories can be compiled into a wonderful classroom book. The students may want to contribute more than one memory.

This extension of Share the World can be used as a single writing activity or as a springboard to a related reading unit. If you wish to make it a complete unit, begin the activity by telling the students that they will be reading and learning about animals. After the activity above, allow students to select a book for a book report from the bibliography provided at the end of this unit. Assign an oral report in which the students tell what the book was about and read aloud one short passage that illustrates an animal showing his or her feelings. Students might also enjoy sharing their memory paragraphs in this format.

Priscilla, a 2-month-old piglet, saves a young boy from drowning.

Adapted from Real Animal Heroes by Paul Drew
Stevens. Chico, Calif.: Sharp & Dunnigan, 1989.

One hot July day in 1984, Carol Burk and her 11-year-old son, Anthony, went swimming in Texas’ Lake Somerville. They were joined by Priscilla, a 22-pound, 2-month-old piglet they had raised. Priscilla loved the water and was a great swimmer, but Anthony, a mentally handicapped child, was not.

For hours, Anthony, his mother, and Priscilla played hide-and-seek in the shallow waters. Finally, Anthony tired and his mom turned to get ready to leave. When she turned back, Anthony was far out in the water, struggling. She started swimming toward him, and so did Priscilla. Despite being very tired from swimming all day, the little pig reached Anthony first. He grabbed for her halter and leash. In his panic he pulled too hard and went under, this time taking Priscilla with him!

Now both Anthony and Priscilla were drowning and he weighed almost four times more than she did. Priscilla struggled to get to the surface of the water. Finally, with enormous effort, she succeeded. With Anthony clinging to her small body, Priscilla swam back to shore.

Priscilla, like all pigs, has a very long memory. Years after the rescue, she still became upset whenever she saw young children playing near the water. For her heroism, Priscilla was honored with a “Priscilla the Pig” day in Houston, Texas.