Lassie Come-Home By Rosemare Wells and  Susan Jeffers

                        This CyberLesson was created by Laura Ridge
                                               (This lesson is recommended for the 6th grade reader.)
 

Materials Needed for this Lesson:
The Book, Lassie Come-Home, by Rosemare Wells and Susan Jeffers
Computer with internet access
Paper
Pencil
 

        This is a story about the love between a dog named Lassie, and a young boy named Joe.  Lassie endured many obstacles, including illness and near death suffering, in order to be reunited with Joe.  Lassie had an unrelenting love and drive to return to Joe, and Joe never stopped hoping that believing that Lassie would return.
 

  Before Reading

        Lassie was a Collie.  A Collie is a long haired dog, originally used for shepherding in  England and Scotland.   Learn about the characteristics of a collie.

        There are many different breeds of Collie.  Lassie was a rough collie.

        The story of Lassie Come-Home takes place in England and Scotland.  After being separated from her master, Lassie traveled over many miles of rough terrain, before she finally arrived home.  She traveled from The Duke of Rudlings Castle in Northern Scotland to Southern England, South Yorkshire, which is part of the United Kingdom.  Look at a map to see where the story took place, and see how far Lassie traveled.
 

  During Reading

        While reading, you can check the meaning or pronunciation of a word by looking the word up on the on-line Word Central Dictionary.
 

  After Reading

        Joe experienced the sad and lonely feelings that come from losing his dog.  We also experience those same type of feelings when we lose a pet or a person we love.  The sadness we feel when we experience a loss is natural, but we need to know ways to handle these feelings.  Click on Loss to see how children have handled the loss of their pet.

       What ideas do you have about how you might deal with the loss of a pet or someone you love? Write a short essay sharing your own feelings.  You may use the word processor on your computer or write with pencil and paper.

       Eric Knight is the author of the original classic, Lassie Come-Home, first published as a short story in 1938, and as a novel (in 1940).  

        Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have written and illustrated a new edition of Lassie Come-Home, especially for young readers.  Rosemare Wells is an award winning author and illustrator of fifty children's books.  Susan Jeffers is an internationally acclaimed artist and Caldecot Honoree.  She is an illustrator and award winner for many children's books, among them Black Beauty, Hiawatha, Abbey, and many more.

        In 1943, the classic movie, based on the well known novel, Lassie Come-Home, was released.

        Later Lassie became a popular, well known television show.  The reruns of Lassie may still be viewed on some cable television networks, such as Nickelodeon.  On The Unofficial Lassie Web Site you can find out about the Lassie television show and it's star, Jon Provost. Many additional stories have been written about Lassie.  Many movies and television shows have also been made.  
 

  Fun After Reading Activities

        If you are a dog lover you might want to check out the Kids and Dogs Web Site, to read about many topics concerning dogs.

        Lassie may have felt as if she were in a maze, as she struggled to find her way home.  She met with obstacles, that sometimes caused her to make detours along the way.  If you enjoy mazes, click on Maze, and pretend you are Lassie trying to get home.  Select the difficulty level you want to try, then click on "New Maze".