🌲Second mission: let's go to the park 🌲

 

Hello explorers! Are you ready for an adventure? Today, we are going to the park! 🌳

    

What is your favorite park in Madrid? Do you like Retiro Park? Madrid has beautiful parks with lots of trees, and today we are visiting Retiro Park to meet a dog with a big personality! 

Meet Higgins:

Your Explorer Tools:

Before we start, learn these "Magic Words":

• Leash: The rope for the walk. 🦮

• Treat: A yummy cookie for a good dog! 🦴

• Bark: The "Woof Woof" sound! 🗣️

Can you match the words with the pictures?

🎧 Listen to the Podcast

Click below and listen to Higgins and his human, Heather. Listen closely: Is Higgins a happy dog?

👉 Good dog, Higgins!

 

Now listen again and every time you hear the dog thinking, bark!

🏆 The Higgins Challenge!

Are you an expert explorer? Read these sentences. Are they True (T) or False (F)?

1. Higgins is a dog. 🐾

2. He barks at the door. 🚪

3. He barks because he wants to walk. 👟

4. The sun is out, but rain is coming! 🌧️

5. Higgins sees a bird in the garden. 🐦

6. The tennis ball is clean and new. 🎾

7. Higgins loves his doggie treats! 😋

8. They see Grandma at the end. 👴

🎨 Become an Artist!

Now, work with your partner. Draw a Comic Strip! What happens next? Does Higgins find a cat? Does he find a pizza? You decide! ✨

You can work on the template I have given you:

When you finish your comic, explain it to the couple sitting on your right.

Then, we will post all your comics in a post so we can all see your fantastic work!!

Notes for the teacher:

Due to the current Decree 64/2025 in the Community of Madrid, when working with electronic devices students can not work individually. This is the reason why this activity and all of the activities proposed in this blog, are directed to pairs of students who will be working together to complete the challenges. 

This post will be used the last 30 minutes of a session, again, in pairs.

This activity is designed to help 4th graders practice listening in a fun way, while listening to the Podcast about Higgins' story. By introducing words like leash and treat first, we help students feel confident before the listening starts. The story of Higgins is perfect for this age group because it uses a clear voice for the dog, helping students understand the story through his feelings and actions, like barking at the door or seeing a bird in the garden.

When students work in pairs to answer the True/False questions, they help each other understand the details, such as the weather changing or what Higgins thinks of his dirty tennis ball. This, in turns, provides students the opportunity to work on their oral productive skills in a friendly and confident environment, reducing some of the pressure. 

The comic strip activity lets students show what they have learned by drawing a new ending. This allows every child to participate and be creative and, by explaining their new ending to another pair of students, it offers another opportunity to practice their speaking skills in a relaxed way.