Unit 1 – “The
Last Dog”
Learning Goals
Read for comprehension and analysis, with
a focus on plot, setting, conflict and
vocabulary.
Unit 1 Objectives
•
identify stages of plot
 • analyze plot development
 • identify internal and external conflict
 • analyze and evaluate setting
Review - What drives a
story? Review:
 Setting
 Characters
 Conflict
Review - What drives a
story? Review:
 Setting
is the time and place of the
action.
 Characters are the people, animals, or
imaginary creatures that take part in a
story.
 • Conflict is a struggle between different
forces.

A conflict can be external or internal.
Stages of Plot
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Resolution
Stages of Plot

Exposition
Stages of Plot

Exposition


• Introduces the setting and the
characters
• Sets up or hints at the conflict
Stages of Plot

rising action
Stages of Plot

rising action



• Shows how the conflict unfolds and
becomes more complicated
• Builds suspense
(suspense is a feeling of growing tension
and excitement)
Stages of Plot

Climax
Stages of Plot

Climax


• Is the most exciting moment and the
turning point
• Often results in a change for the main
character
Stages of Plot

falling action
Stages of Plot

falling action



• Reveals how the main character
begins to resolve the conflict
• Eases suspense (What’s suspense?)*
(suspense is a feeling of growing tension
and excitement)
Stages of Plot

Resolution
Stages of Plot

Resolution


• Ties up loose ends
• Sometimes offers an unexpected twist
before the story ends
Stages of Plot

Plot diagram

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials
/plot-diagram/
Share
After Reading
Literary Terms
 Setting
 Flashback
 Science
fiction
Literary Terms
 Setting
– time and place of the action
 Flashback – a scene from an earlier time
 Science fiction – combines real scientific
information with imagination to create an
altered universe.
Reading Strategy
 Identify
Sequence – the order of events.
Reading Strategy
Identify Sequence
Read “The Last Dog”
Page 42
Remember to “identify sequence.”
Avoiding Run-Ons
 Run-on
– Consists of two or more
sentences written as if they were one
sentence
 End mark – punctuation that separates
one sentence from another by ending a
complete thought
 Comma – shows a slight pause, and
avoids confusion, but does not signal the
end to one thought and the start of
another.
Avoiding Run-Ons
 Fuzed
Sentence – is a word group
containing two or more sentences that
are run together without any punctuation.
 Comma Splice – consists of two or more
sentences separated by a comma
instead of a period or semicolon (:).
Reading Check
1. Where does Brock live?
In a dome.
2. Why is it strange for Brock to leave where he lives
to conduct research?
Only deviants had been rumored to “go
outside” and they never returned.
3. What has the puppy lost that Brock never had?
Its mother.
. . .continued
Reading Check
4. Why do the scientists want to clone Brog ?
They think he is the last dog, and they
want to keep the line going for future
generations.
5. What do Brock and Brog do at the end of the
story?
They leave the dome with no plans to
return.
After Reading
Comprehension
1. RECALL What is the main reason Victor wants to take French?
Victor wants to take French because Teresa is
taking it.
2. RECALL How does Victor respond when Teresa talks to him
after homeroom?
Victor can’t look at her and says something
awkward.
. . .continued
After Reading
Comprehension
continued
3. SUMMARIZE Explain the events that happen after Victor tells
Mr. Bueller that he speaks French.
Victor makes up some words and says them in a
French accent. Mr. Bueller knows the truth but doesn’t
say anything. After class, Teresa is impressed with
Victor and wants to study with him.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
1. Recall What did Brock do while his podfellows
played virtual games? How did this activity affect
him?
He read ancient fictions, which made him
curious about the outside world.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
2. Identify Setting In what ways is the dome a
controlled environment?
The atmospheric conditions, food intake, and
water usage are regulated. People’s movements in
and out of the dome are monitored. Even the
process of having and raising children is
controlled in a laboratory. In addition, the control
seems to extend to emotions. People show little
evidence of bonding with each other and rarely
display extreme feelings.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
3. Key Idea: Companionship What does the puppy
demand from Brock that he has never had to give
to anyone in the dome?
The puppy needs to be taken care of, whereas
the inhabitants of the dome are self-sufficient. The
puppy also seems to need Brock’s
companionship and compassion.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
4. Identify Sequence What did Brock have to do
before being allowed to leave the dome?
He had to receive permission and undergo an
interview with the podmaster and someone from
Research. He had to be outfitted with equipment.
He had to be taught how to use a scanner.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
5. Key Idea: Companionship In what way does Brog’s
companionship help Brock become a more
complete human being?
Brock develops a sense of commitment and
responsibility, two aspects of his character
untapped before he found Brog. He must be
resourceful to find a solution to the problem of
saving Brog. He acts courageously and unselfishly
when he implements his plan, which will force him
to live in the outside world. He learns what it is to
love another creature and be willing to sacrifice for
it.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
6. Compare and Contrast Setting In what ways will life
outside the dome be more challenging than life
within the dome?
Brock will have to find his own food and make
his own shelter. He will have to contend with the
elements of weather and terrain. He will have to
learn new skills. Inside the dome, everything is
provided for him.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
7. Analyze Plot Why does the story end where it
does?
The major conflict has been resolved.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
8. Evaluate Character Is Brock a deviant? Why or why
not?
Yes. A deviant is someone who deviates, or
turns away, from the acceptable behavior of dome
dwellers. In other words, anyone who is not
content with life inside the dome is a deviant.
Brock is not content. He thinks there is more to life
and sets out to find it.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
9. Analyze Setting Does the author portray the future
positively or negatively? Support your answer
with details from the text?
The author portrays the future negatively.
Dome life is seen as sterile and barren. Inhabitants
eat pills instead of food. There is nothing real or
messy about the way the dome dwellers live. Their
pets are robots, and most experiences have been
reduced to virtual reality. They survive but do not
truly live. Efficiency has taken the place of human
emotions, as shown when the dome dwellers let
Brock go to his apparent death without concern.
. . .continued
Additional Selection Questions
10. Key Idea: Companionship What theme is conveyed
through Brock’s willingness to sacrifice for his
canine companion?
Without relationships, life is sterile and barren.
Relationships make life worth living.
Discussion Prompts
Connect
1. Lines 59-70 What are some ways to satisfy your
curiosity about unknown places or experiences?
Students may say that they ask questions, do
research, or investigate for themselves.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Apply
2. Lines 59-70 Why did reading books such as The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn make Brock
curious about the outside world?
Possible answer: Brock says that the
characters’ “insides were very loud” (line 66). In
other words, the characters seemed to have much
more of an emotional life than the people Brock
knows in the dome. Brock became curious about
the world that produced these vivid characters.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Evaluate
3. Lines 59-70 Is Brock fulfilled by his life in the
dome? How do you know?
Possible answer: No, he is not fulfilled. Brock
keeps going back to these stories because he
longs for something beyond what the dome can
offer. He seems to feel there should be more to
life.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Connect
4. Lines 115-129 Have you ever visited a place that is
very different from your home? Was the
experience more exciting or more fearsome?
Students may say that they felt many different
emotions, depending on the experience.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Analyze
5. Lines 115-129 In what way is nature outside the
dome different from what Brock has been taught?
Possible answer: He has been taught that the
world outside cannot support life. However, he
has found living trees (line 115) and a flowing
brook (line 126) not far from the dome.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Evaluate
6. Lines 115-129 Why do you think dome scientists
and leaders have not updated their information
about the outside environment?
Possible answer: The dome leaders do not
want to lose members of their population to the
outside world. The dome dwellers are imprisoned
by their fear of what might be outside. They are
too comfortable inside the dome.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Connect
7. Lines 253-267 Think about a time when you had to
request permission for something very important
to you. How do those thoughts help you
understand Brock’s feelings toward the officials
during the quarantine inspection?
Students might say that although Brock may
have been nervous, he needed to be assertive and
persuasive for the puppy’s sake.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Analyze
8. Lines 253-267 How do the inspectors react to
Brog? Why do you think they react this way?
Possible answer: The inspectors are nervous
at first but then become interested in Brog. The
puppy is much more alive and interactive than a
robopet. The puppy may inspire in them the same
warm, protective feelings that Brock has toward it.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Synthesize
9. Lines 253-267 How does the chief inspector’s
decision affect the story?
Possible answer: Brog is allowed to stay, so
Brock will have more time to study and get to
know the puppy.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Connect
10. Lines 297-313 What do people find rewarding
about the process of training a pet?
Students may say that training a pet helps
people learn more about their animal and how to
handle it. They may also say that watching an
animal learn a skill is fun.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Analyze
11. Lines 297-313 Why is Brog better than a robopet
in Brock’s mind?
Possible answer: Although a robopet is
always obedient, it has no personality or feelings.
Brog may not always follow commands, but she
can show affection and other emotions.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Synthesize
12. Lines 297-313 How is the growing bond between
Brog and Brock unusual in the dome society?
How might the dome dwellers respond to this
bond?
Possible answer: Life within the dome is very
controlled. Emotions do not have a place in the
society. Therefore, the affection and loyalty
growing between Brock and Brog may be
perceived as a threat.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Connect
13. Lines 404-413 Have you ever made a decision that
was not popular with your family or a group of
friends? How do those thoughts help you
understand Brock’s behavior toward the
researchers?
Possible answer: Students may say that going
against group mentality is difficult and feels
strange. To do what is right for oneself takes
courage and determination.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Analyze
14. Lines 404-413 How do the scientists act as Brock
is leaving the dome? What does this suggest
about relationships among people in the dome?
Possible answer: No one seems sad or
concerned that Brock is leaving. People in the
dome probably do not have caring personal
relationships with each other.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Synthesize
15. Lines 404-413 Based on the scientists’ reaction,
what has become most important to the people
living in the dome?
Possible answer: Survival has become most
important. It is valued even above knowledge and
love.
Discussion Prompts
Connect
1. Reading For Information Did you know that robotic
pets had been invented? What is your opinion of
real-life robopets?
Students may say that they were unaware of
this technological advance. They may not like the
idea of robopets but might be able to understand
their usefulness in society. After reading this
article, some may think that robopets can be cute
and even lovable to a certain extent.
. . .continued
Discussion Prompts
Evaluate
3. Reading For Information Do you think the use of
robotic pets is the first step toward a society like
the one described in “The Last Dog”? Explain.
Possible answers:
• No. Using robotic pets in a limited way will not
erase people’s love for real animal companions.
• Yes. Because of cell phones, video conferencing,
and automated services at many businesses, our
society is already becoming impersonal and
sterile. This use of robotic pets could indicate a
further disturbing trend.