Emotional support alligator helps man with deep depression

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will dive into the unique and heartwarming story of Joe Henney and his emotional support alligator, Wally, who helped Joe overcome deep depression. The featured video captures Joe's journey, showing how Wally became a source of comfort and companionship. Through vocabulary activities, students will learn key terms related to emotional support, animal behavior, and mental health, while comprehension is checked with true/false and multiple-choice questions focusing on the details of the story.

Class discussions encourage students to share their thoughts on the bond between humans and animals, whether wild animals like alligators can be emotional support pets, and how emotional support animals can help with stress and sadness. A role-playing activity allows students to discuss their choices of unusual emotional support animals, fostering creativity and communication.

To conclude, the independent writing task asks students to reflect on an unusual animal they believe would make the perfect emotional support animal, persuading others with clear reasons and examples. This lesson combines storytelling, critical thinking, and personal reflection, all while emphasizing the importance of emotional support and mental well-being.