Recollection is an important aspect of Language Arts. Read "Harry the Dirty Dog" out loud in class. Once the story has been told, ask each pupil to recall and write down all the different ways that Harry the Dog managed to get himself dirty. The answers to these questions can be found within the book. They might include: "He played beside the road works," "he went down a coal shoot," "he played with other dogs." After this, ask the kids to write down different ways in which they have managed to get themselves dirty in the past. Perhaps they might relate to a few of Harry's antics.
When practicing Language Arts, it is important that pupils are able to practice their writing and composition skills. After reading "Harry the Dirty Dog," ask the pupils to create a "lost dog" poster. The posters should be based on Harry and written from the point of view of Harry's owner. The poster should include everything that the class has learned about Harry. This will include breed, color, name, size and anything else you can think of. Afterwards, ask them to write a paragraph explaining how they feel about Harry and what it would mean if he were found.
"Harry the Dirty Dog" includes some useful words and effective descriptions. Use the book to hone the vocabulary of your students. Discuss certain words in the book and the effect they have on the reader. For example, words like "buried" and "dashed." Ask the pupils to describe the words that you are able to identify and then act them out in the best way that they can.
The book is something with which many children can relate. Even if the idea of being clean is not an issue, most children will have experienced the need to run away from a problem they might be faced with. After reading, ask the pupils to form groups and discuss possible alternative solutions to Harry's problem. Ask them to come up with ways he might have avoided running away, while dealing with his problem at the same time. With this in mind, challenge each pupil to write down his alternative outcome, had Harry not run away.