The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan is a heartwarming story about a unique friendship between two animals who are both learning that they are loved, needed, and right where they belong.
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Chase is a baby cheetah growing up at a zoo without other cheetahs to keep her company. Finnegan is a lost dog carrying a painful secret. He believes he is a bad dog who ruins everything. When the two animals finally meet, their friendship helps Chase become braver and Finnegan begin to understand that he deserves to be loved.
Jasmine Warga’s The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan gives young readers lots to think and talk about, including friendship, fear, belonging, self doubt, animal care, and conservation. This study guide pairs the story with real-world connections, including the true story that inspired the novel, fascinating facts about both dogs and cheetahs, and more.
This novel study covers dozens of second grade ELA standards but could easily be used for third or fourth grade students as well.
Students will practice making inferences, identifying main ideas, using context clues, comparing stories, summarizing chapters, discussing a text, presenting an oral narrative, reading with expression, navigating an informational website, and much more.
This complete novel study includes everything you need to study The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan in your homeschool, except a copy of the novel itself, of course! Inside you will find:
- Discussion and comprehension questions
- Vocabulary and context clue practice
- Informational text analysis
- Real-world reading about dogs, cheetahs, veterinarians, animal care, and conservation
- Speaking and listening practice
- Inference, summarizing, and story comparison activities
- A guided internet research activity
- An ice cream-making project (It’s Finn’s favorite!)
- Optional videos and online resources
- and more!
The guide is designed to take approximately 33–35 days, with about one chapter and its accompanying activities completed each day. Families can read the novel in whatever way works best: a parent can read aloud, the student can read independently, or parent and student can take turns.
In addition to this study guide, you will need:
- A copy of The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan by Jasmine Warga
- Internet access or a QR code reader for the linked videos and cheetah research activity
- Access to the Disney animated short Feast through YouTube, Disney+, your library, or another source
- Ingredients for the optional ice cream-making activity
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This guide is a great fit for early to upper elementary students who love animals, heartfelt stories, and hands-on learning, and for parents looking for a rich, standards-based novel study that encourages children to think deeply without losing the joy of the story.