McKenna McGough and Winter – An Unusual Friendship, An Inspiring Lesson

McKenna McGough is a typical 9-year-old girl, with one exception – she has hearing loss and needs to wear a hearing aid. McKenna used to hate wearing her hearing aid because it made her feel self-conscious. But that changed after McKenna went to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. There, she met a dolphin named Winter…….

Winter is a typical dolphin, with one exception – she has no tail. When Winter was a baby, the aquarium found her in a crab trap and rescued her. When they found her, her tail had been so damaged by the crab trap that it soon fell off. But without a tail, Winter might die. And so Winter became only the second dolphin in the world to get a prosthetic tail! Now Winter can swim, dance, and play just like the other dolphins in the aquarium. And when McKenna saw Winter in action, it made her feel better about wearing her hearing aid. Winter inspired McKenna to use her hearing aid so she could live her life to the fullest! This video tells all about Winter.

Additional Resources:

• This video shows how Winter inspired another disabled girl.

• Check out Winter’s website.

Topics for Discussion:

• Have you ever felt self-conscious about something? Did it limit you in any way?
• Do you know anybody who needs to a hearing aid, a wheelchair or something else? How do you think they feel about needing to use an aid? What can you do to help them feel better so they can live their life to the fullest?

Take Action:

• When you’re with someone who uses a physical aid, show them that you care about them, not their aid!
• Learn more about the physical aids people use and how those aids allow them to lead full lives!

Teacher Features:

• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.