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Scriptwriting Skill Module: Dialogue
What is dialogue? What must it contain? Use this plan to discuss dialogue with your emerging writers. They write a dialogue in script form to dramatize a conversation. Dialogue examples are included.
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Character Attributes in Writing
Third graders analyze the importance of characters in fiction writing and performances. In this theatre lesson, 3rd graders identify the important characteristics of a fictional character and how to portray a character through many...
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Cross-Cultural Dialogue Lesson
Students read and analyze a personal narrative written about a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English in Guinea-Bissau, Africa. They discuss the concept of crossing cultures, analyze maps, complete worksheets, and develop a writing...
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Imagine That!
Enter the fantastical world of "Dungeons and Dragons" and other role-playing games with this lesson from The New York Times. Middle schoolers create the outline for a role-playing game based on their own community. Then, they...
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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Using Graphology to Teach Traditional Writing
Introduce your class to the narrative, descriptive and expository forms of writing. In groups, they discuss the personality of the author while graphing the characteristics after reading different examples from the same writer. To end...
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Writing Folktales
Students consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills instructional activity, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Students then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as...
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Julian Secret Agent: Commas
Your class participates in a variety of shared reading and writing activities related to the book Julian Secret Agent. They complete a class story chart, examine how to use punctuation for dialogue, write an alternative...
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Doctor DeSoto's Foxy Persuasion
Who is Doctor DeSoto? Start by playing a video clip (included). Discuss different methods of persuasion, and then analyze two different persuasive letter examples. What should your class be looking for? Send them off to work in groups...
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Precise Vocabulary
Students complete acting exercises as a part of a precise language activity to help them build vocabulary and improve their descriptive writing skills. In this theatre and writing lesson, students create and act out a sentence with two...
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Gender Separate Dialogue Groups
Students complete studies to learn about tolerance for gender groups. In this gender study lesson plan, students are divided into gender groups and discuss how it feels to be grouped that way. Students brainstorm messages about what it...
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Interpreting Political Cartoons in the History Classroom
Learners analyze political cartoons. In this historical perspectives lesson plan, students use the provided cartoon analysis worksheet to examine the political cartoons that their instructor shares with them.
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Story Writing
Students examine story writing. In this writing lesson, students discuss the structure of a story and create a story using suspense and character description with dialogue.
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Creating Characters
Students examine the methods of effective characterization. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss how emotions, dialogue, actions, and physical descriptions build believable characters. Students then use the methods of...
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Cross-Cultural Dialogue Lesson
Students view situations from more than their own point of view. They use the incidents in the author's story to explore the concept of crossing cultures and reflect on what it is like to feel like an outsider (in the way that the author...
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Writing Myths
Students read and write myths. In this world mythology instructional activity, students read and analyze myths from various cultures and then recognize their attributes as they write their own myths that explain natural phenomena.
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Fractured Families in American Drama
Students compare and contrast the flawed families in two plays. In this American drama lesson plan, students read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Long Day's Journey into Night. Students research information about the playrights and examine the...
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Creating Transitions
Fourth graders analyze the use of transitions in text. In this transitions lesson, 4th graders determine how and why a transition is used at a specific time in a piece of writing. They show transitions by using movements before...
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Writing About Art: Comparing Portraits
Students write a composition comparing and contrasting two portraits. In this comparing and contrasting instructional activity, students will observe two portraits and compare them through their writing. They then will write a letter to...
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Reading the Movies: Another Approach To Teaching Critical Thinking Skills And Writing
Students explore the elements of film to analyze character, action, and the themes in the movie, "Quiz Show." The lesson encourages students to make personal connections and real life applications as they view the movie, critically.
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Sharing Their Stories: Native American Literature and Culture in 19th Century America
Young scholars investigate Native American culture reading and writing about early Native American authors. They listen to an expert to extend their understanding of the culture.
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"Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters"
Fifth graders read and analyze the books "Snow White in New York" and "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter." They analyze the characteristics of the characters in each story, write thoughts of characters in speech bubbles, and write a letter to...
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The Dialogues of Difference
Students research the 1067 Newark riots and examine photographs of the riots for clues as to when they were taken and what was going on. They view different historical perspectives on the riots and then write dialogues based on the...
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Bless Me, Ultima: Dialogue Journals
Tenth graders read Chapter 1 of the novel "Bless Me, Ultima" and respond to the text. They answer and ask questions and record their impressions of different aspects of the book in a dialogue journal format with a partner. Students...