Dialogue Lesson Plan

Lesson: Writing Dialogue
By: Nano Wrimo's Young Writers Program
Primary Subject: Language Arts
Grade Level: Middle School

OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• identify dialogue in a novel.
• understand that dialogue is what happens when two or more characters talk to one another.
• understand that dialogue is set apart from the rest of the text in a novel with quotation marks.
  

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Copies of the "How to Write Really Good Dialogue" worksheet, one for each student
• Familiar story books or chapter books that include dialogue
  
• One "Comic Strip Worksheet" for each student
• Crayons, markers, and/or colored pencils

STEP 1 of LESSON:

1. Ask, “What is dialogue anyway?” If students have enough ideas, create a definition as a class. Otherwise, tell students the following definition and write it on the board:

Definition: Dialogue is what happens when two or more characters talk to one another. The exact words they speak are put between quotation marks.

2. Say, “When authors write dialogue they use quotation marks. Quotation marks show when a character starts and stops talking.” Write "quotation marks" on the board along with a few example sentences using quotation marks.

STEP 2 of LESSON:

1. Take out one of the books you have read as a class. Model how to skim through the book and look for dialogue. Say, “Quotations marks are a clue that you can use to spot where dialogue takes place in novels. Today we’re going to try to spot the dialogue in some of our books.”

2. Pass out books to your students and have them go on a “dialogue hunt.” When students find dialogue, they can raise their hand and read it (or you can read it) to the class. Have students explain who is speaking in each section of dialogue and how they know.

STEP 3 of LESSON:

1. Hand out a "Blank Comic Strip" worksheet to each student. Say, "In comic strips, authors write dialogue by using speech bubbles.”

2. Say, “Today, your job is to write dialogue for comic strips. Try to write dialogue by using speech bubbles to show when your characters are talking. The comic strip will star your main character and his sidekick/supporting character.” It might be helpful to create an example of a filled-in comic strip you can show your class before they begin, and to suggest a conversation topic (e.g., "Have your characters talk about their favorite foods."). Make sure your students put quotation marks around the dialogue, and instruct them to write words before drawing speech bubbles to ensure that the bubbles will fit the words they write. Walk around the room and help anyone that seems stuck. Note: For younger kids, or if you are writing a collaborative novel, have students dictate dialogue to you so you can write it out on the board.

3. Hand out supplies for drawing and coloring, and encourage students to color their characters and the background of their comic strips in after they finish writing their dialogue.

4. Ask a few kids to read their strips aloud in front of the class.

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This is a fun way to teach dialogue.

What was GOOD about this lesson?

• This lesson provides the teacher with thorough instructions on how to model for the student and how to observe the students as they work.
• This lesson comes with a helpful worksheet for students to use as a guide while they work.
  
• This lesson gives students a fun way to learn how to use quotation marks with dialogue, which is a very challenging task for many students.
  

What would I do to IMPROVE this lesson?

• Require students to complete a homework assignment based on this activity to help them better retain the information.
  
• Also teach students about where the comma goes when using quotation marks. I would use the YouTube video below to help me teach this.