Course/Grade:
Writing/Fourth Grade
Common Core
Standard
Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
Standard 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach.
Standard 10: Write routinely over extended time frames
(time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
DESK
L e s s o n
Title
Author / Source
Submitted by
Objectives
What will students
know and be able to
do at the end of this
lesson?
Lesson Description
Susan Kagie REVISING BY ADDING DIALOGUE TO A STORY
Susan Kagie / Buffalo Point Elementary
Students will learn how to include dialogue to a narrative to develop experiences and
events or show the responses of characters to situations. Students will read their story
to a peer(s). Students will provide feedback to each other.
Explicitly teach the conventions of dialogue in a narrative. Share the mentor text
example focusing on the dialogue. Model adding dialogue to your story. Think aloud
as you model choosing where and why you’re adding dialogue. Students give
feedback. Show more examples if necessary. Students add dialogue to their narratives.
Students give feedback to their partner(s).
*This lesson (skill) should be taught and practiced repeatedly until student
mastery (independence) is demonstrated.
Lesson Materials
and Resources,
Technology
Overhead Projector or Web Cam
Narrative Draft
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis (text is found in Common Core Appendix B pp.
48-49)
Dialogue Example (included)
Direct Instruction:
Instructional
Activities
Explicitly teach that dialogue is a technique used in narratives 1) to develop
experiences and events and 2) to show the responses of characters to situations.
Learning how to use dialogue effectively is important to writers because it is a
technique that leads to stronger writing. (You may also need to teach the
conventions of dialogue in a narrative - punctuation and paragraphing, though
the focus of this lesson is on the effect of dialogue in a narrative.)
Use Mentor Texts: Look at the dialogue example from Bud, Not Buddy
(included with this lesson plan). Discuss how the author used dialogue 1) to
develop experiences and events and 2) to show the responses of characters to
situations. [You may want to do this activity with other mentor texts as well.]
Page 1 of 4
Written by S. Kagie ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012
Teacher Model:
Display your narrative. Think aloud as you decide which parts of the narrative could
be strengthened by adding dialogue. Emphasize the two purposes for adding dialogue.
(I can add dialogue at this part of the story to develop this experience or event . . . I
can add dialogue here to show how the character reacted . . .)
Guided Practice:
Choose another part of your narrative or a different piece of narrative writing. Engage
students in discussing which parts could be strengthened by adding dialogue (the
experiences/events could be developed further through dialogue, or the characters’
reactions could be highlighted with dialogue). Elicit student input as together you add
dialogue to the narrative.
Independent Practice:
Students identify a piece of their narrative writing which could be strengthened by
adding dialogue. They add dialogue to their narratives.
Formative
Assessment
How will I check for
understanding?
How will students
show what they
know?
While students are writing, teacher circulates throughout the room providing teacher
support and feedback.
After writing, peers provide feedback. (Remind students about how to give feedback compliment to validate, then one comment or question. Suggestion: students provide
feedback as to whether or not the dialogue helps develop experiences/events in the
narrative or shows responses of characters to situations.)
After writing, teacher conferences with individual students.
Extending the
Lesson
What are ways to
reteach the
objectives?
What are ways to
enrich the lesson?
Provide small group reteaching of lesson for students who struggle with language
activities (i.e., ELL). Provide support to these students in adding dialogue to their
narratives.
Page 2 of 4
Written by S. Kagie ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012
DIALOGUE EXAMPLE from BUD, NOT BUDDY
PURPOSES OF DIALOGUE
1) TO DEVELOP EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS
2) TO SHOW THE RESPONSES OF CHARACTERS TO SITUATIONS
EXAMPLE
Shoot! She stopped at me and s aid , “Are yo u Budd y Cald
well? ” I s aid , “It ’s Bud , no t Bud d y, ma ’a m.”
She put her hand on my shoulder and took me out of the line. Then she pulled Jerry, one
of the littler boys, over. “Aren ’t yo u Jerr y Clark? ” He nodded.
“Bo ys , g o od news ! No w that t he scho ol ye ar has end ed , yo u bo th hav e b
een accept ed in
new temporary-care homes startin g t hi s aft ern oon !”
Jerry asked the same thing I was thinking, “To g eth er?”
She said , “Wh y no , J erry, yo u ’l l be in a fami l y wi t h th ree l it tl e g i rls . .
.”
Jerry looked like he’s just found out they were going to dip him in a pot of boiling milk.
“. . .and Bu d . . .” She looked at some papers she was holding. “O h , yes , t h e
Amo s es ,
yo u ’l l be wit h Mr. and Mrs. Amo s and th eir son, who ’s twelv e years o ld , th at
mak es hi m ju s t
t wo years ol d er th an yo u , d o es n ’t i t , Bu d?”
“Yes , ma ’a m.”
She said , “I ’m su re yo u ’ll bo th b e
very hap p y.” Me and Jerry looked at each
other.
Page 3 of 4
Written by S. Kagie ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012
PUNCTUATION
comma after said,
quotation marks before and after what is being quoted
quote begins with a capital letter and ends with punctuation
each time a new person is quoted, it is a paragraph (INDENT)
Page 4 of 4
Written by S. Kagie ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012
Page 5 of 4
Written by S. Kagie ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012