Tuesday, September 10, 2013

1. Tuesday, September 10, 2013 Writing Dialogue: Day 1

2. Quick Write: Conversation #1 • Think of a conversation you’ve had or overheard recently. Recreate the conversation using dialogue. It must be at least 10 lines long.

3. Objective and Agenda • Objective: Students will be able to compose dialogue that is meaningful, shows action, and develops the characters. • Agenda: • Quick Write • Writing Center Reminder • 6 Box Comic Strip • Focus Lesson: Formative Scale for Dialogue • We Do: Primo Levi Example with Questions • You Do: Revise QW • Homework: Your 20 line dialogue is due Friday, September 13 (THIS Friday)!

4. Writing Center Reminder • There is a Writing Center in room 246A. • It’s on the 2nd floor across from the math tutoring center. • You can go there during study hall (or after school during 2nd quarter). • Mr. Poese or a peer tutor can help you with your writing if you cannot make an arrangement to meet with me.

5. 6 Box Comic Strip • Create a 6 box comic strip for your memoir. Use the boxes to plan the sequence of events in your memoir. • You may write and/or draw. • Do NOT include your introduction and reflection in your 6 boxes. • Identify places to write dialogue and description.

6. Effective Dialogue Scale • Enhances/extends the storyline, character(s), and setting in a perceptive manner • Is meaningful conversation between characters and draws the reader in • Always avoids using the “dreaded” said • Begins a new paragraph with each speaker • Avoids needless redundancies • Has purpose—moves the story towards its destination • Uses descriptive language and character movement intuitively • Always uses correct punctuation and formatting

7. Primo Levi’s Dialogue Example • We will read the 2 pages of text together. • Do NOT write on the text. • After we read, you will answer the following questions in pairs. You will write the answers in your composition notebooks. • When you write the answers, you must restate the question. For example, “In this passage, we learn ________________ about Schlome.”

8. Primo Levi’s Dialogue Example • What do we learn about Schlome? And what do we learn about the narrator (Levi)? • Why is this conversation meaningful to the narrator? • What words does the writer use instead of “said”? List as many as you can. • Does the writer generally start a new paragraph with each speaker? If not, when? • List 2 actions the characters do that are associated with their words.

9. Revise Your Dialogue • So far we have looked at the scale for how your dialogue will be assessed and an example. • Now you are going to go back and revise your quick write based on what we learned. • Add descriptions that show action. Your characters should be gesturing, doing something, etc. as they talk, not just talking. • Add a sentence or two to your dialogue that develops one or both characters. • Make sure it’s clear what meaning this conversation has to the character(s).

10. Index Cards • Tomorrow, you will begin drafting your dialogue. Once you draft, you will spend time sharing your dialogue with a small group (3-4 people). • This small group will become your Writer’s Workshop group for this quarter, maybe longer. • On your index card, write your first and last name and class period. • Write the names of a couple of people you want to work with (no guarantees). • Write the names of people you do not want to work with. You CANNOT write “everyone except _______.” • If you have no preference, say so.

11. Objective and Agenda • Objective: Students will be able to compose dialogue that is meaningful, shows action, and develops the characters. • Agenda: • Quick Write • Writing Center Reminder • 6 Box Comic Strip • Focus Lesson: Formative Scale for Dialogue • We Do: Primo Levi Example with Questions • You Do: Revise QW • Homework: Your 20 line dialogue is due Friday, September 13 (THIS Friday)!