Make Your Point Using Dialect

Concept under investigation: While reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham –1963 students recognized how the author uses dialect to enhance the authenticity of the novel. This lesson will build on students’ prior knowledge of dialect. Make Your Point Using Dialect illustrates the difference between Standard English and dialect and helps students understand how and why writers use dialect. A study of dialogue would be a likely predecessor or successor of this lesson.

Competencies and Skills: This lesson addresses the following competency goals of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Seventh Grade:

1.02 Respond to expressive materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by determining the importance of literary effects on the reader/viewer/listener.
1.02 Respond to expressive materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by comparing and contrasting information.
4.01 Analyze the purpose of the author or creator by understanding the effects of author’s craft on the reader/viewer/listener.
6.01 Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by choosing language that is precise, engaging, and well suited to the topic and audience.

Other goals/objectives: Students will gain a deeper appreciation for dialects and recognize their importance in communication. Students will also gain a greater respect for diverse dialects while incorporating a variety of dialects into their writings.

Materials needed:

· Paper and writing instruments.

· Multiple copies of Everyday Edit: Dr. Seuss activity.

· Transparency of Answer key for Everyday Edit: Dr. Seuss.

· Overhead projector, blank transparencies, and transparency markers.

· Board and markers.

· Multiple copies and a transparency of “We Wear the Mask” and “When Malindy Sings” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Available at www.poets.org.

· Multiple copies and a transparency of Venn diagram handout.

· Classroom set of computers with Internet access.

· Access to The Dialectizer (http://rinkworks.com/dialect/).

· Additional resource: Everyday Edits available from Education World at (http://www.educationworld.com).

· Possibly a technology assistant (see procedure no. 14).

Procedure with script:

Welcome students to this lesson by outlining today’s activities both orally and in writing on the board:

Here’s What We Are Doing Today

a. Everyday Edit

b. Description and discussion of dialect

c. Poetry by Paul Laurence Dunbar

d. Venn diagram on dialect

e. Online Activity – The Dialectizer

Initiating activity consists of Everyday Edit: Dr. Seuss. Students are familiar with this routine warm-up assignment and generally no teacher direction is required (5 minutes).

Review the Everyday Edit answer key by placing the transparency on the overhead projector and asking students to check their answers. Again, students are very familiar with this daily activity and little or no teacher direction is required unless students question a specific correction (<3 minutes).

Review Christopher Paul Curtis’ use of dialect in The Watsons Go to Birmingham by asking students for examples from the text. Ask students to volunteer other examples from their personal experiences. Some encouragement may be necessary to ensure that students provide sufficient examples to clearly define dialect (5-10 minutes).

After hearing examples of dialect, ask students to define dialect in a sentence of two. Accept volunteers to respond initially. If necessary, call on students by name. Accept no less than three responses. Build on each response until you receive the formal definition of dialect. Students will build on what they already know to the point of stating the formal definition of dialect. Write the formal definition of dialect on the board and say it aloud: Dialect is a means or mode of expressing language that is particular to a region or people (3-5 minutes).

Establish the purpose of the lesson by either stating the benefits of using dialect in writing or asking students to contribute what they think would be the benefits of using dialect in writing. It may be helpful to write responses on an overhead transparency or the board (5-6 minutes).

Introduce today’s activity by providing each student with copies of the two poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar and a Venn diagram (< 1 minute).

Read “We Wear the Mask” aloud while students follow along on their handouts. Ask for student comments (4-6 minutes).

Read “When Malindy Sings” aloud while students follow along on their handouts. Ask for student comments (5-8 minutes).

Initiate a class discussion of the differences between the two poems. Prompt student responses through open-ended questions, such as “What image came to mind when I read “When Malindy Sings?” Be sure to include questions that address topics students have already studied, such as “how does dialect affect the mood of the writing,” “what assumptions might listeners make about the speaker based on the dialect,” and whether they think “the writing would be authentic without dialect.” (8-12 minutes).

After completing the class discussion students should individually complete the Venn diagram. If students appear to have difficulty doing this task alone they may be paired or grouped to complete the Venn diagram. If students have difficulty pairing themselves into productive groups the teacher should take the initiative and group the students. If pairing or grouping students to complete the diagram skip to procedure ten (5-7 minutes).

After completing the Venn diagram students will divide themselves into groups of 2-3 to discuss the diagram. If students are unable or unwilling to successfully group themselves some intervention may be necessary to complete this task (5-7 minutes).

Ask each group to contribute several items they have listed on their Venn diagrams as you record their responses on the Venn diagram transparency (5-7 minutes).

Discuss each response on the completed Venn diagram, asking for additional student commentary when appropriate (<8 minutes).

At this point in the lesson students will be working on computers and completing the remainder of this assignment online. If students in your class are not fairly computer savvy, it would be appropriate to have someone from the library or technology department to assist you to ensure that all students have adequate assistance.

Direct students to locate themselves at their assigned computer station. They are familiar with this procedure and little, if any teacher direction should be required (<1 minute).

Describe to students the website that are about to see: “This website we are about to view illustrates several dialects: Redneck, Jive, Cockney, Elmer Fudd, Swedish Chef, Moron, Pig Latin, and Hacker. It is interactive – you type words or sentences, click on a dialect, and your words will then appear in that particular dialect. Remember our rules for computer usage, try all the dialects, and have fun (<1 minute).

Ask students to log on the computers and gain Internet access. Limited teacher assistance should be necessary because students are familiar with this procedure (<1 minute).

Direct students to The Dialectizer at http://rinkworks.com/dialect/.

Provide the majority of remaining class time for students to interact with the website. During this time the teacher should try to visit each student to offer assistance, feedback and encourage, and to receive comments on the activity (15-20 minutes).

Close the lesson by emphasizing how dialect contributes to written (The Dialectizer) and spoken (Paul Laurence Dunbar poems) words. Ask students to think about which forms of dialect are appropriate for different situations. Inform students that for the next lesson they will be choosing two dialects from today’s lesson to use in their writing. Congratulate students on their participation and productivity during today’s lesson.

SPED modifications: The following consists of SPED modifications for this lesson:

Providing direction both orally and in writing.
Providing an outline of the day’s activities on the board.
Providing handouts to accompany overhead transparencies.
Providing well-defined instructions.
Reading aloud.
Providing a technology assistant (if applicable).
Stating the purpose for the lesson.
Providing each student with assistance, feedback, and encouragement.

Formative Assessment: Students will demonstrate their understanding of dialect by participating in large and small group discussions, completing the Venn diagram, and participating in the online activity. Competency will be determined by observation and discussion.

Summative Assessment: Students will demonstrate their understanding of and ability to use this literary element in future writings. In the next lesson students will select two dialects from this lesson to use in their own writing.

Next Lesson: Literary Elements Continued – Dialect

NETS-T Indicators addressed in this lesson: The following NETS-T Indicators (II planning and designing learning environments and experiences) are addressed in this lesson:

q Apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences.

q Identity and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.

q Plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.

q Plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.