During the early days of school, students will need to turn their thoughts from their fun summer activities to more academic ones. This back to school activity will help students to take their thoughts about summer and put them into words.
Writing with Dialogue
This lesson has five writing prompts that go along with photos. In the writing lesson, students will focus on incorporating dialogue.
Some students are not clear on dialogue rules. The teacher may need to review writing dialogue.
- Dialogue is when characters "talk" to each other in a story or in a passage.
- Each time a new character talks, the student will need to indent and make a new paragraph.
- The dialogue will need to have quotation marks around it.
- Students should try to write the dialogue like people actually talk. This is usually difficult for young writers. However, practice will help.
Back to School Writing Prompts
There are five photos included in this lesson. The number with the writing prompts corresponds to the numbered photos. Students will need to finish the story and make sure to include dialogue for the main characters.
Teachers can print off the photos or slowly rotate through the photos on an overhead projector in the classroom that is hooked up to a computer. However, students could write without the photos if no technology is available.
Writing Prompt #1: The small waves broke on the shore. The sky is blue and the breeze is gentle. Yesterday we were able to see 10 dolphins playing close to the beach area. I wonder what exciting things will happen today...
Writing Prompt #2: My mother is a master gardener, and her book shelves are filled with gardening books. Today I woke up to find that the rose bush was untouched, but the deer had eaten all of her other flowers...
Writing Prompt #3: It was a blistering 103 degrees today. My father was dragging me to the Kennedy Space Center. He was humming to his favorite radio station, and I was pouting in the back seat...
Writing Prompt #4: The zoo has many interesting exhibits. My favorite one is the pool with the stingrays. While my little brother touches a small grey one, he falls into the pool...
Writing Prompt #5: I hear something moving in the brush. The green leaves and grass are concealing something. I want to find out what it is...
After students have written their stories, it is helpful if the teacher can print off the photos to staple to the writing. Students should write a rough draft, edit the piece and write a final copy.
Students can share their writing with their fellow students to see who wrote the most creative stories using dialogue. It is always interesting to see the different directions that students take with the prompts.
References:
How to Write Dialogue
Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers
Kellie Hayden - She is a 19 year veteran teacher with a master's degree in education and NBCT, 2000. Kellie teaches 8th grade language arts, TAG and ...
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