ALEX Learning Activity

  

Punctuating Dialogue Introduction

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Ginger Boyd
System:Geneva County
School:Samson Middle School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2791
Title:
Punctuating Dialogue Introduction
Digital Tool/Resource:
Quotation Marks New Song/Award Winning Educational Quotation Mark Song Dialogue
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

In this learning activity, students are introduced to using quotation marks. This song illustrates how to punctuate dialogue correctly using quotation marks. After watching the video, students will complete an activity adding dialogue to student illustrations. 

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
19. Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics when writing.

a. Use commas, parentheses, or dashes to set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements.

b. Revise writing for correct mechanics with a focus on commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semicolons.

c. Compose and revise writing by using various pronouns and their antecedents correctly.

Examples: personal, intensive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, indefinite

Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
19.
  • Standard English grammar
  • Standard English usage
  • Standard English mechanics
19a.
  • Commas
  • Parentheses
  • Dashes
  • Nonrestrictive elements
  • Parenthetical elements
19b.
  • Mechanics
  • Commas
  • Apostrophes
  • Quotation marks
  • Colons
  • Semicolons
19c.
  • Pronouns
  • Antecedents
Knowledge:
19. Students know:
  • The conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics.
19a.
  • Commas, parentheses, and dashes are used to set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements.
  • A nonrestrictive or parenthetical element is a part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning.
19b.
  • Commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semicolons are punctuation marks that are used in writing for different purposes.
  • Standard English punctuation conventions.
  • Strategies for revising writing.
19c.
  • A pronoun is a word that can replace a noun in a sentence.
  • There are various types of pronouns, including persona, intensive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, and indefinite.
  • The noun that is replaced by a pronoun is called an antecedent.
  • Standard English grammar and usage conventions.
  • Strategies for revising writing.
Skills:
19. Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate written command of standard English, grammar, usage, and mechanics.
19a.
  • Correctly use commas, parentheses, or dashes to set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements in writing.
19b.
  • Identify the incorrect usage of commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and semicolons in writing.
  • Revise writing to correct errors in commas, apostrophe, quotation mark, colon, and semicolon usage.
19c.
  • Compose writing with various pronouns and antecedents used correctly.
  • Revise writing to correct errors in pronoun and antecedent usage.
Understanding:
19. Students understand that:
  • To clearly communicate in writing, they. must use standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics.
19a.
  • To ensure their writing is clear and coherent, they must set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements with commas, parenthesis, or dashes.
19b.
  • Their writing must demonstrate the correct usage of standard English punctuation conventions.
19c.
  • Using various pronouns in their writing can make their writing more engaging and interesting.
  • To ensure their writing is clear and coherent, they must use pronouns and antecedents correctly.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to demonstrate command of standard English grammar with a focus on quotation marks. 

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

1. The teacher will show the video: Quotation Marks New Song/Award-Winning Educational Quotation Mark Song/Dialogue.

2. After watching the video, students will cut pictures out of magazines and glue them to card stock. Students will imagine what the characters in the pictures might be saying to each other and write the dialogue, using correct punctuation and use of quotation marks. 

3. The created dialogues should be posted around the room for all students to view. 

Assessment Strategies:

The students will be assessed on the correct use of quotation marks in the dialogue they created on cardstock. 


Advanced Preparation:

The teacher should preview the video before showing it to make sure it is not blocked by school security. 

Variation Tips (optional):

Students can create PowerPoint slides with clipart using dialogue rather than clipping pictures from magazines. They may also draw illustrations and write the dialogue. 

Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This learning activity can be used with the following learning activities:

Punctuating Dialogue (during)

Punctuation Dialogue Quick Check (after)

  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: dialogue, mechanics of writing, punctuation, quotation marks