Curated OER
Adventures in Wonderland: A Genre Study
Students explore the concepts of fantasy writing through this nine lessons unit. The unit presents semantic mapping, discussions, comparisons of various works of fantasy, and the opportunity to create their own fantasies.
Other
National Writing Project: Collaborating to Write Dialogue
In this lesson, writing partners work together to develop a plot and characters. The lesson emphasizes the use of dialogue to develop the characters and plot of the story.
Other
Sonic Storytelling: Writing Method for Radio Drama
This article is filled with tips for beginners on how to write radio drama sketches or adapt stories into radio plays. You'll see examples of sketches as well as tips on writing well. W.9-10.3, 3a, 3b Narratives, W.11-12.3, 3a, 3b...
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: The Apology by Xenophon
This is the full text of the narrative The Apology by Xenophon, a Socratic dialogue about the legal defense that the philosopher Socrates presented at his trial for the moral corruption of Athenian youth; and for impiety against the...
Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Quotations and Scripts
This resource from the Folger Shakespeare Library provides some of the most famous lines from Shakespearean works. A list of Shakespearean insults, compliments, and quotations are provided. Several adapted scripts for children, based on...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Write Literary Text That Develops Interesting Characters
You will learn how to write an imaginative story that develops interesting characters and believable dialogue.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway:writing an Engaging Story With Literary Strategies to Enhance Plot
You will be able to use various literary strategies and devices, including dialogue and suspense, to enhance the plot in a short story. W.11-12.3b Narratives
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understanding Drama (English 7 Reading)
Learn how to explain a playwright's use of dialogue and stage directions.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understanding Drama
Learn how to explain a playwright's use of dialogue and stage directions.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Development of Characters Through Literary Devices
In this lesson, students learn how writers develop characters through a variety of techniques: narration, dialogue, interaction with other characters, interaction with setting, and characters' thoughts. RL.9-10.3 Analyzing Characters,...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Choosing Clear and Varied Dialogue Tags: A Minilesson
Contains plans for one 50-minute lesson that teaches about using dialogue tags like "he said" or "she answered." In addition to student objectives and standards, these instructional plans contain links to PDF handouts and links to sites...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Teaching Dialogue in Context
A teaching resource with lesson plans, handouts, and three videos demonstrating how to teach dialogue in context with mentor sentences.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Internet Classics Archive: Cratylus
This site from the Internet Classics Archive provides the full text of Plato's dialogue, "Cratylus." Translation by Benjamin Jowett.
TESL Journal
Internet Tesl Journal: Talking Cards Game
This conversation activity uses 1-2 decks of playing cards to prompt discussion: each card represents a specific question. The site provides instructions and a suggested list of questions to match each card.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Thornton Wilder's "Our Town": The Reader as Writer
In this lesson plan, students will consider Dramatic and Theatrical Aspects in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town": A Common Core Exemplar. Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing With Writers: Descriptive Writing With Virginia Hamilton
This workshop helps students increase their skills in descriptive writing by following tips and suggestions from writer Virginia Hamilton. After reading about Hamilton, students write their descriptive pieces and publish them online. A...
Yale University
Yale University: Elements of the Short Story
This unit from the Yale University on elements of the short story is designed to develop student comprehension skills, particularly making inferences and generalizing. It also involves students in reading a number of short stories to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: "Lawd! Lawd! Lawd!"
Inspired by the character Charlie in Daniel Keye's Flowers for Algernon, the writer will craft sentences, using different dialects/sayings with correct dialogue punctuation. The writer will devote a page in his/her writer's notebook to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: What Got Stolen?
After reading Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement, the writer will plan a scene from a story where a character confronts another character about something that has been stolen. Descriptive details need to take precedence in this scene, as...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Fracturing Tales Through Titles
Students read The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman and then write their own fractured fairy tales using first-person point of view and dialogue. Teacher and student instructions are provided along with student writing samples, an...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Just the Facts, Ma'am: Voice an Original Mystery
In this activity, students will create a narrative with dialogue based on a particular voice.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Put 'Em on a Talk Show
In this lesson plan, students will write a script for a talk show, based on character traits from fairy tale stories. Scripts will be rehearsed, costumed, and performed in front of the class.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Dialogue Adventures
In this lesson students will learn how to write dialogue in a particular voice.
Harold D. Underdown
The Purple Crayon: Writing Dazzling Dialogue
This site takes you through the process of writing dialogue in fiction, demonstrating when to omit, replace, or modify your original writing. Includes several examples and gives excellent advice for young writers. W.9-10.3b Narrative...