Amplidy U1L3

TEKS

Language
Students will use correct punctuation
and capitalization when writing dialogue.
TEKS 5.11D

Reading
Students will use dialogue in a text to analyze characters
and their relationships with one another. TEKS 5.8B

Writing
Students will write a narrative that includes “showing, not
telling” through dialogue. TEKS 5.12A

Lesson Objectives

Students will use correct
punctuation and capitalization
when writing dialogue.

Students will use dialogue in a text to analyze
characters and their relationships with one
another.

Students will write a narrative that includes
“showing, not telling” through dialogue.

I Can Statements

● I can use correct punctuation and

capitalization when writing
dialogue.

● I can analyze characters and their

relationships .

● I can write a narrative that

includes “showing, not telling”
through dialogue.

Essential Question

What makes an

excellent personal

narrative?

Lesson Guiding Question

What makes a

personal narrative

different from a
fiction narrative?

Review

How does the dialogue help the reader to
understand better?

Showing vs. Telling

Telling is very

straightforward and

says something

directly;

showing tells a story or

provides examples.

Review

What is the difference
between showing an action
and telling an action?

Another great tool
for showing rather
than telling is
dialogue.

Activity Page 4.1
5 Simple Steps for Writing
Dialogue

We will review the
rules for writing
dialogue together.

Activity Page 4.1
5 Simple Steps for Writing
Dialogue
continued

5 Simple Rules for Writing

Dialogue

Quotation marks are placed before the first word of the dialogue
and after the punctuation mark that ends the dialogue.

“It is,” said Father.

Father said, “It is.”

1.

When the tag follows the dialogue, it ends in a period. When the tag
precedes the dialogue, it ends in a comma.

“It is,” said Father.
Father said, “It is.”

2.

The punctuation that ends a line of dialogue is
written inside the quotation marks.

“Just where do you think you’re going?”

Father demanded.

Father demanded, “Just where do you

think you’re going?”

3.

When the tag follows the dialogue, quotes that do not end in an
exclamation point or question mark end in a comma instead of a period.

Correct: “It is,” said Father.
Incorrect: “It is.” said father.

4.

5.
When writing dialogue between two or more
speakers, begin a new paragraph each time the
speaker changes.

Viola jealously stared at Ollie’s pudding. She had

not had pudding in weeks.

“Give me a taste,” she said.
“I paid for this. Go buy your own,” Ollie answered.
“Pleeease,” Viola begged. Ollie did not answer for a

few seconds. He looked
back and forth between his pudding and Viola.

“Fine,” Ollie gave in, handing Viola the pudding.

“You can have one bite, but that’s it.”

Dialogue
Telephone

Game

Activity Page 4.2
Dialogue Telephone
Game

Check for Understanding

Why are describing
actions in detail (Lesson 3)
and writing dialogue both
examples of showing?

Vocabulary

Lesson 4

noun
verb

adverb

adjective

saffron

And Abuela faithfully followed

all my instructions as I
translated them to her,

without adding any additional

ingredients of her own: no

saffron, no garlic, no cumin.

noun

a spice used for

cooking

parroted

Abuela asked, as
bewildered by the

concept of stuffing as
I was, despite Jimmy
Dawson’s explanation,

which I parroted to

her: “Yes, Abuela,

inside. “

verb

repeated

wafts

Waftsof roasting

turkey.

to carry or cause to

move gently on water

or in the air

noun

gladiolus

Abuela added a bouquet of
gladiolus, which didn’t fit the

theme but made the table

look better, despite the

plastic plates and utensils.

noun

flowering plants in the

Iris family

smugly

The doorbell rang. “I
told you,” she said
smugly. “Ándale—

get the door.”

with confidence that

one is correct

adverb

innards

“What’s this, the

innards?” he asked
when he reached the

stuffing.

noun

internal parts of a

body

Review

What has happened so far
in the story?

Before we start our reading
for today, let’s review a
passage we already read.

Activity Page 4.3
Dialogue Reading
and Questions

1. What detail(s) does Blanco show
through the following line of
dialogue?

BLANCO: We’re gonna have a real
San Giving this year, Mamá.
Abuela’s going to make a turkey and
yams and everything.

We learn that Blanco is very
excited to celebrate a
traditional American
Thanksgiving.

Activity Page 4.3

2. Describe the relationship between
Mamá and Abuela based on the
dialogue

The dialogue shows that they don’t always get
along. Mamá criticizes Abuela’s cooking and
Abuela suggests that Mamá is lazy.

Activity Page 4.3

3. What does the line, “You just sit
down and relax—like you always do”
tell us about what Abuela thinks of
Mamá?

It tells us that Abuela does not think that
Mamá helps with the cooking. Abuela
suggests that Mama is lazy.

Activity Page 4.3

4. What does the dialogue show
about the conflict between American
culture and Cuban culture in Blanco’s
home?

The dialogue shows that Cuban
culture is very important to
Blanco’s family. It also shows
that his family is not particularly
interested in celebrating a
traditional American
Thanksgiving.

Activity Page 4.3

Reading

Purpose for

Reading

Read to discover how
dialogue shows details
about the characters of
Abuela, Mamá, and
Blanco, and their
relationships with each
other.

I will read aloud
from yesterday’s

“San Giving”
reading, and
then you will

continue

reading a new
section in pairs.

Blanco writes that Abuela followed his
instructions “faithfully”and did not add any
Cuban spices. What do these details show?

Discussion

Blanco writes that “the
competing scents” of
roasting turkey and

roasting pork “battled

through the house.” What

literary device is this an

example of?

Discussion

In the section you just read,
Blanco writes, “Nothing like
the dittos,” three times.
Why do you think this is an
important phrase? What
does it show?

Check for Understanding

Challenge: The first two times Blanco
uses the phrase “nothing like the
dittos,” it is a complete sentence. The
third time, Blanco writes, “Nothing
like the dittos, but at least after that
everyone had seconds of the
turkey.” How does this show a
change in Blanco’s thinking about the
conflict of cultures?

Discussion

And so the moment of truth was at hand, or rather, at mouth,

as everyone began eating. Not even a minute later Mamá asked,
“What’s this with canela y merengue on top? So sweet. Are you
sure this isn’t dessert?” Abuela instantly responded to her spurn:
“They are yams, just like yuca but orange and sweet—that’s all.
Just eat.” “Ay, Dios mío—orange yuca! What about blue beans?”
Mamá laughed,and the rest of the family joined in. “They are not
like yuca. They are like boniato. It’s what they ate on the first
Thanksgiving,” I explained. “Really . . . they had marshmallows that
long ago?” Mamá quipped. She saw my face crumple. “What else
do you know about San Giving, mi’jo?” she asked me, changing
her tone and taking an interest. I went on for a few minutes, telling
the tale of the Pilgrims and Indians in Spanish so that everyone
could understand. But soon the conversation changed to tía
Mirta’s black beans. “You make the best frijoles in all Miami,” Papá
complimented her, and everyone agreed as they poured ladlefuls
of black beans over their mashed potatoes like it was gravy.
Nothing like the dittos.

Passage for Activity Page 4.4

Activity Page 4.4
Close Reading

Activity Page 4.4
Close Reading

Writing

Today you will write a
narrative that includes
“showing, not telling.”

● “Get me out of here now!” I said to the

guard.

● “Get me out of here now!” I whispered

to the guard.

● “Get me out of here now!” I shouted

at the guard.

Today you will practice

writing dialogue.

Other words for “said”

Activity Page 4.5
Writing Narrative with
Dialogue

Write about a time,
outside of school, when
you taught something
to somebody or
someone taught you
something. Think
carefully about what you
said to each other so
that you can include
dialogue in your
narrative.

Activity Page 4.5
Writing Narrative with
Dialogue
continued

Activity Page 4.5
Writing Narrative with
Dialogue
continued

Teacher modeling

Activity Page 4.5
Narrative Writing
with Dialogue

●When ___ said ___ I had a clear picture in my mind of ___.

●Your dialogue between ___ and ___ reminded me of the way I talk
to ___.

●Your choice of the verb ___ instead of said helped me understand
clearly how the line ___ was spoken.

Sharing
what you
wrote….

Check for Understanding

Why does using a word
like whispered or
mumbled instead of
said help a writer show
what is happening?

Exit Ticket

What were some of

the ways that

Blanco’s Cuban

relatives celebrated

the holiday?