He Said/She Said: Analyzing Gender Roles through Dialogue

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Copies of the novel read by the class  (This lesson focuses on The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare; however, any book which the entire class has read will work for this activity.)
  
  
• Access to computers (lab or classroom, if available)
  
  
• Chart paper, board, or transparencies and markers
  
  

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STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   K – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

Venn Diagram

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

 

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PRINTOUTS

• Making a Poster: Assessment of Dialogue Tag Venn Diagrams rubric
  
  
• Class Discussion Assessment rubric
  
  
• Character Pair Chart (optional, see also interactive version)
  
  

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WEBSITES

• Gender Stereotypes Analysis Chart
• Character Pairs Analysis Interactive Chart

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PREPARATION

• Read and discuss the major issues and events in the novel.
  
  
• Introduce the concept of dialogue and brainstorm different words that are more descriptive than "said" in dialogue tags. If desired, take advantage of the situation to model use of the thesaurus to find alternative verbs.
  
  
• If students need a more structured introduction to dialogue tags, the Choosing Clear and Varied Dialogue Tags: A Mini-Lesson provides strategies that will familiarize students with the text structure.
  
  
• Test the Interactive Venn Diagram, Gender Stereotypes Analysis Chart, and Character Pairs Analysis Interactive Chart on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.
  
  
• If desired, make copies of the Class Discussion Rubric, Making a Poster Rubric, and Character Pairs Analysis Handout.
  
  
• Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of gender stereotypes in childrens literature by reading "Gender Issues in Children's Literature" from ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English and Communication. The piece can provide background information to inform class discussion or be shared with students after they've explored the dialogue tags as an extension.
  
  

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