TEACHING WRITING MINILESSON: 

 
 
Candace Myers, ENG-3580, 10/19/2020 
 
Lesson Title: Teaching Dialect In Writing  
 
Standards:  
 
W.9-10.3 ​Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, 
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. 
● Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a 
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. 
 
Objectives 
● Students will be able to define what dialect is. 
● Students will be able to understand the importance of dialect in writing. 
● Students will be able to create dialects in their writing. 
 
Materials/Technology Resources Required:  
 
● Google Slides Presentation 
● Class Padlet 
● A computer with internet access 
 
Instructional Procedures/Steps:  
 
1. Begin the lesson by asking the students to read the objectives of the lesson on slide 1. 
2. On the second slide on the presentation, the teacher will ask students what the definition of 
dialect is. The teacher will explain the definition to students. 
3. The teacher will show students a map of various American dialects. Have them try to identify 
their dialect.  
4. Ask students what they think the purpose of dialect is, on the third slide. Explain that dialect 
creates more realistic writing, provides cultural insight, and invokes stornegr imagery. Also 
explain that it can be harmful and offensive in some cases.  
5. The teacher will provide examples to students of dialect in writing. The teacher will ask them 
why the author chose to use these dialects instead of Standard American English. The teacher 
will also ask students whether the usage is effective or ineffective.  
a. Example 1, Maus by Art Speigelman​ (Effective) 
i. Effective because it is a true story and gives cultural insights into the 
character. 
b. Example 2, Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell ​(Ineffective) 
i. Is offensive because only slave characters use this speech along with that 
it is hard to read and understand.  
6. Ask students to write a few sentences individually, using their own dialect or vernacular English, 
along with the same sentence written in Standard American English. Ask them to write these on 
Padlet.  
7. Ask students to share what they wrote. Ask students what changed when they used Standard 
AE.  
 
 
 
 
Assessment:  
 
The assessment will be in the form of a Padlet, in which the students will type their sentences, in which 
they practice using dialect, which will help to see whether the student’s understand what dialect is, 
along with being able to use it in their writing. Having a public display of their writing also helps me to 
see that they are grasping the concepts or not, compared to them just writing on a piece of paper.  
 
 
Appendix:  
 
 
Dialect Map 
 
Google Slides Presentation 
 
Class Padlet for Writing Assessment 
 
Image of Maus Comic Strip 
 
Source for Information on Dialect