"Put 'said' to Bed" is a catchy and fun mini-lesson designed to help fifth-grade students improve their word choice in writing. It takes minimal classroom prep and works in harmony with reading and writing units.
Overview:
| Goal | Description |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary Development | Students will practice using descriptive and sensory words to add spice to their dialogue. |
| Language Skills Development | Students will learn to vary their dialogue tags to avoid overusing 'said'. |
| Reading Comprehension | Reading picture books and chapter books will expose students to rules of punctuation and editing dialogue. |
| Writing Improvement | As students apply new vocabulary in writing, they'll see improvement in text complexity and coherence. |
Mini-Lesson Plan:
1. Introduction
Display "The Boy Who Cried Fabulous" and discuss with students how words can be overused, focusing on 'the boy who cried fabulous'.
2. Brainstorming
Have students break into small groups to brainstorm unique ways to replace the word 'said'. Encourage them to jot down their ideas in their reading notebooks.
3. Share Ideas
Once groups have shared their ideas, display them on chart paper and review the list withstudents. Help them refine their language by suggesting synonyms for words like 'awesome', 'incredible', 'superb', and 'dazzling'.
4. Tag Lines
Explain that tag lines can be placed before or after dialogue to indicate the speaker. For example, "Stella whispers, 'Shhh, it's a surprise.'" or "Stella whispers softly, 'Shhh, it's a surprise.'"
5. Practice and Share
Give students a word to replace 'said' and have them write a dialogue example. Encourage them to record their new dialogues in their reader's notebooks. Later, have students share their examples with classmates.
6. Follow-Up Activities
Use the resources below to help students continue to practice and expand their vocabulary.
