Lesson Overview:

Today we are going to compose the ground rules for dialogue in our classroom. We will be
discussing how we are going to conduct ourselves in classroom discussion. First, we will start
with a write start: What is (classroom) dialogue? Give me your definition of what this means.
Students will have ten minutes to write about the topic and then will share what they think with
their table partner. After about five minutes of pair share we will talk about what is and is not
considered dialogue as a class. On the board, I will start a Venn diagram and write down the
students answers and some of my own thoughts. I will have the students make a list of rules
based on our definition of dialogue. We will use the app padlet to write our classroom dialogue
rules on the board and I will save these rules so that I can recreate a poster for the class to sign
as a classroom discussion contract. In signing the contract the students and I will agree to
follow these rules when we have discussions in the classroom. We will then move on to our first
story The Wrong Lunch Line which I will read to the class as students follow along in their
books. I will preface what we will be talking about tomorrow by posing a ten-minute write start
prompt: Has anyone ever made a generalization about you? Would you say that you are much
more than that generalization makes you out to be? How? Why? I will then tell my student to
think about the outside forces at work in our society that create these situations where people
make generalizations of each other.

Common Core State Standard:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B

Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set
clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.D

Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and

evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and
determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the
investigation or complete the task.

Objectives:
Students will evaluate what civil dialogue looks like and how it differs from an argument or
debate.
Students will compile a list of constructive dialogue behaviors which they will agree to follow.
Students will produce this type of behavior when participating in discussion.

Student Friendly Version:

 What is civil dialogue and what does it look like in action?
In what ways can I participate in a constructive dialogue?
How can I remember to keep my dialogue civil in the classroom?

Material/ Resources:
Ipad carts

Activities/ Procedures:
(10 minutes): Writing start- Students will write for ten minutes on this topic. Projected on the
screen: What is (classroom) dialogue? Give me your definition of what this means.

(5 minutes): Pair share- Students will share what they wrote with each other in groups of two or
three. I will also ask the question what is dialogue and what is not dialogue? Give me the direct
opposites of what a dialogue is.

(20 minutes): As a class, we will share what we have discussed in groups about dialogue. I am
going to make a Venn diagram on the board to write down the students answers to this
question. On one side we will have aspects of dialogue and the opposite of dialogue. We will
discuss what dialogue is used for and what the purpose of dialogue is in our classroom.

Possible questions to ask:

What is dialogue used for?
What makes dialogue productive?
How can we learn from each other?
What are some ways we can practice productive dialogue?
After this question I will open padlet and students will begin writing down the rules for classroom
dialogue that the students create themselves. At the beginning of the next class period students
will sign the poster of rules in agreement that they will follow these guidelines when participating
in discussion.

(15 minutes): Transition into reading The Wrong Lunch Line. Students will be asked to pick up
the book on their way into the classroom. The Wrong Lunch Line starts on page 32.

(10 minutes): write start/homework for next class period: Has anyone ever made a
generalization about you? Would you say that you are much more than that generalization
makes you out to be? How? Why?

Think about this question tonight for homework: What forces are at work in our society that
promote generalizations?

Accommodations/ Differential Instruction:

 IEP accommodations: Extended time on tests/quizzes with reading opportunities. Student can
become very anxious and worried if she does not understand what to study or do for a test or
assignment.
The reading will be read aloud by me so student may listen along with the rest of the class.
Provide a copy of Venn diagram notes to all students available on Google classroom.

Assessment:
I have two formative assessments being conducted during this lesson. The first is in the form of
creating a Venn diagram which will display the students knowledge of what dialogue is and
what it is not. The second formative assessment will occur when creating the guidelines for
productive dialogue in the classroom. Both of these assessments will give me an idea of if the
students are understanding what productive dialogue looks like and how their behaviors can
promote productive dialogue.