Of Mice and Men: Chapter Four

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Have you ever heard the saying, "It's not what you say, but how you say it?"

This simple phrase reveals a lot about spoken language, which is known as dialogue in literature. Writers have a special challenge when trying to write realistic dialogue, because they only have written words to represent spoken words. A writer doesn’t have the same tools a speaker has: the use of volume, a voice's tone, or even the non-verbal gestures and facial features the speaker is making; all of which convey meaning to the listener. A writer has to represent all of these elements using written words.

Even though writing effective dialogue can be difficult, writers use dialogue for a variety of critical purposes in a story. To learn about the eight ways that dialogue can be used in literature, print out and read the following article. When you have finished reading, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:

• What elements of a character can dialogue reveal?
• How can dialogue hide something between characters?
• How can dialogue be used to create more conflict between characters?

Print out and read Eight Good Reasons to Use Dialogue, by Jenna Kernan (mafiadoc.com). After you've answered the questions, think about the way you have used dialogue when speaking with another person.

• Which of these eight purposes have you used when talking to another person, or if you like to write stories, have you used in a story?

Once you've finished thinking about the ways you've used dialogue, you are ready to begin Chapter Four of Of Mice and Men. First, there are several vocabulary words that you will need to define. Use a print dictionary, or Dictionary.com (Dictionary.com, LLC), to look up the following words and write their definitions on a separate sheet of paper. Then, write a sentence using each word correctly in the sentence's context. When you have completed your sentences and definitions, share them with your parent or teacher:

• hame
• scornful
• aloof
• sullenness
• fawning
• contemptuously
• disarming
• indignation
• apprehension
• averted

Once you've completed your vocabulary exercise, you are ready to read Chapter Four of Of Mice and Men. Take out your Of Mice and Men Reading Log that you have been keeping since the first lesson and your copy of the novel. You can find the Of Mice and Men Reading Log in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. As you read Chapter Four, answer the questions on your reading log. If you missed or would like to review the previous lessons, you can find them under Related Lessons in the right-hand sidebar.

When you have answered all the questions and finished the chapter, move on to the Got It? section to check your answers.