Identifying the tone of a piece of writing or the author's attitude toward the subject matter can be difficult for learners. Simplify the process with a instructional activity that begins with skits, moves to songs and their lyrics, and then to passages of written text. In each case, groups identify keywords that create the tone. Finally, class members demonstrate what they have learned by identifying the keywords that create the tone in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Concepts

tone, martin luther king jr., word choice, syntax, diction, mood

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• To begin the lesson, provide several class members with rulers and assign each a rhythm to tap out that they feel represents a different tone (joyful, sad, angry, happy, lively, etc)

Classroom Considerations

• Requires extra prep time to collect and copy required materials
  

Pros

• The resource includes a list of tone words, a rubric for the essay, and teacher tips for each part of the lesson
• The lesson is carefully scaffolded so that all learners can successfully complete the exercises

Cons

• None