Creator: Alisa Soderquist | visit site
Grade Range: 8 - 11
If you are looking for a new way to involve students in literature, this is a great idea. This site offers a two-day plan for students to create dramatic monologues for different characters in Steinbeck’s <i>The Grapes of Wrath</i>. The lesson does require that students research sources for authenticity and suggests that students work in groups to come up with the monologues. The lesson includes standards, extension activities, vocabulary words (with audio) and links to other resources. This site requires Media Player. You can get it from the <a href="/tools.cfm ">TeachersFirst Toolbox page.</a>
In the Classroom
This site works on so many levels from teaching what a monologue is and how it suits a particular character in literature to researching primary sources and understanding what they tell you. This is a good group project that could work for other novels as well as <i>The Grapes of Wrath</i>. Try using an online digital recording tool such as Podomatic (<a href="/single.cfm?id=8094">reviewed here</a>)for students to record and share their monologues as a podcast.
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