Kurt Vonnegut's Short Stories Lesson Plan

Reading Vonnegut's Dialogue Aloud

Kind of Activity:

Role Play

Objective:

Students will practice reading aloud to help them analyze Vonnegut's signature style of dialgoue.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2

Structure:

While Vonnegut's work is respected and read widely as examples of anti-authoritarian critique, his short-story craft is also held by many writers to be some of the best of the 20th century. In particular, Vonnegut's dialogue is seen as uniquely colloquial and conversational, able to establish character, move the plot forward, and flesh out...