Content:
Students will...

• choose a topic of interest with two varying perspectives
• demonstrate distinct perspectives between two cultures
• demonstrate perspectives within a particular culture
• create clear distinctions in perspectives based on information gathered

Cultural:
Students will...

• use authentic materials from the target culture to support topic ideas or current issues
• present distinct perspectives on a cultural theme

Language: Content Obligatory
Students will...

• generate vocabulary lists relevant to his/her topic
• use first-person singular forms of verb tenses
• use pronouns appropriately within the text
• accurately provide articles as relevant to the nouns
• attend to punctuation to ensure that it is aligned with intended meaning
• practice poems for fluency and pronunciation when reading aloud; use punctuation cues to guide intonation

Language: Content Compatible
Students will...

• use phrases and idioms unique to the target culture

Learning Strategies / Skills Development / Social (optional):
Students will...

• participate in feedback sessions throughout the writing process
• integrate peer and teacher feedback for revisions
• understand descriptions through attention to vocabulary and punctuation
• use nonfiction resources to build background knowledge; keep a list of sources
• work cooperatively with a partner to create a dialogue poem

Two to five fifty minute class sessions

Pre-writing:

During the pre-writing stage, the teacher needs to provide students with input about the different perspectives by using e-mail exchanges, videotapes, magazines, and other print material, web sites, etc. (The Gender Roles unit [in the POLIA Handbook] offers a detailed example of how to go about this exploration). This stage may last from one class session to several weeks depending upon the depth of the exploration. It is also important during the pre-writing stage to generate lists of potentially useful vocabulary and to review or introduce particular grammatical forms that will be necessary for creating the poems. The first-person singular forms of various verb tenses, for example, are likely to emerge in most dialogue poems. Subtle differences in language (and punctuation) should also be discussed. For example, in the sample poem, the elite woman says, "We had to eat rice," while the working class woman says, "We had rice." The teacher should discuss these differences with students' how might the subtle differences in language and punctuation cue differences in intonation when the poem is read?

Dialogues poems can take a variety of forms but should always be a reflection of different perspectives. These perspectives may be distinct due to cultural differences, social class differences (such as those demonstrated in the sample poem), gender or age differences, etc. They may be perspectives between two distinct cultures (e.g., U.S. and target culture, France and Canada, Spain and Mexico, etc.) or within a particular culture (e.g., Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec; Catalanes and Castillians in Barcelona, etc.). They can be reflective of modern times or historical times. The possibilities are endless! A variety of examples follow.

Writing:
Pairs of students should be assigned to write the dialogue poem based on the themes that the class has explored during the pre-writing stage. The teacher may choose to require multiple drafts and peer review activities fundamental to the process approach to writing (see the task entitled "Lets go to Costa Rica!" in the section entitled rom presentation to Creation" for a detailed explanation of all the stages in the process approach to writing as found in the POLIA Handbook.)

Post-Writing:
The student pairs read or "perform" their dialogue poem for the class. They should practice prior to reading the poem aloud so that the intonation reflects the different perspectives in the poem. The teacher may want to audiotape the performances to facilitate assessment. Extension: Students could be paired via email with target culture keypals and write online dialogue poems.

The teacher may choose to assess students' poems with a multitrait rubric. While it is likely that the rubric will need to be fine-tuned to align more closely with the content of the poems, it may also be possible to use a more "generic " rubric such as the sample we provide.

Dialogue Poem
Dialogue Poem Rubric