Obtain a Literature book and pick up a white handout from the front table.

What is dialect? Dialect is the form of English a particular group of people speaks. Everyone uses a dialect, and no dialect is better or worse than another.

There are ethnic dialects and regional dialects. A dialect shared by people of the same cultural group is an ethnic dialect, and a dialect shared by people from the same region or area is a regional dialect.

Many of us speak in a regional dialect because we are from Southwestern Pennsylvania and live near the ‘Burgh. “Pittsburghese” is the term often used to describe the style of speech used by people from our area. We often pronounce words such as house, down, and found with an “ah” sound instead of an “ow” sound. HOUSE = HAHSDOWN = DAHNFOUND = FAHND We also use some unique terms, such as “nebby” (to describe a nosy person), “slippy” (to describe something as slippery), and “yinz” (as a second-person pronoun).

Do you speak “Pittsburghese?” See if you can figure out what these words mean in “Pittsburghese?” Blinkers = Turn signal(s) Rubbish = Trash/Garbage Cellar =Basement Jumbo =Bologna

Let’s watch a brief clip explaining some aspects of the Pittsburgh dialect.

Now let’s view a clip of someone using this dialect. Try to pick out the different examples of “Pittsburghese.”

Summarize the story in a few sentences. Record three important or interesting quotes from the story. Create three solid discussion questions.

May Day Celebration

Follow along as we listen to the audio of the beginning of “Raymond’s Run.” As you read and listen, pay attention to Squeaky’s use of dialect and her personality traits.

MY.HRW.COM Textbook Login: e8y3u Password: englishrocks

Look at the front of your worksheet…

First, share your summaries. Next, share your discussion questions and then use the index card provided to record one EXCELLENT discussion question for “Raymond’s Run.”

We will switch discussion questions with another group. Read the new discussion question and decide whether or not it is an effective question. If it is effective, attempt to answer it on the back of the card. If it is not effective, fix it and write the revised question on the back of the card.

A dynamic character is a character that changes throughout the course of a story. Explain how Squeaky is a dynamic character. Use two examples from the text to support your response.

What point of view is this story told from? How do you know? How would you characterize Squeaky? What do we know about her? Define the term dialect and give two examples of dialect found in this story. Include the page numbers where you found these examples. How would you characterize Raymond from the narrator’s description on page 392?

How can you tell from this story that the narrator is ambitious and likes to win? Why is Squeaky so ready to fight with Gretchen, Mary Louise, and Rosie? What does Squeaky mean when she says that as far as she’s concerned, Gretchen is “the only one talking in this ventriloquist-dummy routine”? (Page 394)

Why do you think the author uses sentence fragments throughout the story? (Page 396) Identify the two similes the narrator uses to describe her brother Raymond after the race. What do these two opposite images of Raymond suggest? (Page 399) What are Squeaky’s “new plans”? (Page 400) Why does Squeaky jump for joy at the end of the race? A theme is a message about life or human nature. Identify one possible theme of “Raymond’s Run.”