Project: Direct & Indirect: The Art of Storytelling

Background

Theoretical Introduction

Direct speech and indirect speech are narrative styles that serve different functions and styles in written and spoken Portuguese. Direct speech is when we reproduce the exact words spoken by a character or speaker, typically indicated by quotation marks or dashes. Indirect speech, on the other hand, is when we report what someone said, but not in their exact words, but rather, by paraphrasing it.

Direct and indirect speech are a fundamental means of communicating and bringing language to life. They can be used to tell a story, report an event, or in many other contexts in everyday life. Understanding the difference between the two is crucial to correctly interpreting the meaning of a text and to communicating effectively.

That said, there are a number of grammatical rules that we need to keep in mind when using direct and indirect speech, such as the agreement of tenses, pronouns, etc. For example, in direct speech, the verb is in the same tense and mood as the original speaker. In contrast, in indirect speech, the verb is changed according to the tense and mood of the reporter.

Contextualization

In today's world, where information is abundant and available at our fingertips, it is essential to be able to correctly understand and interpret information. This is especially important in news and reporting, where both direct and indirect speech are frequently used to report on events and the words of different participants.

Furthermore, in a work environment, for example, you may need to report what was said in a meeting to a colleague who was not able to attend, in which case you would need to correctly employ indirect speech. Or, you may need to quote a client directly in a presentation, which would require the use of direct speech. In short, direct and indirect speech are an important linguistic tool in our everyday lives.

Practical Activity: "Direct & Indirect: The Art of Storytelling"

Project Title: "Direct & Indirect: The Art of Storytelling"

Project Objective

The goal of this project is to allow students to discover, explore, and apply the concepts of direct and indirect speech in a practical context. Students will be encouraged to use their creativity, analytical, and collaborative skills to create an engaging and informative narrative.

Detailed Project Description

For this project, students will create a comic book utilizing direct and indirect speech. Each team will develop a storyline around a fictional future event that will change the history of the world. This event could be the discovery of extraterrestrial life, the invention of a cure for all diseases, a devastating climate crisis, or any major event that the students can imagine.

The storyline should include at least five main characters, each with their own perspective and reaction to the event. Each character should be featured at least once using direct speech and once using indirect speech, in order to demonstrate the difference between the two methods.

Students will be challenged to present the event in a clear manner, utilizing direct and indirect speech skills in a way that makes sense for the story. The goal is to demonstrate a practical understanding of the concept and to apply it in a creative format to showcase their comprehension of the two forms of speech.

Required Materials

1. Blank paper, pencils, erasers, colored pens (for physical comic book version).
2. Computer with graphic design software, if creating a digital version.
3. Access to research materials, such as textbooks, internet, etc.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Brainstorm as a group to decide on a topic for the world event and outline the idea for the story.
2. Define the five main characters and create profiles for each character.
3. Divide tasks among team members, deciding who will be responsible for drawing each character, who will be responsible for writing the dialogue, etc.
4. Create a storyboard for the comic book, outlining the event and each character's reaction.
5. Write the dialogue for each scene, utilizing both direct speech and indirect speech.
6. Illustrate the comic book, incorporating the dialogue from the storyboard.
7. Revise the comic book to ensure that all requirements are met.
8. Submit the work for teacher assessment.

Project Deliverables

Students will submit their comic book along with a report describing their project, which should include:

1. Introduction: A brief description of the project and its objective, explaining the relevance of direct and indirect speech in communication and storytelling.

2. Development: A detailed description of the comic book creation process, including the storyline, characters, division of tasks, and the rationale for the choices made. Students should also explain where and how they utilized direct and indirect speech in the story.

3. Conclusion: A reflection on the experience, highlighting the key learning outcomes of the project and the skills developed.

4. Bibliography: A list of resources that the students consulted in order to complete the project.

Through this project, students will be able to exercise their creativity, collaboration, and writing skills, while also learning about and applying direct and indirect speech in a practical way.