Transcript No Slide Title

Jim Holder
9th Grade English/Language Arts
Greater Houston Area Writing Project
University of Houston Clear Lake
Lesson Demonstration
Topic: Voice
July 9, 2003
VOICE
How do we define it?
What is it?
Objective
1. To define and identify voice
in writing.
2. To use voice in writing.
What do you know about voice?
In your group, write a one-sentence definition for voice.
•Voice is hearing the exclamation point, even when it’s not there.
•Music, making harmony between writer and reader.
•A bond that says, “ I want to let you in.”
•It’s the passion that makes words dance.
•It’s curiosity, passion, and the need to be heard.
•The choreography of the writing.
•Voice is the writer reaching out to the reader.
•It is deft and careful use of words to create that just right sound.
•Lighting a fire in the reader.
•The spark that makes meaning come alive.
•
(Spandel, 2001, p. 164)
Theory/Rational
According to Bomer (1995), “Writing poorly deprives
them [students] of the voice they deserve in conversations
about important things. We [need to] revise the English
curriculum toward opportunities for them to write with real
purpose and passion, for actual audiences of readers. They
need opportunities in which they can write well…. When a
piece…has voice, we feel feel that the writer presenting us
with information has learned it within a particular life
history…. [S]omebody is at home in the piece….The writer
is…making our world a more interesting place in which to live.
What we see around us becomes more precious, complex,
intricate, and challenging. We are wiser - and grateful for the
wisdom” (p. 185).
Theory/Rational
Spandel (2001) states that “it [voice] comes from deep
within, from daring to confront your own reality, and for some
students that reality is bleak, forlorn, and even alarming….
Voice comes in many flavors, but all voices have one thing in
common: they spring from courage, from a willingness to
look at life from without and within, and to tell the truth as the
writer sees it” (p. 203).
“When
a writer has a chance to choose a topic he or she
cares about, voice explodes from the page” (Spandel).
“Through voice we reveal our tone, attitude, philosophy
and perspective. Voice plays a role in every kind of
writing…because it is voice…that creates meaning” (p. 163).
Theory/Rational
“Writing without voice is wooden or dead because it
lacks sound, rhythm, energy, and individuality…. Writing with
voice is writing into which someone has breathed. It has
fluency, rhythm, and liveliness that exists naturally in the speech
of most people when they are enjoying a conversation….
Writing with real voice has the power to make you pay attention
and understand--the words go deep” (Elbow, 2000, p. 299).
“When I talk about voice, I mean written words that
carry with them the sense that someone has actually written
them. Not a committee, not a computer: a single human
being…. This writing has energy: juice” (Fletcher, 1993, p. 67).
“When students write with voice, they put the indelible
stamp of their personalities on the information-the make it their
own” (p. 79).
Theory/Rational
“The writing process has a driving force called
voice….To ignore voice is to present the process as a lifeless,
mechanical act. Divorcing voice from process is like
omitting salt from stew, or sun from gardening.
Voice is the imprint of ourselves on our writing. It is
that part of the self that pushes the writing ahead, the dynamo
in the process. Take the voice away and the writing
collapses…. There is no writing, just word following word.
… The voice shows what I want to say and how I want to
say it. [In response,] [t]he reader says, ‘someone is here. I
know that person. I’ve been there, too’” (Graves, 1994, p.
81).
Active vs.. Passive Voice
Students need to write sentences with the subject
performing the action.
Passive: The winning touchdown was made by John.
Active: John raced for the goal line and triumphantly
scored the winning touchdown.
Authentic writing
Write often
Enjoy and recognize voice of
other writers
Be the real “you” in writing
Examples
When mother fride my egg this morning it limbered out like
corn surp. Then it buggles. They went up, then went down,
like breethen heavy. Author unknown, 3rd grade
I liked the trailer ride and the dips got my stomach. Thank
you very much. Your friend, David Booth
I like to go fishing. But I don’t like to touch the soft, elongated, repulsive
nightcrawlers. They wiggle and contract themselves. Then I grab the one
I want. Of all the things in this world I can’t stand, baiting the hook is the
worst. It’s like giving a shot. Sometimes the hook won’t go through the
wrinkled, slimy body. Then I have to wiggle and force it. That’s like
stepping on a cockroach and hearing the bones crack, or piercing a
stubborn earlobe. Gertie Bax
As quoted in Writing to Read. Macrorie, 1976, p. 2-3.
Examples
Glenn, Mel. Class Dismissed!. “Benjamin Heywood p. 9.
“Monica Zendell” p. 17
Heard, Georgia. Writing Toward Home: Tales and Lessons to Find
Your Way. “I Could Not Tell” p. 52.
Writing Activity 1
Writing With Voice
Ask students to close their eyes and recall at time when they
were made angry by some person, thing, or idea. Tell students
that when they open their eyes they are to write to that person,
thing, or idea using words that they would want/need to say to
show their anger. This exercise can be repeated with other
emotions or events, such as someone that the student can recall
needed comforting, or persuading. Ask students to write their
conversations using words that conveyed their feelings.
Writing Activity 2
R.A.F.T.S. Essay
Role, Audience, Format, Topic, and Strong Verb. In this
exercise, students will choose a role that is outside of
themselves. They might choose to be a pencil, leaf on a tree,
pet dog or cat, fish in a bowl, younger brother or sisterpossibilities as limitless. Next, have the students select an
audience. Students will select a format in which to write:
letter, dialogue, speech, persuasive essay, poem-options are
open. Then, choose a topic and strong verb to give voice to the
selected role. For example, a student might choose to be their
owner’s pet dog who writing the owner about being angry and
hungry because they we not fed on time today.
Writing Activity 3
Photographs
Select photographs that students can use to give voice to the
subjects in the scene. Have the students write expressing
what the chosen subject would share about the situation
conveyed in the photograph.
Check www.mastersofphotography.org for a photography
resource. Also, Google has an image search engine.
Photographs that convey strong emotion work best for this
exercise.
Modifications
Learning Challenged and ESL
Draw picture demonstrating the concept.
Pair with a partner.
Let them record on mini-recorder.
Oral Q & A with teacher.
Use computer generated translator, or write in native language.
Gifted/Talented
Write a script, assign parts, role play.
Collect stories and publish class booklet.
Assessment
Self-assessment: Voice. Spandel. Creating Writers. P. 146.
Teacher Assessment: Voice. Spandel. P. 51.
Culham, Ruth. “Responses to Give Students.” 6+1 Traits
of Writing. Scholastic: New York, 2003. P. 123.
Bibliography
Bomer, Randy. (1995). Time for meaning: Crafting literate lives in
middle and high school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Culham, Ruth. (2003). 6+1 traits of writing: The complete guide.
New York: Scholastic.
Elbow, Peter. (2000). Everyone can write: essay toward a hopeful
theory of writing and teaching writing. New York: Oxford.
Fletcher, Ralph. (1993). What a writer needs. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Glenn, Mel. (1982). Class dismissed: High school poems. New York:
Clarion.
Heard, Georgia. (1995). Writing toward home: Tales and lessons to
find your way. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Bibliography
Macrorie, Ken. (1976). Writing to be read. Rochelle Park, NJ:
Hayden.
Spandel, Vicki. (2000). Creating writers through 6-trait writing
assessment and instruction. (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY:
Longman.