Jim Holder

9th Grade English/Language Arts

Greater Houston Area Writing Project

University of Houston Clear Lake

Lesson Demonstration

Topic: Voice

July 9, 2003

V O I C E

How do we define it?

What is it?

1. To define and identify voice in writing.

2. To use voice in writing.

Objective

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 sister-possibilities 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.