TWO VOICE POEMS:
Using Picture Books as a Model for Student Writing
By Katie Grimble
MY JOURNEY
PICTURE BOOKS AS MODELS
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
by Mark Teague (Fictional Narrative)
 More Parts by Tedd Arnold (Idioms)
 Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
(solving a problem, character development)
 The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
(satire)
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TIPS FOR USING PICTURE BOOKS AS MODELS
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Read it multiple times
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Use highlighter tape
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Make or purchase extra copies
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Have multiple examples
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Caution students not to copy the story, just
imitate the structure (or other intended element)
ONCE UPON A ROYAL SUPERBABY
Voice (Read without
pictures and have
students guess who is
telling the story)
 Conflict Development
 Character
Development
 Point of View (3rd
person omniscient
narrator)
 Two-Voice Poetry
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REREAD—WHAT TO LOOK FOR
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VOICE
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How do you know who is speaking if you aren’t
looking at the pictures?
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What can you infer about the two narrators from the
stories they tell?
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How do they incorporate their own personality into
the story without incorporating themselves?
WHAT IS TWO VOICE POETRY?
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Two-voice poetry is written for two people to perform. The
poetry usually has two columns—one for each person who
is reading the poem. Each person reading the poem reads
the text in one of the columns. Sometimes, the poet wants
the two readers to say something at the same time; so the
poet writes the words on the same line in each column.
These poems often sound like a dialogue for two people.
(ReadWriteThink)
After students compare and contrast two items, they
compose a poem for two voices in the “voice” of the two
items. These poems should then be read aloud by two
students, each assuming one of the voices from the poem.
(WritingFix)
EXAMPLES OF TWO VOICE POEMS
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YouTube - Immigration Two Voice Poems
YouTube - Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices Pine City High School Speech
YouTube - Joyful Noise - A Poem for Two Voices
(7:18 Book Lice)
YOUR TURN…
Find a partner and use a prewriting
strategy to identify the similarities
and differences between the two of
you.
 Narrow your topic (see next slide)
 Write your poem using the three
column organizer
 Read out loud with your partner
 Revise
 Practice
 Publish (see pub options on last
slide)
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SUGGESTIONS FOR VOICES
Voices
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Pet and owner
Student and teacher
Teacher and principal
Parent and child
Animal and hunter
Shoe and foot
Artist and critic
Republican and
democrat
Mac and PC
Topic
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Work ethic
Religion
Power
Hobbies
Politics
Rules
Friendship
Punishment
Money
Mistakes
PREWRITING WEBS
Use the Venn
diagram web to
the left (or
something similar)
to plan for your
two voice poem.
Consider the
voices and topics
listed on the last
slide.
Voice #1
Both Voices
Voice #2
OTHER USES FOR TWO-VOICE POEMS
Character v. Character
 Modern v. Historic
 Two different selfs (Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde)
 Self v. Character
 Compare race, gender, age, etc.
 Self v. Original Character
 Before and After (Lady Macbeth in Act 1 v. Act 3)
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Create an I-movie or Windows Movie
Maker video to share your writing.
Create an accompanying artistic
representation for your work.
Create a storybook that mirrors the
focus element but is based on a timely
topic.
Dramatize your writing in a live
presentation for the class.
Conduct further research and become
an expert on your topic. Create a poster
to showcase what you learned.
PRODUCT OPTIONS AND EXAMPLES
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