Hearing Voices
Unit Plan
Jennifer Abbatiello
MA English - TESOL Certification
Spring 2005
Rationale
The lessons in this unit provide an interesting way to teach an important
component of writing – voice. It is sometimes difficult for students to write using voice,
especially when it is the voice of someone else. I have always felt that the best way to
teach students to become better writers is through introducing them to strong writing.
Using literature to teach writing skills not only provides students with a good model, but
also helps motivate them to want to learn.
The literature I chose to accompany the lesson is a book that students generally
love. They can relate to it, especially when the dad turns around and tells his sons to stop
fooling around or he’ll pull the car over by the side of the road. The main characters stand
out so much because the author uses such voice when he writes. Since the students enjoy
the book and the main characters, they are naturally drawn into the lesson and actually
want to write. It is also important to use children’s literature as much as possible in order
to model good writing and to make connections between reading and responding in
writing.
The introductory lesson is simply meant to provide students with an
understanding of the concept of voice. Many of them are fully aware of this idea but may
often overlook it since it is quite common in children’s literature. Figuring out the voice
of a text is something readers do without consciousness. The activities that correspond
with this activity make an abstract concept, such as voice, a little more concrete. The
activities are also ones the children will enjoy, providing the children with that impetus to
want to learn more about voice.
The second lesson is geared more towards the reading aspect of the literature. The
children are encouraged and expected to use certain reading strategies to help them as
they try to make meaning from the text. There are several prereading activities to activate
and create their prior knowledge. By the Side of the Road demands making connections.
The children relate the story to their own lives – an important connection to make when
reading. In this story, there isn’t much vocabulary that needs development prior to
reading since there are no words that will interfere with comprehension. There may be a
few slang words, but we can go into them more in-depth as we read.
The activities I have chosen to include in the writing lesson are ones that
encourage creative writing without anxiety or tension. I start with modeling a group
writing (which I believe is important in all classrooms, especially those with ELLs) in
order to involve the students in the lesson and help them feel more confident. After all,
they have already assisted writing from one character’s point of view and it wasn’t too
hard. It takes away some of the immensity of such a daunting task and gives them the
confidence to say, “Hey – I can do that!”
Planning is an integral part of any writing activity. It helps the students figure out
where they want to go and how they want to accomplish the writing task before they
actually write. I have included the Talk-Write Approach in a modified form so that the
students can help one another with their planning. In Literacy and Bilingualism, María
Brisk and Margaret Harrington write, “The Talk-Write approach is an excellent way to
develop initial drafts and give students practice in being crucial and helpful about each
other’s work.” (13) They also comment, “By talking to someone before writing, bilingual
and second-language learners are able to ‘work out’ vocabulary and linguistic structures
that might impede their writing.” (25) I think the Talk-Write Approach will be very
helpful in such a writing activity since really what the reader wants to hear is that voice.
Therefore, discussing phrases the students might include will help the students actually
hear the voice.
The actual writing lesson of this unit is a basic writing process activity. Students
plan, write, revise, edit, rewrite, and publish. I like writing process lessons because the
students really get the opportunity to invest time and effort into a piece of work, much
like an author does. I think the idea that there will be more drafts after the initial draft
takes some of the pressure off the second-language learners. They don’t feel as if their
first draft must be perfect. Brisk and Harrington comment, “For bilingual learners, it
[process writing] allows for flexibility of language use. The students are able to plan
using their first language, even if the final product is in the second language.” (29) I
encourage students to use English in their writing, but because it is a work in progress, it
is not the end of the world if they struggle to find the phrase they are thinking of or the
vocabulary they need. They may simply use their primary language or leave a space.
When the work is revised and discussed, the students will figure out what they needed to
include in that section. It is also a nice way to see what grammatical issues each student
may be having difficulty with. Then I can address it as we revise and then even include it
in a mini-lesson later. If I find many children are struggling with that particular issue, I
know I need to go back and reteach it. “For second-language learners, this approach
provides opportunities to develop vocabulary and improve grammar.” (29)
The additional activities I have included may be used as whole class lessons,
small group instruction, or even independent work for those students that finish before
the rest of the class. These activities include technology by making use of the Internet.
Technology is an integral part of instruction and should be used every day. Using
computers acts as a motivational tool while teaching the students important concepts.
Using the computer is much like utilizing children’s literature…it just works!
I find that students really enjoy the story, By the Side of the Road. So, why not
take advantage of that? It’s the perfect opportunity to connect literature to writing and to
make it enjoyable and relatively relaxed. English Language Learners may be new at
English, but the activities included will allow them to succeed at writing a story full of
voice.
National TESOL Standards
The Hearing Voices Unit Plan meets the specific learning needs of English
Language Learners through a variety of activities and the use of best practices. As such,
the TESOL standards for professional development are well-represented in the lessons
and additional activities provided within this plan. These standards shaped the unit and
acted as the foundation from which the lessons were conceived.
Standard 1a states, “Candidates demonstrate understanding of language as a
system and demonstrate a high level of competence in helping ESOL students acquire
and use English in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for both social and academic
purposes.” These four literacy skills are taught simultaneously through this unit. There is
no segregation of such skills, which makes the most sense since these four skills are
rarely used in isolation. Rather there is normally a combination of the skills utilized in
daily life, both socially and academically.
For the same domain, Standard 1b indicates that “Candidates know, understand,
and apply concepts, theories, research, and practice to facilitate the acquisition of both a
primary and a new language in and out of classroom settings.” A number of best practices
are employed in this unit, including the activation of prior knowledge through making
connections and watching a video; cooperative learning; lowering the affective filter by
providing a more relaxed atmosphere; providing interesting and motivating lessons; and
the use of the writing process. My understanding of concepts and theories that I have
encountered and studied through my TESOL program are demonstrated numerous times
in this plan.
The second domain encourages the idea that culture greatly affects ELL
development and growth. Regardless of which students I am teaching, this is always a
reality and something that helps dictate my planning and teaching. In this lesson, students
are encouraged to use their previous experiences to help make connections to the story
they read. They also use their experiences and language to understand the concept of
voice. When the students are choosing voices to take on, they are encouraged to use
someone from their family, even if that means speaking in a different language. Having
different students share “voices” in different languages helps them see similarities
between cultures, while teaching them to embrace the differences. The students are also
encouraged to share these concepts with their families. One of their assignments is to
explain the story they have read in class to someone at home – they may use any
language. The concept of voice transfers to any language and is something that adds
interest to any story. Students are encouraged to look for voice in stories they read
independently. When they encounter an exceptional voice, they are urged to share it with
the class. This includes stories from different cultures and in different languages.
Embracing the students’ cultures and languages is the best way to help them develop their
native language and their target language, while helping them feel included and
supported at school. It is equally as important to involve their families with their lessons
at school.
This understanding of cultural differences and their impact on the classroom can
also be evidenced through my teaching style. Respect for other cultures, behaviors, and
attitudes is an integral part of my everyday teaching. For this, I try to maintain a
relatively relaxed atmosphere in which students feel secure enough to take risks. Not
everyone immediately grasps or embraces the American school system. Therefore,
special allowances must be made for students so that they may feel more comfortable
until they have grown accustomed to the everyday practices and attitudes of these
schools.
All of my lessons are planned with TESOL best practice ideas in mind. Even
when I teach students who are native English speakers, I still continue to utilize the
practices as outlined in ESL instruction because they are such valuable teaching
strategies. Regardless of whether I am teaching ELLs or native speakers, these strategies
work. Standard 3a, 3b, and 3c emphasize the importance of using ESL concepts, research,
and best practices, along with a variety of teaching strategies and materials in teaching
second language learners. These standards also explain the importance of teaching the
language in an integrated curriculum. Hearing Voices displays such knowledge of what
works in the ESL classroom. First of all, the lesson is designed for a variety of levels.
Students do what they can. If that means they draw pictures to express their ideas, use
English words sparingly, or resort to their first language from time to time to explain an
idea, then that is completely acceptable. My ESL classroom is not an advertisement for
such groups as English Only. I think it is acceptable for students to use any manner that
they can to show their ideas. This lesson also incorporates hands-on activities and student
involvement. The acting out of voices involves the students and appeals to them. Video
clips are used to help introduce this rather abstract concept, while prereading strategies
are employed to help set the students up for success. Also contributing to their success is
a little help from their peers. Students learn so much from one another that it seems
ridiculous to keep them apart. Cooperative work can be quite effective given the correct
mix of students and a good task. Proper planning and the use of a variety of teaching
strategies are the most important components of teaching ELLs.
Within the third domain, the use of technology is outlined. In standard 3d, we see
that “Candidates are familiar with a wide range of materials, resources, and technologies
and choose, adapt, and use them effectively in ESL teaching.” Several of the additional
activities employ the use of the Internet. There are so many absolutely wonderful sites
designed for English Language Learners. Searching for them has completely filled my
“Favorites” folder on my computer. I chose a few of the best examples that fit with this
particular unit. Using technology is a great way to motivate the students and provide
them with reinforcement activities.
As popular as technology is in today’s classroom, assessment appears to receive
just as much attention. Assessment is a highly disputed topic in teaching today.
Depending on the tool, assessment can be beneficial to the students or it can be
detrimental. In the Hearing Voices plan, assessment is predominantly used informally, as
a means of driving instruction. The students are informally assessed through discussions
and contributions to class. Likewise, the writing process helps me see what each student
needs work with in regards to their writing. By the end of the process, however, each
student should have a completed piece of work that exemplifies their understanding of
the topic of voice and applies such knowledge to a writing activity. Students are aware of
the rubric for this activity and have already practiced scoring other people’s work.
Therefore, their final draft can be formally assessed. It must be kept in mind, however,
that these students are at a multitude of levels, depending on a huge number of variables.
Such variables include amount of time in American schools, amount of education prior to
moving to the U.S., legality issues that may affect their focus. The list is endless. They
should be assessed with these variables in mind. The thought of giving a “test” to “prove”
the students’ understanding of the concept of voice goes against much of what I have
learned about assessment and ELLs. Standard 4a states, “Candidates understand various
issues of assessment, e.g. cultural bias, political and social factors in assessment, IQ and
special education testing, as they affect ESOL student learning.” The students’ final
writing piece may be entered into their portfolio as an alternative assessment to a test.
Applying acquired knowledge shows more understanding than answering multiple choice
or true/false questions anyway.
The variety of informal assessments used during this unit demonstrates Standard
4b and 4c. “Candidates know and use a variety of language proficiency instruments to
inform instruction and understand its uses for identification and placement of students.”
Standard 4c states, “Candidates know and use a variety of classroom-based assessment
tools to inform instruction.” Assessment tools should be planned first with instruction
built around them. Using a variety of assessment tools is far superior to one summative
exam at the end of the unit. Assessing as the students progress through the unit is the best
way to make sure the students learn what is being taught.
The TESOL standards dictate much of what I teach. They encourage and require
the use of the numerous strategies and best practices I have studied throughout my M.A.
English – TESOL program.
Knowledge Base
(Knowledge, Skills and Affective)
Knowledge
Voice
Point of view
Character
Literature
Writing Traits
Pre-Writing
Brainstorming
First Draft
Revising
Editing
Publishing
Conventions
Skills
Act out
Activate prior knowledge
Apply
Brainstorm
Categorize
Cooperate
Converse
Conclude
Determine
Discuss
Draw
Edit
Explain
Identify
Listen
Make connections
Name
Observe
Plan
Predict
Question
Relate
Revise
Write
Affective
Bravery
Concern
Confidence
Empathy
Open-Mindedness
Positive Self-Concept
Respect
Risk Taking
National ESL P-12 Standards
The student will:
ELL2-A. Use proper grammar and mechanics in writing.
ELL2-B. Create a variety of written communication.
ELL2-C. Assemble and organize information.
ELL2-D. Develop reading comprehension.
ELL2-E. Demonstrate individual communication.
ELL2-F. Demonstrate individual listening skills.
ELL2-G. Demonstrate mastery of various electronic media.
List of Materials
Drawing paper
Microphone (may be fake)
Pictures from magazines of different people
Excerpts from several different books with obvious voice
Suggestions: Holes; The True Story of the Three Little Pigs;
Superfudge; Junie B. Jones; The Stinky Cheese Man; How to
Disappear Completely and Never Be Found; any book that
has a distinctive voice
Picture of Beverly Cleary
Highlighters
Copies of an excerpt from Ramona Quimby, Age 8
1 copy of By the Side of the Road for each student
Highlighting Tape
Clip of cartoon that shows parent threatening to put a child out of a
car
Vocabulary Journals
Drawing Paper
Crayons
Reading Journals
Paper
Dictionaries and thesauri
Copies of pages from book
Highlighters
Chart paper
Overheads
Write Traits by Vicki Spandel
Hearing Voices Unit Plan Introduction
Lesson 1
I. TOPIC: Voice in Writing
Length: One day
Subject Area: Reading & Writing
Grade Level: 3rd-6th ESL (10+/- students)
II. OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Point out voices as they appear in texts
- Provide a voice for a given person or animal
- Explain how voice varies
- Explain the role of voice in a text
Delaware Performance Indicators:
- 3.115 – use lively, engaged writing, reflective of their voice
- 3.116 – experiment with dialogue to bring characters to life
- 3.127 - use oral language for different purposes
- 3.192 – make inferences about content, event, character, setting
III. MATERIALS:
- Drawing paper
- Microphone (may be fake)
- Pictures from magazines of different people
- Excerpts from several different books with obvious voice
Suggestions: Holes; The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; Superfudge;
Junie B. Jones; The Stinky Cheese Man; How to Disappear Completely and
Never Be Found; any book that has a distinctive voice
- Picture of Beverly Cleary
- Highlighters
- Copies of an excerpt from Ramona Quimby, Age 8
IV. PROCEDURES
A. INTRODUCTION:
1. First, students should fold drawing paper into four rectangles, so there is a grid
with four different spaces.
2. I’m going to read a few different excerpts to you from different stories. After I read
each, I will give you a few minutes to draw a picture of the character that is telling
the story. Whom do you picture when you hear the reading?
3. Read first excerpt. Students should then be given time to draw a picture of the
person/animal telling the story in the first box. This continues until four excerpts have
been read and the four boxes are filled.
4. Go through each reading again. This time the students should describe to their
group whose voice they may have heard.
5. This is what we call voice. Good writers use voice to make their characters come to
life. You can picture these characters, can’t you? And you could probably even
imagine what they would say next and how they would say it.
B. DEVELOPMENT
1. Use Ramona as an example to analyze. Pass out a retyped excerpt from the story.
Have students read quietly. Then read aloud to the students.
2. What is the voice that you hear? Describe the person whose voice you hear. Is it a
he or a she? How old is it? What does he/she look like? What does he/she act like?
Do you know someone who reminds you of this person?
3. The students should respond that it is a young girl. How do you know? Highlight
the clues that told you it was a young girl. Give students a chance to find a few clues.
Then go over them and discuss why those clues help the students know it is a young
girl.
4. So, it is a child’s voice you hear? Do you think a child wrote this book? Take a
vote, using the eyes closed method, of course.
5. When they open their eyes, hold up a picture of Beverly Cleary. Did anyone’s
picture of the voice in this story look like this? All the students should respond with a
resounding NO! Explain that Beverly Cleary is the author of this story. Is she a
young girl? How can you explain that then?
6. So, is it possible to take the voice of another person? Do you think that you could
do it?
7. Using the pictures of people cut out of magazines, allow each student to become
somebody else. Split the students into groups and let them act like the person and
interact with their group members (who are acting like someone else, too.) Ask a few
students to share with everyone.
8. When the class is back together, have students share their voice, using a
microphone. Pretend the microphone helps change your words from a (3rd, 4th, 5th,
or 6th) grade student to whatever or whoever you need to be. Allow students to be the
principal or even use your voice.
C. CONCLUSION
1. We all have our own voice. It’s the voice we know how to use the best, but we
sometimes are not aware of it. Just because we have our own voice, doesn’t mean we
can’t take on someone or something’s voice. Using voice in your writing will make
your characters pop off the page and become memorable.
D. ASSIGNMENT
1. Choose a person in your family or a person at school to observe today. Tomorrow
you are going to take on that person’s voice as you write a journal entry about what
you do every day. Think carefully, watch the person’s every move, and listen to
his/her speech.
V. EVALUATION
In order to best evaluate if the students understand the concept of voice, I would
observe them informally throughout the lesson. I would check and see if they
could accurately find some clues in order to prove that Ramona is a young girl. I
would also observe the students while they are taking on the voice of someone
else. Do they understand the concept? Formal evaluation will come later as we
progress through the unit.
Hearing Voices Unit Plan Lesson 2
I. TOPIC: Voice in Writing
Subject Area: Reading & Writing
Length: Two days
Grade Level: 3rd-6th ESL (10+/- students)
II. OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Use prereading strategies effectively
- Monitor their comprehension and use fix-it strategies
- Make connections between their lives and the story
Delaware Performance Indicators:
- 3.141 – use a combination of effective, efficient word recognition strategies to
comprehend printed text
- 3.143 – use context and picture clues
- 3.189 – understand the feelings of characters of varying genders, races, and
disabilities
- 3.190 – relate incidents in the text or media to life’s experiences
III. MATERIALS:
- 1 copy of By the Side of the Road for each student
- Highlighting Tape
- Clip of cartoon that shows parent threatening to put a child out of a car
- Vocabulary Journals
- Drawing Paper
- Crayons
- Reading Journals
IV. PROCEDURES
A. PRE-READING
1. Think-Pair-Share – Take a minute to think about a time when you realized your
parents were completely fed up with you. Maybe you were fighting with a sibling,
or wouldn’t do your chores, or just weren’t listening. (Give students time to think
of one instance.) Now, pair up with your neighbor and share your story.
2. Have students share a few stories aloud to the entire group. Then ask, Have you
ever heard them say those famous words, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to leave
you here by the side of the road.” (Hold up the book as you say “By the side of
the road.”)
3. Show the clip of a cartoon in which a parent threatens to put a child out by the
side of the road.
4. Discuss this idea of being put by the side of the road – have your parents ever
said that to you? What’s usually going on in the backseat? Have they ever
actually left you there?
5. Today we are going to read a story in which the child really does get put by the
side of the road.
B. DEVELOPMENT
1. Pass out books. Have students explore the cover, read the title, look at the
picture.
2. Take students on a picture walk. (Don’t show them the entire book. Stop at the
page where it says, “So…I lived by the side of the road.” After that point, the
story starts to go off and it takes away from the beginning of the story. I
always tell my kids when we’re completely done with the book we’ll read the
rest together.)
3. Make predictions. Students may make predictions in their reading journals.
Depending on their level, they may write, draw pictures, or use a combination
of the two skills.
4. Share a few predictions aloud.
5. It’s time to read! The highlighting tape should be given to the students. If they
come across a word that they have never seen before, a word they’re not sure
of the meaning, or even a phrase that they just don’t understand, they can
highlight it by sticking the highlighting tape over the text. They should
already be familiar with this process. There is no vocabulary in this story that
will interfere with comprehension, as it is a basic narrative text. There is no
specific jargon used, except that of a young boy. There may be some words or
concepts that they have never heard, but these can be clarified as they read or
we can review them afterwards.
6. Split students into pairs. Allow them to read the story together, talking about
what’s happening as they read. Remind students to make sure they understand
what’s going on in the story. The partners are responsible for one another.
Make sure to walk around and monitor the students. Are they talking about
what they are reading? Students should be comfortable with partner work, as
they are familiar with it.
7. When students have finished reading (up until that spot when Richard gets put
by the side of the road) discuss what happens in this story.
8. Describe how each character in the story felt. Make a chart on the board with
the characters and their feelings during the great “by the side of the road”
event. Practice using emotion words.
9. Review any vocabulary the students had difficulty understanding. Include this
vocabulary in their journals with a drawing and class definition of the word.
10. Now, I want you to tell me what you think will happen next in the story. Will
Richard’s parents come back or will they leave him there? First, you may
draw a picture of the next scene. Then I would like you to use some words to
tell what will happen next. When you are all through, we will share our
thoughts with one another.
11. After students have worked for a while and have finished up, offer each the
opportunity to share his/her thoughts and predictions with the rest of the class.
C. CONCLUSION
1. Students should rate the book, using our rating cards. (See attached)
D. ASSIGNMENT
1. Your homework tonight is to share this book with someone at home.
You don’t have to read it to them, but I do want you to explain what
happens in the story and show them the pictures. You should read it
again for practice, but it can be on your own, if you would like.
V. EVALUATION
Use the students’ participation in class and the discussion to judge how well
they understood the concepts in this story. Their ideas of what may happen
next can be assessed, based on their ideas, not necessarily their writing skills
(especially if the student relies more on their picture than on their words.)
Pictures can be assessed as well for their relation to the story and possibility of
what could actually happen next.
Hearing Voices Unit Plan Lesson 3
I. TOPIC: Applying voice to writing Length: 5-6 days (depending on writing process)
Subject Area: Reading & Writing
Grade level: 3rd-6th ESL (10+/- students)
II. OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
- Choose a different character from the story
- Write the same experience from a different character’s viewpoint
- Utilize voice that is appropriate for the chosen character
- Use dialogue in their story
Delaware Performance Indicators:
3.115 use lively, engaged writing, reflective of their voice.
3.116 experiment with dialogue to bring characters to life.
III. MATERIALS
A. STUDENT RESOURCES
- Paper
- Dictionaries and thesauri
- Copies of pages from book
- Highlighters
- Chart paper
- Overheads
B. TEACHER REFERENCES
By the Side of the Road written by Jules
Feiffer
IV. PROCEDURES
A. INTRO AND DEVELOPMENT:
1. Reread the story of By the Side of the Road from the previous lesson
while the students follow along. (They may have to join in from time
to time.) Explain to students that their purpose for reading is to really
take notice of the types of things that the main character Richard says
that help show his voice.
2. There is a strong voice in this story. Whose is it? Discuss the fact that
even though the author is probably an adult, he has taken on the
“voice” of a young boy.
3. Using the highlighting tape, the students can show examples of
Richard’s voice. Show me evidence of the voice. Prove it to me. What
words and phrases show you Richard’s voice?
4. Discuss the highlighted phrases and words and post them on chart
paper in the room. Such suggestions may include “fooling around,”
“she’s on our side when my father isn’t around,” “Who likes to be
pushed around?,” “Who cares?,” “fast-food joint,” “I was playing kick
rocks in the road,” etc.
5. Do you think you know Richard and his voice pretty well? Now, we’re
going to take on the role of another character in the story and explain
what happened from a different point of view, using an entirely
different voice. First, we are going to do one together. Then, you will
have the opportunity to choose a character and do one of your own.
6. Find out which character the children would like to do together.
Suggestions: mother, father, brother Rudy, road, car, or nearby trees
7. Brainstorm different phrases the character might say. For example, if
you choose the mother – “My poor little boy.” “How could you just
leave my little baby by the side of the road?”
8. Plan out the writing, using an outline to retell the story.
9. Together on the overhead, write the story from the different
character’s perspective. Model the appropriate components of a good
piece of writing (especially the other traits we have already covered –
ideas and organization.) Make sure there is an interesting beginning, a
strong middle, and a conclusion. Also be sure to include dialogue as a
way of making the writing come to life. Discuss the grammatical
issues related to using dialogue. (Students should already be aware of
this.) It is important, also, to stress that the other characters were
involved in parts of the story that we didn’t read the first time. For
example, once the father leaves Richard by the side of the road, there
is an entire car trip that we didn’t get to read about in the first story.
What happened in the car? Where did they go? How long were they
gone? Remember, we only saw Richard’s point of view, so we only
know what happened by the side of the road.
10. Once we have written a version of the story together, it is time for the
children to create their own. They will choose a character and plan out
the things the character might say or do.
11. The students will then be split up into partners (making sure that there
are different characters matched together – ex: mother and father,
Rudy and mother; father and Rudy; road and mother, etc. The students
should share some of the things they have come up with. Together,
they can come up with some more ideas to include in each other’s
stories.
12. Next, the students will make up an outline or use some either type of
graphic organizer that they prefer.
13. Then, students will write their first draft. They should not worry too
much about words and spelling the first time. If they are having
trouble coming up with a word, they may use their first language or
they may just leave a space to try and think of it later or to seek
another resource for the word (dictionary, peer, teacher.) Emphasize
the use of “Spelling Squiggles” – instead of stopping every few words
to look up a word they’re not sure how to spell, they can spell it the
best they can, underline the word with a squiggly line, and then
continue. Later, they can go back and fix what they think may be
wrong.
14. The first draft will then be revised either through a peer review, a selfreview, and/or individual meeting with teacher.
15. Once it has been revised and edited, the story may then be rewritten
and published.
* Students that finish early may choose another character and write
another version of the story.
* This lesson should NOT be finished in one day – it may take almost
a week or two, depending on the amount of time spent on it each day.
B. CONCLUSION
After all the students have written their versions of the story, they may be
compiled into a class book and read aloud.
C. ASSIGNMENT
Students should continue to search for voice in literature. When they find
a good example of voice in a text, they should bring it in and share it on a
share day. Then the other students can analyze it and discuss its voice
merit, and maybe even rubric it according to the Voice Trait.
V. EVALUATION:
A. STUDENTS:
Students will be informally evaluated as to their understanding of the
Voice Trait according to the examples they give of voice in the story. I
will be able to tell which students are comfortable with this idea and
which need reinforcement.
Stories will be evaluated using a 6+1 Writing Traits Rubric based on the
voice trait, along with the other two traits we have already discussed and
studied – ideas and organization. I will also use the DSTP (Delaware
Student Testing Program) rubric to help the students see how their score
would rate on that test.
B. TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS:
I will be able to see how well the students understand voice
through our discussion, their examples of voice, and their
stories. I can see their progress when it comes to writing, and
also see what I need to review a bit more. This is also a good
lesson to see how effective I have been in teaching the Voice
Trait over the past few weeks. If I find the students are still
having a lot of difficulty, I may need to go back and try
teaching it differently.
Additional Activities for Teaching Voice
1. Integrate Voice Instruction with History
Provide examples of personal narratives, letters, or speeches from important
historical figures. Choose historical figures from a variety of cultures. Choosing writings
that are not in English may also be an interesting way to help
students understand this concept of voice. See if the students
can learn anything more about the particular people from
history based on their speech or writing.
The following websites may be helpful with this task:
America’s Story from America’s Library – Meet Amazing
Americans
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa
PBS – Important People from The West
http://www.obs.org/weta/thewest/people
About Famous People
http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com
2. Practice Scoring for Voice
Using both the Six Traits Writing Rubric and the DSTP Writing Rubric, score
some writing samples. Assign points to the voice aspect or all of the traits and discuss the
students’ rationale behind each assigned score. The Write Traits kit has several such
samples to use. If this kit is not available, the following websites have several samples:
6+1 Trait Writing – Scoring – NW Regional Educational Laboratory
http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/scoring.php?odelay=3&d=1&r=3
Delaware Student Testing Program –
http://www.doe.state.de.us/AAB/
3. Surfing the Net
Students can utilize available technology by accessing some websites. The first
site listed here allows the students to create a story step by step. They have to write the
story on paper, but the steps are listed on the site. The additional sites are ones that help
reinforce skills and vocabulary through games and quizzes.
Writing Fix - http://www.writingfix.com/leftbrain/ADayAsYourShoes.htm
Dave’s ESL Café – http://www.eslcafe.com
Interesting Things for ESL/EFL Students – http://www.manythings.org
Isabel’s ESL Site – http://www.isabelperez.com
TEFLGames.Com – http://www.teflgames.com/games.htm
ESL Games and Activities – http://www.jcckc.net/english/links_games.htm
Title___________________________________
Author____________________________________
Genre_________________________
One main character _________________________
I give this character a
5
4
3
2
1
0
Favorite Part _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Picture
I rate this book as a
5
4
3
2
Rater’s name__________________________________
1
0
Writing Rubrics
Writing Rubrics
Writing Rubrics
Courtesy of Write Traits by Vicki Spandel