An American Story Imitation



Imitating Voice in Writing

Amybeth Gregory

RE 5730

Fall 2006

Imitating Voice in Writing

Grade 3-5

Abstract: Help grade 3-5 students explore voice as an element in writing. Students will read stories that exemplify well-written voice and then borrow ideas to write their own voice-filled stories.

Estimated Time: Five 30-45 minute sessions

|Overview |

|Voice is an element of writing that students must develop in order to pass the 4th grade narrative test in North Carolina. Voice |

|is the element used when a writer captures the tone or mood of the character. In this lesson, students are exposed to several |

|reading selections that exemplify the writing trait of voice. The selections are then used as models from which students borrow |

|phrases and ideas to write a group voice-filled selection. The final production is an independently written monologue using |

|voice. |

|From Theory to Practice |

|Lancia, P.J. (1997). Literary borrowing: The effects of literature on children’s writing. The Reading Teacher, 50, 470–475. |

|Reading various styles literature provides students with examples from which to borrow ideas for their own writing. |

|Children recognize and imitate the writing styles of authors they admire. |

|Literary borrowing tends to occur naturally, but can be encouraged and shaped to create a model for students to use in writing. |

|NCTE/ IRA Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12 |

|Student Objectives |

|Students will |

|Recognize Voice as a writing trait through reading and analyzing voice-filled stories as a class and independently. |

|Imitate what they have read by writing a voice-filled story as a class. |

|Imitate what they have read and practiced by writing a voice-filled story independently (using an interactive media tool). |

|Instructional Plan |

|Resources |

|Classroom Resources |

|Computer lab with I-net access |

|Chart paper/Markers |

|Pencils/Paper for each student |

|Transparency/Overhead projector |

|Websites |

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|Handouts |

|Voice checklist (Appendix A) |

|Voice Planning Sheet (Appendix B) |

|Writingfix Voice Monologue Rubric (Appendix C) |

|Student Voice Reflection Survey (Appendix D) |

|Books/Readings |

|My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Stephen Layne (Pelican, 2003) |

|Love that Dog by Sharon Creech (Scholastic, 2001) |

|Seedfolk by Paul Fleischman (HarperCollins, 1997) |

|Junie B. Jones has a Peep in Her Pocket by Barbara Park (Scholastic, 2000) |

|Preparation |

|1. |

|Collect the books which exemplify the use of Voice as a writing trait and make them readily available to students. Familiarize |

|yourself with the books by choosing chapters or passages that model good use of voice. |

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|2. |

|Make a transparency of the voice planning sheet, and copies of each handout for each student. |

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|3. |

|Prepare a K-W-L Chart with the title: What is Voice? To hang on the classroom wall. |

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|Instruction and Activities |

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|Session 1 |

|1. |

|Introduce the story My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Stephen Layne. |

| |

|2. |

|Read the story aloud to students and discuss how the author’s voice is evident in the writing. Questions for discussion include: |

|What are ways you can hear the narrator’s voice? |

|What words does the narrator use to give clues about who he is? How can you tell what the narrator is like? |

|What words would be different in this story if the narrator was a grown up? |

|What emotion does the writer seems to be feeling? |

|How would this story be different if the narrator were not feel this way? |

| |

|3. |

|Explain to students that the author uses character Voice in this story. Ask what students think voice is, and record answers on |

|the K-W-L chart. Fill in the first two columns on the chart, and tell students that they will be learning about voice for the |

|remainder of the week. |

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|Session 2 |

|1. |

|Review the K-W-L chart about Voice. |

| |

|2. |

|Hand out the voice checklist. Explain that students will hear selections from other books (Love that Dog by Sharon Creech, |

|Seedfolk by Paul Fleischman, and |

|Junie B. Jones has a Peep in Her Pocket by Barbara Park) that model voice in the writing. They must use the checklist as they |

|listen to the stories, and think about how each part of the checklist describes the voice of this narrator or author. |

| |

|3. |

|Introduce and read selections/chapters out of the Voice-filled stories. After each story, have students discuss the elements of |

|the writer’s voice in small groups. End the small group discussions by having a whole group sharing time. |

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|Session 3 |

|1. |

|Re-read My Brother Dan’s Delicious by Stephen Layne. |

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|2. |

|Review the elements of voice on the checklist. |

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|3. |

|Have students brainstorm sentences that imitate Stephen Layne’s style to describe another scenario—a kindergartener’s perspective|

|of the first day of school. Complete the transparency of the voice planning sheet for the group writing activity. |

| |

|4. |

|Write a collaborative monologue of the First Day in Kindergarten imitating and borrowing from Stephen Layne’s style and voice. |

|Use the voice planning transparency to prompt ideas. |

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|Session 4 |

|1. |

|This session takes place in the computer lab. Students will get on and spend time using the interactive voice |

|lesson to write their own monologue imitating Stephen Layne’s voice. |

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|2. |

|Hand out Writingfix Voice Rubric and Voice Planning sheet to each student. Students will fill out the voice planning sheet for |

|their monologue and then write the monologue. |

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|Session 5 |

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|1. |

|Allow students to share ideas from the session 4’s monologue writing session. |

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|2. |

|Have students complete the Student Voice Reflection Survey |

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|3. |

|Complete the KWL chart started in Session 1. Discuss what the students learned in the Voice unit. |

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|Extensions |

|Have students create their own situations and locations to have a monologue (imitating ideas from Writingfix). |

|Students can imitate other authors to create voice-filled pieces of writing. |

|Have students complete a RAFT (Role, Audience, Function, Topic) activity to further explore voice. |

|Have students complete a reader’s theatre with their voice monologues. |

|Student Assessment/Reflections |

|Informally assess students’ understanding of voice in writing during class discussions and small-group discussion sessions |

|Collect Voice Planning Sheet used in Session 4 to assess student ability to include voice in writing. |

|Use Writingfix Voice Rubric to assess student success in using voice. |

|Participation in class writing activity. |

|Student Reflection Survey |

|KWL chart completion. |

|Evaluate student understanding of voice formally in Session 4 products. |

|[pic] |

|IRA/NCTE Standards |

|1 - Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures|

|of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace;|

|and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. |

| |

|3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior |

|experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word |

|identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, |

|context, graphics). |

| |

|4 - Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate |

|effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. |

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|5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to |

|communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. |

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|6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, |

|figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts. |

| |

|8 - Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to |

|gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. |

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|12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, |

|persuasion, and the exchange of information). |

Appendix A

Voice Checklist

Voice is the writer’s ability to speak like the character in the story. Using voice often includes humor and tone to the writing.

As you listen to examples of well-constructed voice pieces, consider the following points:

__ vocabulary words—age-appropriate and specific to the character (Junie B., Jack in Love that Dog)

__ tone of voice

__ humor

__ grammar—sometimes improper grammar can be a character trait

__ emotion

__ use of language—look for figures of speech and idioms specific to a character’s background

__ conversational style—does the narrator seems to be talking to you?

Authors who use voice in their writing often talk like the character. They must think like the character in order to write like the character.

Appendix B

Voice Planning Sheet

40 pts

Use this sheet to brainstorm phrases and ideas for the voice of your character. Remember to think like your character.

__ vocabulary words—What vocabulary words will the character use?

__ tone of voice—How will the character sound?

__ humor—What will this character say to be funny (on purpose or accidentally)?

__ grammar—Are there any grammar mistakes this character might make?

__ emotion—How does the character feel? What words to he/she use to show emotion?

__ use of language—What figures of speech or catch phrases might this character use?

__ conversational style—Is the character addressing the audience?

Appendix C

Writingfix Monologue Rubric

|Requirement |Points |

|Character Name | /5 |

|Everyday Location | /5 |

|Problem to monologue about | /5 |

|Appropriate/Creative Word Choice | /15 |

|Sentence Style/Variety | /15 |

|Conventions appropriate to Character voice | /15 |

|Total: | /60 |

Appendix D

Student Reflection Survey

1. How did this activity help you improve in writing?

2. How did you feel about imitating another author’s style?

3. What part of this unit was your favorite?

4. How will you use this information in the future?

5. Which part of this unit did not help you improve in your writing?

6. Add one item to the KWL chart that you learned in this unit.

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