This poem is written by the famous rapper Tupac Shakur. I think it is important to emphasis to students that music writing, rapping, and poetry are alThis poem is written by the famous rapper Tupac Shakur. I think it is important to emphasis to students that music writing, rapping, and poetry are all very similar ways that artists use their voice to tell stories and share messages. If we make poetry more relevant, students will listen and want to learn more. I would use this text as a model for students. I would have them to think of themselves as the rose and ask: "What did you grow from?" Some of us grew out of well-tended soil that had all the nutrients and water and sunlight that we could ever ask for. Others grew out of rocky terrain, barely holding on and fending for ourselves. Like Tupac, student poems do not need to be long, but they should embrace the metaphor that he started for us. ...more
This book is such a fun way to introduce students to Shakespeare's greatest works. By summarizing in rap, Mr. Z changes the voice of Shakespeare's plaThis book is such a fun way to introduce students to Shakespeare's greatest works. By summarizing in rap, Mr. Z changes the voice of Shakespeare's plays without changing the ideas and themes. I would definitely use this as a model text to have students choose a classic and summarize it in rap similar to the ones in RAP-NOTES. ...more
This story is great for the study of voice, because it goes into the deeper worries of the mind and is therefore more honest than the voice of one whoThis story is great for the study of voice, because it goes into the deeper worries of the mind and is therefore more honest than the voice of one who is trying to present a certain persona. As an activity for this story I would have students write a 6 line memoir, but for the narrator of the piece. I would specifically want them to find a way to replicate the voice of the man and use vocabulary and pacing that makes us feel the same way we do when reading Poe. ...more
The narrator in "Flowers for Algernon" has a very unique voice due to the misspellings and run-on sentences that pepper each entry. Students will get The narrator in "Flowers for Algernon" has a very unique voice due to the misspellings and run-on sentences that pepper each entry. Students will get a feel for how voice helps in characterization in first-person narrative through this story. I would use this story as a prompt for students to answer a "Would you rather..." question about if they would rather have high IQ ("intelligence quotient") or a high EI ("emotional intelligence"). This could then become a bigger writing assignment where they argue one over the other, or it would just be good for a class discussion. ...more
I would specifically use Julia Alvarez's poem "Names/Nombres" from this collection. In it, she describes the man ways her name has been a tender spot I would specifically use Julia Alvarez's poem "Names/Nombres" from this collection. In it, she describes the man ways her name has been a tender spot in her life due to her Spanish heritage. Until half-way through this story though, her cultural background is only inferred. This piece helps students to hear the voice of someone who is subtly and casually oppressed for their heritage. I would use this story to lead into a writing project where students write a story similar to Alvarez's where they go into their name and nicknames and the way that they help or hinder their identity. ...more
Terry Bisson hilariously takes an objective look at humanity from the perspective of some aliens. He gives them a unique voice by using word choice thTerry Bisson hilariously takes an objective look at humanity from the perspective of some aliens. He gives them a unique voice by using word choice that is blunt and strange. I would use this as a model text for students to pick an everyday object and describe it as if an alien was discovering it for the first time. I would specifically look at their word choice for this writing assignment. ...more
This book dives into the ways that young people can make a big change in our world today. The one message is this: little voices can be powerful, if oThis book dives into the ways that young people can make a big change in our world today. The one message is this: little voices can be powerful, if only they are used. While reading this book I would do multiple versions of the "Why" activity from Kelly Gallager. I would give students current statistics from every topic imaginable, and then have them pose the question, "Why is our world like this?" After journalling many days about trying to answer "why" our world looks the way it does, students will choose a statistic that bothers them or that they are curious about and research it further. Then, using the processes in the book and their own research, students will find a platform to present their ideas and try to make a change. ...more
This book is one giant metaphor for how one small word or action can lead to the biggest and greatest accomplishment. With this book and the discussioThis book is one giant metaphor for how one small word or action can lead to the biggest and greatest accomplishment. With this book and the discussion that comes after, I want to students to really grasp how their smallest actions are still a part of how they use their voice and it still makes a difference. Any small thing can snowball into something magnificent. To practice this, I would transfer the lessons of The Dot to writing by giving students sentence starters like "I really wish I hadn't____" or "The best thing I ever did was____" to give them a dot and let them explore how far that takes them. ...more
This book really emphasizes how one little voice can change many minds. There are so many themes that could be talked about with The Land of Many ColoThis book really emphasizes how one little voice can change many minds. There are so many themes that could be talked about with The Land of Many Colors, but what I mainly want to get across is how our voices can be used to speak out against injustice and to bring clarity to an issue. From here I would have students explore Kelly Gallager's prompt of "Why should I care?" I would give them a selection of current news articles and ask them to pick one that they need to ask the question, "Why should I care about this?" and then do the research they need to discover the reason knowing about these issues matter. Ultimately, the end goal should be so students grasp that by knowing about these problems students can take action and do something to combat or try to solve them. ...more
Due to some inappropriate content, I would only be able to use some sections of this book, but it gives wonderful insight into a playwright's thought Due to some inappropriate content, I would only be able to use some sections of this book, but it gives wonderful insight into a playwright's thought process when trying to give voice to their characters using their own personal experiences. For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda goes into detail about how he wrote a song about being a new father before he had any children, but he had just gotten his brand new puppy, so he was able to use those emotions to express the joy of loving someone you get to raise. Keeping this in mind I would have students think of something that they have not yet experienced or they might never experience and then try to think of a similar experience they that have had. They will then write a fictionalized account of the thing they have not experienced pulling from the emotions of an experience they have had. ...more
The Little Mermaid is famously known for Ariel's lack of voice in the middle of the production. Her ways of communicating change when she is unable toThe Little Mermaid is famously known for Ariel's lack of voice in the middle of the production. Her ways of communicating change when she is unable to speak and instead has to rely on other means to convey her thoughts and feelings. From reading or watching this play and exploring these ideas, I would have students write a short story using their own voice trying to ask a classmate for something they want. After they had written out the dialogue I would partner them up and tell them they can ask this classmate for whatever it is they want, but they cannot use any words. Hopefully this will challenge students so that when they activity is done I will ask them to edit their writing to include action such as, "I will raise my arm up and point say, 'Fetch me a star out of the sky.'" By adding more than just vocalization, students will add a lot of flavor to their writing. ...more
My Fair Lady is a wonderful examination of how voice is specialized for certain social and occupational circles and how in order to move fluidly in anMy Fair Lady is a wonderful examination of how voice is specialized for certain social and occupational circles and how in order to move fluidly in and out of certain group, a differentiation of voice must be perfected. By looking at how Eliza's life changes as her voice changes, students will have to consider the ways their understanding of voice might need to change to achieve goals they have for themselves. One way that this can be done is through the "What are your dreams?" prompt that Kelly Gallager writes about. Students will think of a dream they have and then write about what steps they need to take to become proficient in that dialogue in order to accomplish that dream of theirs. ...more
This book is just plain funny! It is a light-hearted way for students to look critically at our language and see how our voices might be held back froThis book is just plain funny! It is a light-hearted way for students to look critically at our language and see how our voices might be held back from having international influence if we are not careful of too many cliches. I would use this text as a model to have students think of one cliche or phrase that doesn't make much sense to them or might not to others, and then explore other ways of saying that phrase that could make more sense. ...more
Pinkwater's goofy take on a boring neighborhood's remodel is the perfect example of embracing individuality and using our voices to encourage others tPinkwater's goofy take on a boring neighborhood's remodel is the perfect example of embracing individuality and using our voices to encourage others to be the best version of themselves that they can be! I would use The Big Orange Spot as a model text and have students take on the creed "My house is me and I am it" and write a description of what they house would look like if it best expressed who they are and what they love. This would also be a wonderful opportunity to understand my students better. ...more
This book is a political piece that is extremely relevant for kids. It is a chance to talk about how our voices can be misused and abused to hurt otheThis book is a political piece that is extremely relevant for kids. It is a chance to talk about how our voices can be misused and abused to hurt others, particularly if we are not carefully looking at how we stand on certain issues. After reading this book I would have students read more on the Cold War and have students read personal memoirs of people who lived during that time. After exploring the fears of that time and examining personal stories, I would have students write an "I was a witness" piece from Write Like This and write their own personal outlook on the diversity issues of our time. ...more
This text is an opportunity for the voices of immigrants to be heard, a voice that is often ignored in America because immigration is such a hushed toThis text is an opportunity for the voices of immigrants to be heard, a voice that is often ignored in America because immigration is such a hushed topic today. I could definitely see myself using this text if I stay in Harrisonburg, as there are so many immigrant and refugee families living here. It would definitely be good to use as a mentor text that encourages students to write down their own immigration stories. ...more
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