American Voices: Listening to Fiction, Poetry, and Prose

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 08.02.08

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Overview
  2. Rationale
  3. Objectives
  4. Strategies
  5. Introducing Voice through Picture Books
  6. Voice Chart Example
  7. Cognitive Content Dictionary Example
  8. Recognizing Voice in Poetry
  9. Voice Expression Activity I: Writing from Another Point of View
  10. Voice Expression Activity II: Using Multimedia to Elicit Voice
  11. Poetry Circles
  12. Personal Narrative
  13. Resources
  14. Notes

Finding One's Voice

K. Gothie

Published September 2008

Tools for this Unit:

Cognitive Content Dictionary Example

Word Prediction Definition Use in a sentence
ramshackled      
conductor      
passenger      
bedraggled      
Slavery      
Underground Railroad      

The CCD will be filled out as a large group and this strategy will be used again when students read independently. They will identify new vocabulary in their novel and create their own CCD.

The voice that Cassie has adopted has changed from the one she used in Tar Beach and it reflects the time period in which her journey takes place. Cassie also uses more metaphor and figurative language throughout the story. I will draw attention to the metaphors she uses early on such as, "…oceans like tiny cups of tea." We will discuss the use of metaphor, and I will ask the students to try and listen for more figurative language as we continue reading the book. When Cassie says, "Then the woman conductor's voice came like a soft whisper in my ear…," I will ask for a student volunteer to read the voice of Harriet Tubman in a soft whisper. By this time in the lesson I have read four books aloud and the students have been listening carefully. This is the point where I let them practice using their voices to convey the voice of Harriet Tubman. We will discuss the significance of Harriet Tubman's voice in this story. There will be many more voices that will appear throughout this story, and I will ask the students to write about one voice that resonates with them. They will write this reflection in their interactive journals, which is another strategy to help students practice written language developed by Marcia Brechtel. 19 In an interactive journal, the student will write in letter format and address the letter to me. I will then read the letters and reply back with a letter. This activity allows the students to practice expressing their personal voices.

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