Voice: What is it? Does it matter? How do we teach it?

What is it?

Voice is passion, energy, zest, commitment, confidence, individuality–and more. Peter Elbow (in Writing with Power, p. 299) says that “writing with voice is writing into which someone has breathed.” He adds that such writing “has the power to make you understand and pay attention.” Voice, in other words, is the something that keeps you reading, the quality that makes you care about the message. Writing with voice stands out from other writing. It speaks to you, sometimes remaining in your heart and mind forever.

To the extent that voice is an extension of personality–and this is certainly part of it–we might say that it can’t be helped. It just spills out. Some people are humorous or outspoken by nature, and those qualities emerge in their writing. But voice is also audience awareness. Think about it. Don’t you know people who converse, really, as if no one were listening? They don’t read body language or facial expressions, they don’t let anyone else in. On and on they go. Some people write that same way. But people who write–or converse–with voice behave entirely differently. They tune in, look deep into your eyes, “read” you continually, and make constant adjustments based on whether you’re getting it, loving it. So as much as anything, voice is sensitivity, concern, thoughtfulness. No wonder voice is such a gift to readers. And as writers, we can–all of us, not just the comics in the crowd–develop acute awareness of our readers, their likes and dislikes, their fears or concerns, their wishes, their interests. Once we develop this awareness, we write right to readers, almost as if they were there in the room with us, and the result? Voice.

Does voice matter?

Incredibly. Writing that lacks any voice at all is dull, spiritless, nearly impossible to force yourself through. It’s psyllium fiber with nary a drop of water. Voiceless writing is rarely appreciated, published, remembered, recommended, or loved. So then, why isn’t the word VOICE on posters everywhere? Why isn’t a call for more voice in our students’ writing screaming at us from the Common Core Standards? This is a very important question. Because these days, if something isn’t emphasized in the Standards, people don’t want to spend time on it. But not everything that’s important can be captured in standards. That isn’t the job of the standards. It’s the job of the standards to define the essentials of writing success, the things we cannot do without, the things we have a right to expect of ourselves and our students.

Remember your old logic class? If A, then B. If it’s in the Standards (A), it’s important (B). That’s probably true. That doesn’t mean you can turn it around: if B, then A. No–not necessarily. In other words, just because it’s important (B), that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be found in the Standards.

Some things that are special cannot be required or demanded–especially not of everyone. Think about the books that have been your own favorites. Why did you love them? When you told someone about them, what did you say? Chances are, you did not say that the main idea was clear and well developed. You probably did not say that the organization was easy to follow or that the writer used transitional words in a way that helped you link ideas. That doesn’t mean these things weren’t true–or that they weren’t important. Of course they were. But such things define the basic underpinnings of good writing. They are foundational. Writers with clear, developed ideas write in a functional way. Functional is good as a starting point, but it’s not what dreams are made of. We don’t want to get ourselves confused and think we’re aiming for the stars when we’re shooting for functional.

What you probably did say about those books you loved likely had something to do with voice. Maybe you said a particular book touched you, took you back to an experience of your own, made you laugh or cry, lived in your head for days. Maybe you said you couldn’t put it down, you couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Or you bought a copy for a friend. If you’ve ever said any of those things about a book or any piece of writing, you’re a fan of voice.

And by the way, one aspect of voice is noted in the Common Core Standards, loud and clear–and that aspect is audience awareness. We cannot very well demand of students that they write (routinely) things that touch us, papers we cannot bear to put down or want to copy for friends. (Doesn’t mean we don’t wish for such writing.) But we can ask them to define their audience, to think about their age, experience, knowledge of the topic at hand, interests, informational needs, and so on.

How do we teach it?

Some things about voice cannot be taught directly–only encouraged. Some people, for instance, are naturally funny or disarmingly honest or insightful. Such qualities tend to translate into strong voice. We can’t have lessons in honesty and humor, or courage and insight, of course, but we encourage such qualities if we talk about them in a positive way, comment on them when we see them in students’ work, and read aloud from literature that reflects those qualities.

Reading aloud is perhaps the BEST way to teach students what voice is, to show that we appreciate it, and to provide models of how other writers have achieved voice. Those books you thought of a moment ago–the ones that touched you most? Read from those. I have countless favorites–here are just a handful:

• Matilda and Boy by Roald Dahl
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
• Extreme Animals and What’s Eating You? by Nicola Davies
• China Boy by Gus Lee 
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• Wild Thoughts from Wild Places by David Quammen
• Sing a Song of Tuna Fish by Esme Raji Codell
• The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

I could easily list 50 more–but this list provides some sense of the variety among books with voice. They come from no one particular genre and are directed at no particular age group. They’re fiction and nonfiction, comical and wholly serious, written for pre-schoolers and for mature adults. But they all have one thing in common: they are enormously fun to read aloud, and engaging to listen to.

Here’s another tip: Write letters. The audience is immediate and built in. Nothing builds audience awareness faster than letter writing–especially when the letters are written to various audiences for various purposes.

Model. Show your writers how you put voice into your own writing. Start with a flat piece like this: I had a fun time at the beach. Show how to add voice by weaving in one specific detail: I couldn’t stop wondering whether that man with the sunburned back made it home in one piece.

Remember that voice isn’t just one thing–it’s many things. It comprises precise word choice, detail, well-crafted sentences. All these things contribute to voice. So when you teach students to write with detail, or use strong verbs, or craft sentences in unusual interesting ways, you are teaching voice. Voice is an umbrella quality that spans many nuances of writing.

Voice is also about saying what’s on your mind. A teacher friend of mine tells her students, “Say it like you mean it.” Do that. Don’t write, You might consider becoming a vegetarian. Instead, write something like, If you cannot bear to kill your own pigs and chickens, you should stick to mustard greens and Brussels sprouts. (If you’re NOT a vegetarian, you can come up with your own version–from a different perspective. Just mean what you say.)

And never forget the importance of having students find their own personally important topics. It’s very hard to get excited about someone else’s topic. Sometimes, you need to do that–that’s life. But it’s almost never easy. And there’s nothing like finding your own question to answer, digging up details no one else ever heard of–and sharing them in a voice that says, “Listen to this!”

Final thought . . .

Teaching (or coaching or encouraging) voice is important for another reason–and this is almost sacred. It shows respect for the individual, for his or her spirit, culture, ethnicity, and values. Almost everything else we teach in writing homogenizes students. Conventions are standardized, after all. And we are obsessed with main ideas, supporting details, transitional words (which we can list, and often do), paragraphs that have three points and do not wander from the topic, and so much more. When everyone writes with these criteria in mind, their writing begins to sound more or less alike. We decry formula, but the truth is, if we really were serious about eluding formula, we’d encourage every drop of voice our students would award us. Voice is the quality, more than any other, that makes their writing distinctive–even unique. To shut down voice is to shut down the writer. In Writing to Change the World (p. 42) Mary Pipher says, “Voice is everything that we are, all that we have observed, the emotional chords that are uniquely ours . . . ” Precisely. Voice is the most important reason we read–and so, the most important reason we write.

Resources

If you’d like to read more about voice, let me recommend two resources (only one of which is mine): The 9 rights of Every Writer by Vicki Spandel (the final chapter is devoted to voice, but I discuss voice throughout); and Crafting Authentic Voice by Tom Romano. Tom writes in a straightforward, highly engaging manner about a topic that is clearly dear to his heart. His is one of my favorite resource books of all time, and my copy bears the highlights and sticky notes to prove it.  

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Watch for the second part of Jeff’s essay on the “Rabbit Hole”–coming up with writing ideas. And coming up soon, we’ll review George Hillocks’ new book Teaching Argument Writing. Please visit us often . . . Give every child a voice. For the BEST in trait-based PD, with plenty of emphasis on voice, contact us at 503-579-3034.

Down the Rabbit Hole Part I: Ideas as Memories

One of the questions I get the most from teachers in workshops centers on the foundational trait of ideas—“If I’m going to help my students as writers (and to meet the narrative demands of the Common Core Standards), how do I help students who consistently tell me that they have nothing to write about?” I’m actually excited to hear this question especially when it relates to students choosing their own topics while working in some form of writer’s workshop. Both the freedom and the struggle involved in student’s choosing their own messages is so important to developing writers. Rather than avoiding these moments of difficulty by always providing students with a prompt, I say to teachers, embrace them. Teach and model the strategies students can use to find and expand their messages anytime they write.

In Creating Young Writers, (© 2012, Pearson), Vicki writes about teaching each of the traits to students conceptually, as one of five instructional strategies. Specific to the trait of ideas, Vicki writes, “Ideas are everything we think, imagine, anticipate, or remember. They are the core of the writer’s message, whatever form that message may take.” (p. 61) One of the ways she offers to help students conceptualize the trait of ideas is to think of ideas as memories. The people, places, events, experiences, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that we hold in our memories, and that students hold in theirs, need to be nurtured and stirred frequently, to keep them alive as potential writing topics. One way to do this is through talk—conversations, stories, and reflections. This talk doesn’t always have to end up with writing (though talking is often a productive form of pre-writing), but I like to model for students how it can result in a list of possible topics for future writing opportunities. A good conversation, with questions from listeners, can lead the talker right down the rabbit hole of a memory. Looking at photos or checking out important personal artifacts as a way to get a conversation going is another great pathway to memories worth bringing to life in writing. In fact, it often leads us down unexpected trails—the rabbit hole doesn’t always end up where you first thought it would take you. Even though we aren’t talking face to face, and you won’t be able to ask me questions, let me model this for you by taking you down a rabbit hole adventure I recently had:

Now that my son is a senior in high school, heading down the final stretch, I often find myself looking at him and wondering, “Where did my little boy go?” I indulge these flights of nostalgia by flipping through old photo albums—actual books of photos taken by cameras that still required film—to remind myself that the hairy, funny, often moody beast currently living here, was once my little boy. During a recent photo album-therapy session, I landed and lingered on a photo taken on his fourth birthday, a picture of him unwrapping a box of rocks and sticks. With this gift, his mother and I were testing two things, first the practice of thanking gift-givers regardless of whether he “liked” the gifts, and secondly, since everywhere we went he would find rocks and sticks to play with, usually in favor of the legion of toys we had dragged with us, we thought let’s give him the things he seems to love most and see what happens. Upon opening the box, he politely thanked us (small parental victory!), while adding with a questioning tone, “I really didn’t ask for these.” And of course, after the other gifts from us—the ones he had asked for, presents from grandparents, other relatives, and friends, when things finally quieted down, what does he end up playing with? You guessed it–the rocks and sticks! 

         So, I’m looking at the picture and I’m relieved by the fact that my boy has grown into a young man who still loves to hunt for rocks and sticks, just like I do (another win for parents). Only a month ago, we had a rock-skipping contest while hiking along a favorite Oregon stream. This contest, as always, was as much about finding the perfect skipping stone as it was about who could achieve the most skips or reach a designated tree or boulder across the river. This morning, I put on the raincoat I wore that day walking beside the river, and I found two wonderful skipping stones, round and flat and smooth. Just holding them in my hands is enough to flood my brain with images of that particular day, but it also activated the rolodex of my mind to flipping through a dozen other memories of days spent with my son playing, collecting, skipping, and splashing with rocks. I realize that I’ve done it again—I’ve gone down the rabbit hole—way down this time—and my mind is flush with very specific images of people, places, and objects, and all the sensory details that brought them to life and held them in my head. This is where I really need some conversation buddies to ask me questions to help me zoom in one on one of the myriad writing opportunities I just uncovered. Fortunately, I’ve been writing this down, so I have a record of the details that popped into my head. (Clearly, I have a lot to say about the rocks and sticks from my son’s fourth birthday.) Here’s a list of possible topics, some obvious, and some which may make sense only to me because of the rabbit hole I’ve been down.

1. Andrew’s fourth birthday—the gift of rocks and sticks
2. Recent rock skipping adventure—rocks in my pocket
3. Finding rocks with Andrew—on the beach
4. Fishing the upper Nestucca River
5. Damming the Little Nestucca River
6. The half sand dollar day

Now I’ve also heard teachers tell me this is all great for students whose lives outside of school are filled with activities, friends, and meaningful interactions with parents. What about the students whose lives, at least in terms of experiences, happen mainly while they are at school? Look for Down the Rabbit Hole—Part II, and I’ll try to answer this question and tell you more about what I found while skipping rocks down the rabbit hole.

(In the meantime, I’d love to hear about ways you help your students whose lives seem (at least to them) pretty empty of experiences and memories worth writing about. Send your ideas to us here at STG.)

Go informational or persuasive with . . . Black Gold by Albert Marrin

Award winning author Albert Marrin has a reputation for creating readable informational prose that makes even the most complex information accessible to readers of all ages. Now he turns his attention and talents to one of the pivotal issues of our time: the race for oil, aka “black gold.” This extraordinary book provides opportunities galore for students to engage in informational writing or compose arguments based on real world issues that affect our very destiny. Find out more . . .

Black Gold: The Story of OIL in Our Lives by Albert Marrin 

2012. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 158 pages.

Genre: Nonfiction chapter book, history

Ages: Middle school and up (Many passages sharable with upper elementary)

Features: Excellent glossary, detailed index, historic black and white photos that give the book a journalistic flavor

Summary

Tim Appenzeller, Science Editor for National Geographic, once called oil “a freak of geology,” saying it had resulted from a series of lucky accidents over millions of years. Author Albert Marrin borrows that phrase for the title of his opening chapter, which deals with the process by which oil is created. We generally consider it a non-renewable resource–but that’s the near-sighted human in us talking. In fact, oil is renewable; the catch is, it takes millions, if not billions, of years for it to form. In the meantime, we’re hooked on it–just about all of us, all over the world–and using it like there was no tomorrow. In terms of oil consumption, there may not be. Maybe you think if you don’t have a car, or if you don’t drive all that much, that your personal oil consumption is low. Think again. Is plastic part of your life? Bingo. And check any of the following products you’ve used lately: aspirin, deodorant, lipstick, Band-Aids, eyeglasses, waxed paper, ink, camera, toilet seat, computer–and that’s only the tip of the oil-coated iceberg. Thousands of everyday products guzzle oil far faster than the family car. Clearly, unwinding our dependence is not going to be easy–if indeed it’s even possible. In this fascinating, highly informative book, Marrin explores the wonders and dangers of black gold: where it’s found, how it’s processed, when it’s likely to run out. He examines the role of oil in building fortunes, empires, and nations, our own included, and in promoting and sustaining wars, including World War I and World War II. Middle East history obviously plays a major part in the drama, and Marrin walks us through with careful insight and analysis, helping us unwind some of the complexities that now affect our future. Throughout, Marrin’s confident, knowledgeable voice makes his nonfiction as appealing as any novel, and provides an outstanding model for meeting and indeed exceeding requirements of the Common Core Standards. The final chapter, titled “Toward a New Energy Order,” provides an outstanding basis for discussion in any class studying the foundations of strong argument (thesis, detail, evidence). And as the following classroom recommendations show, the book provides numerous opportunities to stimulate informational or persuasive writing on an engaging topic that affects every single human being on the planet.

In the Classroom

1. Background. What do your students know about oil now? Discuss where reserves exist on the planet, whether they think of oil as a boon to mankind or a threat, how oil is formed, and the kinds of modern-day products we make from oil. Ask them to make notes so they can see whether any of their initial impressions change based on Marrin’s book. 

2. Personal reflection. Make a class list of products that are manufactured using oil–products we might have to do without if we did not have access to this resource. Compare your list with Marrin’s partial list on pages 93-94. Does this comparison produce any surprises?

3. Argument. Given the number of oil-based products our society currently uses, how realistic is it to imagine a society free from dependence on oil? And what is the solution? As oil reserves begin to run out, what are some of the ways we can cope?

4. Personal research. A list in a book is one thing–but experience and personal research can be even more eye opening. Set up a research project in which students keep track of the oil-based products they (or others) use over the span of, say, one week. Then ask them to do an analysis to determine the real extent of our dependence on oil. How great is it? What criteria should we use to judge this?

5. Informational research. A few societies on our planet use very few, if any, oil-based products. Have students do research to identify at least one such society–then write a comparison piece, comparing their way of life to our own. Could a way of life we might consider primitive in some respects actually have advantages over ours, given our need for energy and our rapidly disappearing access to fossil fuels?

6. Informational summary. How long does it take to create oil? Is this a common resource worldwide–or relatively rare? Discuss these and related questions. Then share chapter 1, “A Freak of Geology,” aloud. Have students create a summary informational piece (without getting too technical) on what they now understand about how oil is formed. Why is it important to know this? What implications does it have for oil exploration and use?

7. Current knowledge and discussion. Of the world’s remaining oil reserves, what percentage do your students estimate belongs to the U.S.? What percentages belong to the Middle East, Europe, or other parts of the world? Record your estimates on a map of the world, if you have one available. Then, using a document camera, compare your estimates with those on Marrin’s map, page 126. Talk about the implications of this balance (or imbalance) for world politics and world peace.

8. Informational summary. Read the section titled “A Dangerous World” (pp. 124-126) aloud, and discuss it with students. Ask them to summarize Marrin’s message in this short section.

9. Research-based argument. Right now, according to Marrin’s book (p. 124), the U.S. uses 26 percent of the world’s energy–which is grossly disproportionate to our population. But . . . will this remain true throughout the twenty-first century? What evidence, if any, suggests that this percentage could change? And what factors, economic or otherwise, could prompt this change? By the end of the twenty-first century, which country is likely to be using the greatest percentage of world energy? (Remember the secret to strong argument: evidence, evidence, evidence.)

10. History/informational summary. Chapter 5, “Hopeless Monsters,” summarizes the role that oil played in world War I and world War II. Share all or part of this chapter aloud. Then ask students to summarize in writing their impression of the relationship between oil and war (based on this chapter and any additional reading or research).

11. Argument. Talk about the impact of oil production on our environment. How would your students rate this on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being minimal or nonexistent and 10 being catastrophic. Share all or part of Chapter 8, “Fossil Fuels and the Natural Environment,” aloud. Have students write an argument for or against additional oil exploration–or taking a moderate position. Ask them to defend their position using evidence from this chapter or any other research, including reading or interviews with environmentalists, oil producers, or any other stakeholders. Their argument should show both benefits and hazards, and recommend a position based on careful analysis of the two.

12. Argument. What energy alternatives exist for us in today’s world? Are some more practical or cost-efficient than others? Discuss this with students. Then share all or part of Chapter 9, “Toward a New Energy Order.” Have students create a persuasive argument based on one of the following topics: (1) True or false: Humans will decrease their dependence on oil only when forced by circumstance to do so; (2) What is a realistic plan for dealing with our energy needs, given the knowledge and options available to us now?

About the Author . . .

Albert Marrin is the author of Oh, Rats!, Years of Dust, Sitting Bull and His World, and Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy (recently reviewed here on Gurus), as well as numerous other nonfiction books for young readers. His many honors include the Washington Children’s Book Guild and Washington Post Nonfiction Award, the James Madison Book Award for lifetime achievement, and the National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. Marrin is known for his stellar ability to connect world events to our everyday lives. 

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Thank you for stopping by. Please come again soon–and bring friends. Subscribe to our RSS feed to have info brought right to your electronic doorstep. Next week, following questions from several of our regular followers, we’ll examine the elusive trait of voice: What is it? How important is it? Does it appear in the Common Core Standards? And–most important of all–how do you teach it??? In upcoming posts, we’ll look at the Wonderful Appendix A (from the Common Core) and an outstanding book for teaching the art of argument (This one’s a winner, we promise). Remember . . . Give every child a voice.

Lizards by Sneed B. Collard III

If you want your students’ informational writing to comply with the Common Core Standards, you’re probably looking for examples to illustrate appealing detail and effective organization. Here’s a newly released book that meets those criteria admirably–and also spans many grade levels . . .

Lizards by Sneed B. Collard III

2012. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 45 pages

Genre: Informational picture book

Ages: Elementary through middle school (all ages for selected passages)

Features: Striking photos, excellent glossary, thorough index

Summary

Is there anything lizards won’t eat? Do any eat humans? Which species holds the title for fastest lizard? How do you tell the eastern glass lizard from a snake? Do lizards fall in love? Can a chameleon survive a 30-foot drop? Can lizards really walk on water–or upside down across ceilings? Can they fly? Do some lizards actually have three eyes? What do you call a group of lizards? Find answers to these and dozens of other fascinating lizardy questions in Sneed Collard’s newest book. Collard begins by introducing us to “Joe Lizard,” the western fence lizard, who is found–well, almost everywhere, since he’s so adaptable. Adaptation is one underlying theme of the book, and we discover that lizards are champs. They can handle most climates, eat just about anything that lives or breathes, and have numerous ways to outwit predators ranging from birds to housecats (and even a few humans). The book covers some of the best-known lizard species, including chameleons, iguanas, Komodo dragons, and gila monsters–as well as information on lizards’ eating habits, strategies for keeping warm, survival tricks, and mating. There are helpful hints for keeping a lizard as a pet–and warnings about not doing so if you’re not truly committed to your scaly pet. (Some get VERY large, live a long while, and grow formidable claws and teeth.) Striking photos, most taken by the author, enhance every chapter and give us a chance to see lizards at closer proximity than some readers may find comfortable in real life. The layout is visually appealing, with plenty of white space and well-placed sidebars that offer additional facts and pictures. In addition, the book is extraordinarily well-organized, divided into eleven short, easy-to-digest chapters. Collard writes in his trademark conversational style, engaging readers with well-researched facts and energy-charged enthusiasm. We feel as if we’re right out in the bush on a lizard trek. The tone is playful in spots and Collard interjects a few exaggerations just to see if we are paying attention, then reminds us, “Just kidding.” Students who are intrigued by lizards will want to read the whole book. But you can also share individual, selected chapters aloud; each can be read in one to five minutes. Don’t forget the document projector for sharing those photos (lizards are more colorful than you might think). You may also want to think about borrowing an aquarium or terrarium, at least for a few days, since some students may want to bring a lizard into the classroom for a closer look.

In the Classroom

1. Background. Ask students what they know about lizards already. Have any of them had a lizard as a pet? Have you? What was the experience like? What sorts of lizards inhabit your part of the world? Have you or your students seen any of them? You may wish to point out how common lizards are throughout the world; there are more than 5,000 species (p. 7).

2. Reading. Read the book prior to sharing it with students so you can prepare a short list of intriguing questions (see the first part of the Summary, above) to pose ahead of time. This will prompt students to listen for the wide range of extraordinary details with which Collard has packed this book. Even if you share only a few selected chapters aloud, you may choose to show most of the photos, especially if you have access to a document projector. Talk about how much information is revealed just through these photos, and what they add to the book as a whole.

3. Detail. As you read, what do you and your students learn about lizards that you did not know before? List a few of the details you find most unusual or interesting. Briefly review the Common Core Standards for informational writing, noting the emphasis on detail. Why are details so important in informational writing? Discuss this. What can students do to make their own informational writing more like what they read in a published book? Is a published book like this one in fact a very successful report?

4. Main idea. The Common Core Standards call for informational writing to have a solid main idea or thesis. Does this book have one? More than one? What are they? Does the author state those main ideas outright? We generally require students to make the main idea of an informational piece obvious to the reader. But is there ever a benefit in having readers infer the main idea(s) as they read?

5. Organization. Next to detail (information itself), organization is the most critical feature of the Common Core Standards for informational writing. So, take time to discuss the organization of Collard’s book. How does the writer begin? How does he end? Notice the Table of Contents on page 5–and the inventive subtitles. To spark an interesting discussion on organization, make copies of this TOC, cut each into strips (minus page numbers, of course). Group students into teams of three or four. Then hand each team a set of strips as a random collection of subtitles that they need to reorder. Note that there is no “right answer” to this activity, which is what makes it so much fun. Students do not need to match Collard’s original order precisely–but they do need to think about an order that makes sense, that introduces a topic to readers and then builds gradually on what the reader knows by adding new information one chapter or section at a time. This activity will help students think both logically and creatively about organizing information within a piece of their own.    

5. Voice. Throughout the book, the author maintains what most reviewers have termed a “conversational” voice. Find several passages you think best exemplify this kind of voice. Have volunteer students read those passages aloud. Then discuss the voice. What words (in addition to conversational) describe it? What are the specific advantages in using this kind of voice with readers? Does the voice make us more or less likely to read another book by this author? See if you can list three or more writing strategies Collard uses to achieve the informational voice for which he is so well known. (Think about the kinds of details he chooses, the way he punctuates the text, the rhythm and flow of sentences, his use of questions, the continual tone of surprise and fascination he projects, and his way of pulling readers into the discussion by helping them relate to the information.)

6. Word choice. Word choice is also essential to meeting the criteria of the Common Core–especially when it comes to using the terminology essential to discussing a specialized topic like lizards. Because of the book’s conversational style, it is easy for us to pick up new vocabulary without even realizing it. So, slow down. Go through a chosen chapter line by line, paying close attention to the language, and asking, “What new words or specialized terms are we learning here?” To get a clear idea of how many such terms are embedded in the text, check out the glossary on page 46.

7. Writing. Invite students to write about lizards, using information from this book or from experience or additional research. Some may wish to write about a specific species, such as the Komodo dragon or chameleon. Some may wish to write poetry–or write from the perspective of the lizard. Many perspectives and genres are possible. If you happen to live in a place where lizards are common, consider illustrating these pieces with photos of your own. Before writing, ask students to think carefully about audience. Are they writing for peers? Adults? Younger students?

8. Further research. Lizards are a favorite topic for many authors. So check out additional books or look up lizards online. Don’t overlook the value of firsthand research, though. Consider a field trip in which you look for lizards in your local environment, bring a lizard into your classroom for a short visit (check warnings on page 40 before doing this), or visit a local pet shop. Some pet shop owners may be willing to bring lizards to you. Talk about what we (as researchers) can learn from seeing a subject firsthand, and how this can influence our writing. Can you tell that Sneed Collard has spent time observing lizards directly? If he had not, how would his book be different?

9. Persuasive writing. Many people purchase lizards as pets when the lizards are very small–then grow tired of them and release them into the wild. Misguided pet owners may even feel they are doing the lizards a favor by releasing them from captivity. Read the chapter titled “Lizards as Pets,” page 40, again. Consider doing further research online about the pros and cons of owning lizards. Then ask students to write persuasive arguments on one of the following topics: (1) Should people own exotic pets? (2) Should exotic pets ever be released into the wild, for any reason?

Note . . .

Sneed B. Collard III, biologist and author, has written more than 60 books for young readers, including Animal Dads, Teeth, Beaks!, Creepy Creatures, The Deep Sea Floor, Reign of the Sea Dragons, and The World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. His books are available through Charlesbridge as well as his own publishing house, Bucking Horse Books, in Missoula, Montana, where he lives. Visit him at www.sneedbcollardiii.com

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Informational writing is extraordinarily popular these days, so we’ll look next at a book for slightly older readers–Black Gold: The Story of Oil in Our Lives by the multi-award winning writer Albert Marrin. Marrin’s book is informative, timely, and chilling in its implications. If you teach informational writing at middle or early high school levels, this is a book you don’t want to miss. As always, we’ll help you make connections to informational writing and argument, via the Common Core Standards. Thank you for visiting. Come often–and bring friends. And please remember, for the BEST professional development related to six-trait writing, process, and writing workshop, contact us at 503-579-3034. Give every child a voice. 

Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

2011. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Genre: Informational picture book

Ages: Though aimed at primary, this beautiful book will appeal to readers of all ages.

Features: Illustrated informational section on the spiral at the end of the book

 Summary

With its large, minimalistic print, Joyce Sidman’s multi-award-winning book Swirl by Swirl is an informational text even beginning readers can understand and explore. Sidman is well known for her ability to blend and interweave poetry and informational writing, and Swirl by Swirl can definitely be read as a free verse poem. Yet it stretches out–like spirals themselves–spanning the whole book, and allowing us to take in just one main thought at a time. Essentially, the book is a conceptual and visual exploration of one of the most beautiful, interesting, and mysterious shapes in nature: the spiral. As we learn, it appears everywhere–from fern fronds to galaxies, from the tail of a seahorse to the center of a tornado. Older readers will be delighted (and amazed) to think how many times they have viewed this shape, perhaps without pondering it; younger readers will be fascinated to learn just how prevalent spirals are, and encouraged to look for spiral shapes in the world around them. The pictutures by Beth Krommes invite a second and third look, as some spirals are hidden or camouflaged; looking for them is fun, and finding them takes a bit of concentration. For this reason, you’ll want to take your time when sharing the book aloud, and you may even want to read it more than once.

In the Classroom

1. Background. Talk about the swirl or spiral shape. Who knows what it looks like? Which of your students can draw this shape?

2. Personal experience. Where in nature do you find this shape? Make a list–in writing or just orally. Be sure to do this before reading the book, so you can see how many of your students’ observations are borne out, and which examples come as surprises.

3. Reading. Share the book aloud, taking time to let students explore the art and look for the many spirals the artist has put there for us to find. How many of these have your students seen for themselves? Which ones are new to them–perhaps spirals they have never thought of before?

4. Simple Research. The Common Core Standards ask primary students to do a simple form of research that involves summarizing and/or discussing in-class readings provided by the teacher. Take time to do that, asking, “What have we learned from our research?” (Do call it research.) And think carefully: What do we learn from Sidman’s book? For example, how common are spirals in nature? Where do we find them?

5. Writing. Give students a chance to “fix” what they have learned in their minds by writing about spirals–spirals they have seen, or just the shape itself. What does it make them think of? Many students will enjoy embellishing this writing with art. Drawing and painting spirals of all kinds is challenging, fun–and relaxing. You may wish to support this effort by showing or posting pictures of spiral shapes that you collect: plants, shells, snakes, animal tails, sea creatures, and more.

6. Extended research.  Within the Common Core Standards, research is foundational to informational writing skills. It is helpful to introduce primary students to some of the many forms research can take. For example . . .

• Take a “field trip” around your school campus. See if you can identify any spiral shapes within that environment. If you have the opportunity, explore beyond those boundaries–a field, a zoo, a beach. Record what you see with words, photos, or sketches.
• Take a close-up look at spirals by bringing some specimens into class–and drawing them. Good subjects include snails or other creatures with spiral shells, centipedes or other creatures that curl themselves into spirals, ferns or any plants with spiral shapes. (Can you think of an example that does not appear in the book?)
• Review the informational appendix at the end of Sidman’s book. Here you will find additional drawings and explanations of where we find spirals and how they behave.
• Look up the word “spiral” online. See what you find.
• Collect photos or paintings of spirals and create a classroom collage.

7. Conclusions.  Bring your study to a close by asking the big question to which there is no one right answer–but many possible answers: Why do spirals exist in nature? Talk about this first if you wish–then write about it. Students may wish to write informational pieces, philosophy, poetry–or choose another form altogether.

8. Summing up. Ask each student to sum up in two or three sentences the most important or interesting thing he or she has learned about spirals.

Coming up on Gurus . . .

  Watch for a review of Sneed Collard’s newly published book Lizards, a gem of an informational book that can teach us 
  all a thing or two about “spectacular saurians”! And please remember . . . Give every child a voice.