I have the privilege of teaching 7th grade English for the third year. I have found that students at this age, particularly of the demographic that I teach (socio-economically challenged and predominately English Language Learners) struggle with fluency and confidence in writing. Part of their difficulty is with the concept of "voice". Voice is what makes one author's work different from that of another; it's what gives that extra sparkle to a piece of writing. Voice is that certain something that distinguishes good writers from great ones, and it is what is gaining importance among standardized tests nationwide. I believe that an awareness of "voice" is a concept that will help learners improve their own writing while recognizing the strengths and weaknesses in the writing of others. Learning to recognize it and helping learners develop it, however, is indeed a challenge. It is the goal of this unit to reverse this struggle by using film to strengthen students' awareness of voice, thereby improving their own writing.
