Judith J. Katz
Essential Question: What is the sound of a voice?
Background Thinking
At the risk of sounding "old school" I must ask the essential question of teachers everywhere: What is it with these kids today? Kids today seem to live in an alternate universe from the rest of us. Their speech patterns, grammar, music, even the way they communicate with each other are foreign to us. They are digital natives and we are digital immigrants (Woodson). It has, however, always been thus in one way or another.
We must recognize that our students' speech patterns, grammar, music, forms of communication, and even (especially) their slang constitute a large part of their prior knowledge base as it relates to sound and voice. We cannot and should not ignore that. We should instead build upon it. I am not suggesting that we all start rapping. I am suggesting that when we want to teach students to listen to the way a writer they have never heard of (Robert Frost) uses sound, asking them to come up with examples from their inner sound library (which we may not be familiar with), is both a worthwhile exercise and fun. When a student quotes the Grammy winning group Outcasts' line from "Hey Ya" "Shake it like a salt shaker" as an example of the use of sound--it is of course funny, but more importantly it's a good example and one they will remember. Hence it is one that the teacher can use more than once to help students connect prior knowledge to new knowledge. Offhand remarks are the meat of the teachable moment, and in a unit that proposes to teach some difficult ideas any help you can get from the students is well worth exploiting.
At the heart of the idea of sound and voice is what inevitably is at the heart of all writer's craft: word choice and the order in which the writer combines and presents them in order to deliver message and meaning. That is as Keats wrote about truth and beauty, "all ye know and all ye need to know." Mary Oliver sums up the process of writer's craft and sound quite neatly: "I mean to suggest that poets select words for their sound as well as their meaning--and that good poets make good initial selections. Of course they also revise[. . .]verbal skills
can
be learned. They can be discussed and practiced. Then, a wonderful thing happens: what is learned consciously settles, somewhere inside the chambers of the mind, where--you can count on it--it will "remember" what it knows and will
float forth to assist in the initial writing"
(27).
Significant Task: Sound Treasure Hunt
Activity 1
Students will listen to selected cuts from a variety of different sources provided by the teacher. They will be asked to try to identify a variety of elements that relate to how they figured out who the speaker is. They will also be asked to identify elements that relate to what they assume about the speaker from sound of his/her voice. This part can be accomplished whether the student knows who the speaker is or not. There are many elements of a voice that a student can hear, without knowing exactly who the speaker is including: sex, age, relative health, mood, purpose of the speaker, potential audience of the speaker, etc.
Students will work with a graphic organizer (Marzano) in order to help them keep track of each voice and the elements identified and connected with it. A description of the basic graphic organizer is provided in the section Handouts below.
I have chosen to begin with voices I believe the students can and will recognize in order for them to become comfortable with the idea of listening in a different way than they are used to. So I plan to use Bart Simpson as my teacher demonstration. (See example in Handout section below.) His character is actually voiced by a woman--a fact I don't think most of the students will know. I like the idea of starting off with something that is so familiar but which is also not exactly as it appears to be. This will signal to the students that there is more to this activity than initially meets the ear. I will expect students to listen to my example with a pen so that they can write the example in their graphic organizer. They can use the examples as guidance later when they are working independently.
I will use The Jackson Five as my guided practice activity because I think "ABC, 123" is a song that is widely heard by young people growing up. I intend to draw a copy of the handout on the board (or on an overhead projection) so that I can listen with a pen while we work on the guided practice.
Next I want to start moving into tougher terrain by having them listen to Martin Luther King, Jr. Most of my students have heard Dr. King's voice and will likely be able to identify him. The purpose of the treasure hunt, however, is not mere identification--it is uncovering the elements that make the identification possible. Students are likely to be able to identify elements including; sound patterns, rhythm, syntax patterns, and audience.
I want to continue with Gil Scott Heron's poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" because I am sure they have not heard it so they will be forced to listen to the voice for whatever clues they may be able to pick up. I also want them to have the experience of hearing this poem so that later in the American Voice section of this unit I can refer back to it.
Students will share out from their graphic organizers. Students will hand in their graphic organizers so that teacher can use them for assessment. (See below.)
Handout/Prototype of Graphic Organizer
(table available in print form)
Readings/Hearings
Each of the following needs to be audible.
The Simpsons--any episode--the voice of Bart Simpson, by Nancy Cartwright
ABC, 123, by the Jackson Five. Michael Jackson, lead singer.
Address to the March on Washington, MLK Jr. August 28, 1963
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Gil Scott Heron
Assessment
Teacher will have (some or all) students share out what they wrote down (an audible assessment of student work. Teacher will collect student's graphic organizers at end of class. A quick glance at each student's graphic organizer will indicate which elements students have an easy time hearing and which are more difficult. Teacher will use that information to decide what to review and expand upon before beginning Lesson Two.
Projected Length of Lesson
Two class periods
