The 6-Traits of Writing framework, developed by the Northwest Regional Education Lab to give educators a common language for teaching and assessing writing, has become the foundation of writing programs across the US. The framework is also used to score state-wide assessment tests in several states including Alaska, Washington and Oregon.
The 6-Traits of Writing are:
- Ideas
- Organization
- Voice
- Word Choice
- Sentence Fluency
- Conventions of Print
This lesson helps elementary students (ages 8 to 11 years) understand the power of the third trait, voice, in writing.
Materials
- Henny Penny by Paul Galdone
- Henny Penny by Jane Wattenberg
- T-chart Labeled “Galdone,” on one side, “Wattenberg” on the other.
- Two Post-it notes per student.
The Lesson
1. Read Paul Galdone’s version of Henny Penny aloud to the class. This story begins, “One day when Henny Penny was scratching among the leaves, an acorn fell out of a tree and struck her on the head.”
2. After reading the story, ask the students to jot a few descriptive words about the story on their Post-its and then stick them on the chart paper under "Galdone."
3. Read the Post-it’s to the class. Students frequently write:
- traditional
- repetitive
- fairy tale
- folktale
- little kid story
4. Read Jane Wattenberg’s version of Henny Penny, a story that begins, “Stormy Skies and whirling winds flip-flapped around the barnyard.” Even older students quickly find themselves engaged in the lively language of the book, and the humorous telling of this classic tale.
5. Ask students to use the second Post-it to jot a few words describing the Wattenberg version, and post them on the chart paper. Students frequently write:
- funny
- cool
- great rhyme
- pizzazz
Even though the story it is completely faithful to the original version.
6. Lead a discussion comparing the two books. Point out that the stories and characters are the same, but the tone, or voice, of one of the books is markedly different from the other. How has Wattenberg made this traditional tale new, fresh, and funny? (Rhyme, word choice, sentence structure.)
By comparing the stories, students should have a better understanding of the power of language to alter the tone or flavor of a piece of writing. Insure students understand voice is not synonymous with humor, but rather the way an author engages with material to impart his or her own flavor to a piece. Future lessons should focus on other pieces of writing, fiction and non-fiction that exhibit strong voice.
Possible Follow-Up Activities
- Rewrite Henny-Penny in the "voice" of a soap opera, action film, breaking news, text book, documentary, mystery story, etc.
- Have students rewrite a piece of their own writing using a different voice.
- Ask students to find two pieces of writing about similar topics, but written with a different voice.
- Use a T-chart or Venn Diagram to compare other pieces of writing as a whole group. Analyze word choice, point of view.
Galdone, Paul. Henny Penny. New York: Clarion Books, 1968.
Wattenburg, Jane. Henny Penny. New York: Scholastic Press, 2000.
Sheila Gaquin - As a public school teacher Sheila has worked in some remote and far flung places. She taught for nine years in a remote Eskimo village ...
