Using Voice in Writing Effectively Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Maintaining Personal Voice in Writing


After teaching students how to write for an audience and with a purpose and how to effectively evaluate point of view, I felt good about myself once again. I called my mom and told her what a smart son she had. Then I realized my students had no idea how to effectively maintain a personal voice while writing. In shock, I called my mom, advised her to give me up for adoption, and cancelled the appointment with my time management adviser. I was too busy.

I had work to do. I had to teach my student’s not to turn in dozens of bland assignments. Here’s what I came up with.


ELA Common Core Standards

Teaching writing for purpose and audience satisfies the following common core standards.  If you’re not a teacher, skip this section.

  • W.9-10.5  Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of L.9-10.1-3.)
  • L.9-10.5  Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
  • L.9-10.5a  Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
  • L.9-10.5b  Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Explain Voice in Writing

When I began teaching, I had no idea how to teach voice. I wasn’t even sure what it was. I asked several colleagues “How do you teach voice in writing?” I’ll summarize their answers: “Voice, you either have it or you don’t. You can’t really teach it.” Translation: “I don’t know what it is either.”

Here’s what I teach now

  • Each writer has a distinct personality.
  • Each writer has passions, opinions, prejudices, and information.
  • Words should capture the writer’s personality.
  • Writers with strong voice capture the reader’s attention with individuality, liveliness, and energy.
  • Strong voice makes the writer’s purpose clear.
  • Strong voice helps readers experience the emotions of the writer and understand the writer’s ideas.
  • Careful word choice, punctuation, paragraphing, and style help strengthen a writer’s voice.

Voice in Writing Lesson Plan Procedures

This voice in writing lesson plan will have your students writing masterpieces in a little under a century.

  • Show students two sample passages.
  • Read the first sample passage and ask the following questions: Does the author convey his or her voice? How does the reader know? What can be inferred about the author of this piece
  • Write the student responses on the board
  • Read the second passage and ask the same questions.
  • Discuss how these two passages, written by the same brilliant author, have two distinct voices with two different purposes: the first to entertain; the second to inform or persuade.

Revision Exercise

Use this lesson plan for helping students revise their essay.

  • Instruct students to read their draft (rough or final).
  • Ask: Who is your intended audience? What voice would be most effective?
  • Discuss that when you determine the most appropriate voice for your purpose, write with that voice.
  • Remind students that knowing the audience is the key to finding your voice.
  • If using this assignment for revision, have students read their rough draft and change sentences, words, or phrases that do not convey their chosen voice.
  • Divide students in to groups of 3-4.
  • Instruct each student to read his or her draft to the group.
  • Listeners should identify passages that should be changed.
  • Instruct students to work individually on revision.
  • After revising, instruct students to reconvene and read their final draft.
  • Each group should choose the best revision and share it with the class.

Focus Your Writing Lesson Plans

Focus makes writing clear and coherent.

Last Updated on October 20, 2017 by Trenton Lorcher

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