Voice:The Spider and the Fly

Grade Level: 8^th

Focus Trait: Voice 

Mentor Text: The Spider and the Fly

Authors: Mary Botham Howitt, Illustrator: Tony DiTerlizzi

ISBN: 0689852894

Mentor Text Summary: The spider uses food and flattery to entice his guest the fly into staying within his walls.  It is a classic tale of predator verse prey, which uses humor to lighten the mood and entertain the reader.    

 

About the Author: Mary Howitt (12 March 1799 – 30 January 1888) was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly. She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents.  Mary Botham was educated at home, and read widely; she commenced writing verses at a very early age. Together with her husband she wrote over 180 books.

     

Lesson: Taking Out the Voice (This should not be used as an introductory lesson.)

1. Read The Spider and the Fly poem storybook to the students.
2. Place the passage on the overhead/ELMO.  Ask for opinions about the piece--what did they think about the writing, specifically its voice? See if they can come up with single word descriptions of the voice in this piece-exciting? interesting? emotional? personal? engaging? sincere? What questions come to mind--who? what? when? where? why? how?--as they look at this writing? If they don't have a lot of questions, discuss its strengths. How would they score this for voice using the Six Trait Scoring Guide ?  
3. With a partner, have students discuss the criteria for strong voice and rewrite the passage, attempting to "voice it down." Their goal is to earn a "1" in voice for this piece.
   Reread the original "voice-rich" writing, then have the groups share aloud their new "voiceless" versions. 
4. Talk about what was added or changed to take out the voice.  As a whole class, create a rubric for the criteria of voice.  Have students apply this rubric to their own personal piece of writing.
5. Trade papers with a peer, then peer edit the papers, highlighting where voice is present in the text. 
6. Students can revise the text then turn it in for a finished product.

Extension: Students can use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the spider’s voice and the fly’s voice. 

Ohio Academic Content Standards for the Lesson:

Standard: Literary Text

Benchmark: G. Explain techniques used by authors to develop style

Indicator: 8. Explain ways in which the author conveys mood and tone through word choice, figurative language, and syntax. 

Additional Resources:

http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/voice/menu.html

http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/concord/teacherlinks/sixtraits/voice.htm

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/teaching-voice-with-anthony-167.html

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3750478

http://www.cyberspaces.net/6traits/strat1.html

http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/baarg/picture_books_for_teaching_six_t.htm

http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/writing.htm#SIX%20TRAIT%20WRITING

http://apps.educationnorthwest.org/traits/lessonplans.php?d=1&search=1&grade=5&trait=3