This past Friday, students enjoyed a day of celebration in the classroom. First, we celebrated their hard work throughout first quarter; we've already accomplished a lot and are looking toward the new quarter. Second, we celebrated the completion of a digital writing project; students used the app Adobe Voice to create basic digital stories using a piece entitled "If Voice Were ..." "Voice" refers to a characteristic of writing that relies on authors' personalities and word choice. Students compared "voice" to a place, animal, food, or a season although a few students chose other topics. We had written two different versions in our writer's notebooks, and once students chose the stronger of the two, they partnered up with a peer to provide feedback to strengthen their piece before moving into the digital aspects of the project. Students experimented with imagery (using the five senses to create mental pictures) and similes (comparisons using "like" or "as." The results were outstanding and so fun to view! A few memorable lines follow:
- If voice were a place, it would be the long trails by the church; they twist and bend like a winding snake, hidden by the tall grass.
- If voice were a poem, it would tell what everyone wants to know.
- If voice were a food, it would be a taco ... a spicy mixture of beef, tomato, sauce, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream like your tongue is wearing a sombrero.
- If voice were a crush, it would be the one who rips you apart.
- If voice were something powerful, it'd be knowledge. It would be strong enough to bring a nation to its knees but gentle enough to go around a room unnoticed.
- If voice were a plant, it would be corn ... it's like the king of plants.
- If voice were a place, it would be the principal's office - makes your stomach lurch from being nervous, makes your heart sink from being worried.
- If voice were a food, it would be sweet vanilla ice cream ... pure and white as a cloud in the bright, blue sky.
- If voice were a place, it would be the vast valley below my dad's house, where the spring is clear as day or dark as night.
- If voice were a place, it would be the soccer complex, where soccer balls are shot like flaming rocks ...
- If voice were a place, it would be my home - the switch grass as gold as a pyramid now rolled up nicely into hay bales ...
- If voice were a place, it would be the long trails by the church; they twist and bend like a winding snake, hidden by the tall grass.
- If voice were a poem, it would tell what everyone wants to know.
- If voice were a food, it would be a taco ... a spicy mixture of beef, tomato, sauce, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream like your tongue is wearing a sombrero.
- If voice were a crush, it would be the one who rips you apart.
- If voice were something powerful, it'd be knowledge. It would be strong enough to bring a nation to its knees but gentle enough to go around a room unnoticed.
- If voice were a plant, it would be corn ... it's like the king of plants.
- If voice were a place, it would be the principal's office - makes your stomach lurch from being nervous, makes your heart sink from being worried.
- If voice were a food, it would be sweet vanilla ice cream ... pure and white as a cloud in the bright, blue sky.
- If voice were a place, it would be the vast valley below my dad's house, where the spring is clear as day or dark as night.
- If voice were a place, it would be the soccer complex, where soccer balls are shot like flaming rocks ...
- If voice were a place, it would be my home - the switch grass as gold as a pyramid now rolled up nicely into hay bales ...