Choosing the Best Verb: Active vs. Passive Voice

This mini-lesson explores verb choice in a variety of online resources, and then it encourages students to draw conclusions about verb use. They then explore the pieces they are writing, check for active and passive voice, and make necessary revisions. (from site) Students will explore Websites (all hyperlinks attached to this lesson plan) and note the verbs that are used. After collecting a dozen references to verbs in context, students identify whether the verbs are active or passive voice using a u201cVerb Observation Chartu201d (attached to the lesson). Reflection and practice are the key components in this lesson.

Weblink address (URL):

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives:

Students will:

identify verbs in a variety of contexts.
analyze verbs to determine whether constructions rely on active or passive voice.
draw conclusions about how to match active and passive voice to their writing situation.
choose verbs (active or passive) appropriate for the audience and purpose of their writing.

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level:

Applying

Extension suggestions:

Invite students to search for examples of passive voice in environmental literature (texts they find in their community or see and read every day). You might encourage students to check billboards, newsletters, church bulletins, pamphlets, and brochures that they find in their daily activities. Some texts will rely almost exclusively on active voice, such as instructions for shipping overnight packages in a brochure at the post office. It's likely that students will find some examples of passive voice, however, if they are observant. Passive voice is frequently used in park brochures, for instance (e.g., the rock paintings were discovered by settlers in the 1850s; . . . They were probably created by Native Americans for religious ceremonies). Take advantage of the opportunity to explore why a writer has chosen active over passive voice, and vice versa.
Students can explore a collection of documents that show how style changes over time. Ask students to compare the use of active and passive voice in historical documents (primary and secondary). As they explore the reasons for the verb choice in documents, you can explore the ways that changing social and cultural attitudes can affect the way that a sentence is written (Are passive sentences more likely to be used to distance a group from responsibility for an action?).
Comparative document study can provide interesting insight on the use of active and passive voice. Numerous online collections can provide a group of documents on the same topic with differing perspectives, including Hot Paper Topics: School Vouchers and School Choice, from St. Ambrose University's O'Keefe Library, Investigative Reporters and Editors' In the News, and the African American Odyssey from the Library of Congress. Connect the exploration to genre study by considering how the genre combines with the audience and purpose to influence the choices in the document.

Helpful Hints

Materials:

Internet Access
Verb Observation Chart Printout
Interactive Verb Observation Chart Website
Active and Passive Voice Website
Passive and Active Voices Website
A Writer's Reference Website

References

Contributors:

David Sneed

Originator:

Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation