Lesson Plan for teaching the Voice Levels.

Materials: Voice level poster or overhead.

Objectives: Participants will:

  1. Accurately state the meaning of the various voice levels
  2. Correctly identify each of the voice levels when heard
  3. Produce each of the voice levels when asked.

Rationale: The creation of voice levels allows us to “quantify” or “objectify” acceptable noise levels for various settings and activities. Everyone benefits because communication and expectations are less ambiguous. We al have a better idea of what people mean with respect to noise.

State the meaning:

Without displaying the visual, ask students to two minutes to rehearse in their heads what each of the voice levels mean—how they would explain the meaning of each of the levels to a friend from another school. After two minutes, ask individual students to explain the meaning of any of the voice levels, identifying first the voice level and then the meaning. For younger students, you may want to simply ask for meanings in order—from highest to lowest, providing think time in between each level.

To increase participation, you might:

  1. Call on students whether or not they’ve raised their hands and be sure let them know you will be doing this when asking them to take two minutes to rehearse.[1]
  2. Have the student who provided a response to ask the next question and call on others with hands raised.
  3. When a student offers a response ask all students to give a thumbs up if they agree or raise their hands if they have something to add.
  4. Have students write responses on individual white boards.
  5. Have several students respond (one at a time) and have several other students tell what parts they though were accurate.
  6. Some of these strategies might seem too involved for such a simple lesson, but the point is to be purposeful about getting all of the students actively engaged in the lesson. Without lots of students actively involved, this lesson has the potential to be just plain boring.

Demonstration:

Ask for 3 or 4 volunteers. Have the group draw cards on which you’ve written numbers indicating each of the voice levels. The groups is then instructed to “perform”the indicated voice level while the rest of the class listens. Before the group performs, instruct the rest of the class that their job is to listen and write down the voice level that is being performed.

The performing group is instructed to stop performing and freeze when they hear the signal. Consider having one ask students jot down the voice level they believe is being performed. Have the visual displayed at this time and maybe read it for younger kids. Then ask the students to raise hands if they said 1, 2, 3 etc. (If the performing group makes any sound at all, tell students that you know it is not a voice level 0, and ask them why. Do not ask how many wrote down voice level 0 whenever a group makes noise.) Assign three or four students to count the number of hands. Then have the performing group ask the students who voted for ______level (whatever they performed) to raise their hands again, and let them know they were correct. The class earns one point for every correct response, trying to reach a goal of 90% (or whatever makes sense) correct.

Proceed with other small groups in the same way until each voice level has been demonstrated. Consider 2 demonstrations of some of the voice levels so that all students get a chance to perform.

Large group demonstration and performance.

Divide the class into two groups (one side of the room and the other). Have each group talk among themselves at each of the appropriate voice levels and have the other group listen and give feedback. Discuss with the class how 12 or so people individually making noise at voice level 3 is much louder than one person talking at a level 3. This is why we ask for level 0-1 in the hallways during instructional times.

[1] When expecting all students to participate whether they’ve raised their hand or not, be sure to give students ample time to rehearse. Respond to inaccurate responses by pointing out any parts of responses that are accurate, asking students if they want to try again, or whether they want clues or hints. These strategies increase the likelihood that students will feel safe enough to take risks in learning.