An 8-day intensive unit titled 'The Architecture of Voice.' Students analyze four diverse mentor texts—Hurston, de Vaca, Tan, and Cofer—to understand how craft elements like figurative language, imagery, syntax, and diction shape an author's tone and perspective. For each text, students produce a structured paragraph, culminating in a comprehensive autobiographical essay that explores the various forces (culture, challenges, people, and places) that have shaped their own voices.
