Alliteration ABC Poetry

A book of poems inspired by

Animalia by Graeme Base

Carolyn Bulkley

September 6, 2003

 

 

 

Goals of Mini-Unit:  This unit is a study of alliterative poetry using Animalia as an example.  The unit will culminate with a class book of illustrated ABC alliterative poetry and a short video of the students reading and displaying the class book.   

 

Objectives:

  • The student will be able to demonstrate his or her understanding of alliteration by writing, editing and publishing an original alliterative poem.
  • Using markers, the student will be able to create an artistic composition illustrating his or her original poem.
  • The student will be able to practice and review his or her oral reading skills by reading the original poem on video.  (Will this truly be a good example of reviewing ones own reading skills because the student will read his or her own work?)

 

 

Materials:

  • Several copies of Animalia
  • Dictionary, Thesaurus
  • Markers
  • Blank copy paper (for sketches)
  • White construction paper
  • Ruled Paper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part One

 

 

Anticipatory Set: 

  • Who can raise their hand and tell me what a tongue twister is
  • Ask for volunteers to tell tongue twisters (about 3)
  • Today we are going to read poetry by Graeme Base containing ALLITERATION— (can anyone guess what alliteration is?) — A fancy name that writers use for a tongue twister.

     

Method:

  • Read selected pages from Animalia
  • Give overview of assignment

1.    each will write own alliterative poetry (tongue twister) based on a letter of the alphabet

2.    each will illustrate the poem

3.    will publish all of the poems in a class book (show examples of class books)  (talk about the extra care and effort put into the class books-check spelling, lots of effort put into the poem and the artwork)

4.    each will participate in a movie of everyone reading their page from the book

      

  • Model examples of alliterative poetry.  The poem should answer the questions who…what…where…

·        Think Aloud & Model use of the thesaurus and dictionary as tools to help the writer

·        Once student gets a letter, he/she can begin the writing process…and draft a rough sketch of the illustration

·        Ask for Volunteers for the more difficult letters: X, Y, Z, Q, U

·        Ask students to pick their top letters and write them on scrap paper…as the letters are chosen (draw name sticks and have students pick) cross them off.

 

Closing:

·        Review the term alliteration.

·        Give expectations for the next lesson.

·        Ticket out:  tell me two words that you are using in your poem

 

Part Two

 

Anticipatory Set:

  • Last week we talked about alliteration.  I want you to think to yourself and try to remember what you learned about alliteration
  • Share what you remember in your groups
  • In each group 1 person is the recorder and one is the reporter…….share with the class
  • Today we are going to continue working on our book of alliterative poetry

 

Method:

·        Model a “writer’s workshop” give two positive and one constructive critique…..explain and model a constructive critique.

·        Show a draft in progress…model the pencil sketch (or) colored pencil sketch

·        Remind students that they need to get approval from one of the teachers before they get their page for the final page

·        Give mini-lesson on using markers

·        “illustrators workshop”

 

 

   Closing:

·        Reminder that the pages need to be completed by next Thursday for the movie

·        Ask students to practice reading aloud their poems

·        Ticket out: tell me one think that I should look for in your illustration