#4574. Writing with Alliteration

Reading/Writing, level: 3-5
Posted Sun Feb 26 05:58:52 PST 2012 by Dorie Thurston (Dorie Thurston).
Doriebooks
Author, Chesterfield, VA
Materials Required: Thank You for the Thistle by Dorie Thurston, dictionaries
Activity Time: 30 minutes
Concepts Taught: Using elements of style; incorporating adjectives, adverbs and vivid verbs

Lesson Plan on Writing with Alliteration
SUBJECT: Language Arts - Alliteration

GRADE SOL's:

3rd grade-Writing 3.9 d) Include descriptive details that elaborate the central idea.
4th grade-Writing 4.7 e) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation. 4.8 f) Incorporate adjectives and adverbs.
5th grade-Writing 5.8 d) Use precise and descriptive vocabulary to create tone and voice. Reading 5.5 e) Describe how an author's choice of vocabulary and style contributes to the quality and enjoyment of selections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: This lesson teaches the student how to write with alliteration, repeating the same letter sound at the beginning of two or more words in a sentence. It also is a review of adjectives and adverbs.

OBJECTIVE: The student will:
Be able to understand what alliteration means.
Will be able to write a sentence repeating the same letter sound at the beginning of most words in a sentence.
Will use many adjectives, adverbs and vivid verbs to lengthen the alliteration.
Use the dictionary as a resource to his writing.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Thank You for the Thistle, children's book with alliteration, by Dorie Thurston found at www.doriebooks.com, blank white paper, and dictionaries.

LESSON PLAN: Explain to the class that you are going to read a story that uses a certain style of writing called alliteration. Explain that alliteration means that the same letter sound will be repeated at the beginning of several words in a sentence.

Read Thank-You for the Thistle to the class telling them to listen to the letter sounds they hear at the beginning of each word. Read a short selection and ask which letter sound they hear being repeated.

After reading the story, tell the class that they are going to write a sentence with alliteration as a group. Put up the word "cat" on the board and ask the students to think of an adjective that begins with the "k" sound. Something that describes the cat that begins with a "c "or "k", but not "ch" letter combination because it does not have the "k" sound. (Crazy, cool, calico, cute) Then ask them to think of a verb that begins with the "k" sound. What does the cat do? (Caught, climbed, crawled) Now how did the cat do it? Think of an adverb that begins with the letter sound "k." (Carefully, carelessly, cautiously) Where did he do it or what did he catch? (on the couch, car, carpet)(a cricket, critter) Continue until a nice sentence is written on the board. "The calico cat cautiously climbed onto the cozy couch." "The crazy cat carelessly climbed up the colorful curtains to catch a creepy critter." Pick another subject, such as an animal, (dog works well) and write another sentence together.

Have them write sentences on their own and then share them with the class. They may use dictionaries for this exercise. Tell them to watch out for certain letter combinations that do not make the same sound such as the "kn" combination for the "k" sound or "th" combination for the "t" sound.

ASSESSMENT: Have the class write an alphabet book as a group. Each student will draw a large letter that you assign them, write a sentence using that letter, and draw a picture depicting that sentence. They may use dictionaries to help them think of words since all the words beginning with the same letter are categorized together. Put all of their papers together as an alphabet book. They may also take turns reading their sentences to Kindergarteners and First Graders.