Alliteration Illustrations

I picked up this lesson from my cooperating teacher when I was doing my student teaching outside of Philadelphia. Nearly four years later I finally have the perfect group of fifth graders to try this with and the results were well worth the wait! This lesson integrates ELA curriculum as it focuses directly in the literary device alliteration which the students were briefly introduced to in fourth grade. It also reinforces library concepts such as author and illustrator and allows the students a chance to take a crack at being both! I used the book "Animalia" by Graeme Base which illustrates the concept of alliterative illustrations perfectly using animals as a muse. Lesson plan, teacher examples, and students creations below. Enjoy!


Lesson Title: Alliteration Illustrations

By Sunnylee Mowery

Grade Level: 5

Subjects: Visual & Language Arts

Time Needed: 2-3 45 minute class periods



Skills addressed:

o Students understand the definition of alliteration and can identify its use

o Students can determine when and how to use alliteration in their writing

o Students understand the job of an illustrator and practice conveying detailed descriptions through imagery

Objectives

o Students will write a colorful sentence using alliteration

o Students will illustrate their alliteration in a full page composition

o  Students will show a horizon line in their composition and demonstrate an understanding of space by including near and far landscape elements

Materials:          Lined paper, 12X 18 drawing paper, black felt tipped markers, crayons, “Animalia” by Graeme Base

Vocabulary: alliteration, illustration, brain storming, sketch, adjective, verb, adverb

Introduction: Alliterations are sentences or phrases that contain words that repeat the same beginning consonant sounds. For example dogs, destroy, dinosaurs, etc. Writers use this craft to make their writing more interesting and fun.  I will share some of the alliterations from the text “Animalia” and explain that today we will be doing the job of both author and illustrator. I will test students’ understanding of alliteration by asking them to compose a Ms. Mowery alliteration on the spot! (5 minutes)

Demonstration: I will model for the group how to compose an exciting animal inspired alliteration and artist brain storming sketch. I will emphasize the use of colorful adjectives, action verbs, adverbs, locations, and numbers to make their sentence as descriptive as possible. I will then model for the group how to compose an artist brain storming sketch that shows all of details described in their alliteration sentence.

Activity: Students will work at their tables to compose an alliteration sentence and artist brain storming sketch. Students will be allowed to talk quietly in order to bounce ideas off of each other. Students will have access to multiple animal books in order to sketch animals with accuracy.

Closure Questions: What is alliteration? What is the job of an illustrator? Why do authors use alliteration in their work? Why do artists compose brain storming sketches at the beginning of a project? What is an example of a three word alliteration? What is the line that separates sky from land?