Very Voracious Animal Voices

1. Write a poem about a fantasy animal. Give it a name, then describe your animal with words that begin with the first letter of its name. Using lots of words together that start with the same letter or sound is called alliteration. How does your animal look? Sound? Where does it live? What foods does it eat?
2. Students draw an outline of their fantasy animal with Crayola® Construction Paper Crayons on construction paper.
3. Use the first letter of the animal's name as part of the design for the animal. Repeat the letter many times in a small area to create texture. Try turning the letter upside down or on its side for a variety of effects. Color the animal.
4. Use Crayola Washable Glitter Glue to add highlights to the fantasy creature. Dry.
5. Cut out the animal with Crayola Scissors. Mount it on black construction paper with a Crayola Washable Glue Stick. Fill in the background with crayon.

LA: Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

LA: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

LA: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

LA: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

LA: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

LA: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

SCI: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats[

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Possible classroom resources include: Walter Was Worried by Laura Vaccaro Seeger; The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards; Little Book of Alliterations by Felix Archer; Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Working in small groups, students collaborate to write poems using two or more letters, with characters that interact. Encourage students to create fantasy creatures to illustrate their poems.

Organize students to create an entire alphabet of alliterative sentences and illustrations to accompany the sentences. Post these in the classroom for easy reference.

Ask students to focus on digraphs or consonant blends that are being studied in class. Create a variety of examples and post these in the classroom for ease of access.

Take a digital photograph of each student with his illustration. Audio record the student reading his alliterative sentence. Upload both files to a class computer and attach the audio file to the digital photo. Have these available to listen to at various times in the school day or for parent visits.