Very Voracious Animal Voices

Use alliteration in fantasy animal poetry then create a drawing using letters to form patterns and textures.

• 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.

  Draw an outline of your fantasy animal with Crayola® Construction Paper Crayons on construction paper.

• 3.

  Use the first letter of your animal's name as part of the design for your 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 your animal.

• 4.

  Use Crayola Washable Glitter Glue to add highlights to your fantasy creature. Dry.

• 5.

  Cut out your animal with Crayola Scissors. Mount it on black construction paper with a Crayola Washable Glue Stick. Fill in the background with crayon.

Benefits

• Children with emerging literacy skills choose an alphabet letter, identify words that begin with that letter's sound which could describe how a fantasy animal looks or sounds, and then write poetry using those words.
• More advanced students study alliteration, and then write poetry with the technique using a letter of their choice.
• Students create fantasy drawings of their animals, repeating their chosen letter to form patterns and textures.

Adaptations

• Write team poems using two or more letters, with characters that interact. Create fantasy creatures to illustrate the poems.
• Young children, or those with special literacy needs, make a fantasy animal for each letter of the alphabet. Imitate the sounds of each animal.
• Exhibit your Very Voracious Animal Voices, complete with recorded sound effects.