English Lesson 3

English Lesson 3 --- Alliteration

Activity 1

Review the following words:

fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, fairy tales, folktales, fables, myths, rhyme

Make a new word card with the word alliteration.

The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words.

Discussion

The knight needed nine napkins.
(Notice that even though knight starts with a k it begins with a n sound so the words in the line all have the end sound.)

thank and tale begin with the letter t yet they have different sounds and do not alliterate.

If the beginning sound of the word is not stressed such as in the word below (in which the l is stressed) it does not alliterate with other words that start with b. Therefore below and book do not alliterate.

Read some examples of alliteration from this website:

An Alliteration for each Letter of the Alphabet http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/1allitera.htm

Activity 2

Have students write an alliteration starting with their first names. Students may illustrate these for a create bulletin board.

Examples:

Sally slides silly sandals sideways.

Peter places pizza on his purple plate.

Activity 3

Although it is fun creating exaggerated alliterations, literature is usually full of alliterations that are not so obvious. Here are a few common phrases that are examples of predictable alliteration:

down in the dumps	do or die	right as rain
sink or swim	pay the price	Coca-Cola
back to the basics	green as grass	live the life

Many characters have names that alliterate.

Examples:

Lex Luther, Lois Lane, and Clark Kent	Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck	King Kong
Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse	Woody Woodpecker	Fred Flintstone

Run off copies of The Princess Fairy Page 5 http://www.mothergoosecaboose.com/morepoems.pdf Have students highlight words in the poem that alliterate. Point out that in most poetry on a few words in a line will alliterate.

The Princess Fairy

The Princess Fairy flies at night,
Her dress has diamonds dazzling bright.
Her crimson curls glow on her gown,
As from the stars she flutters down.

She comes to children in their beds,
And waves her wand above their heads.
She helps them have delightful dreams,
Of fresh fruit frappes and crispy creams.

Of toads that talk and tell tall tales,
Of worms that walk and skunks with sails.
Of rams that read and wrens that write,
Of sloths that speed and buttercups that bite.

Of fish that fly and snakes that sing,
Of purple pie and roses that ring.
Of pigs with pails and sheep with shells,
Of super snails and bugs with bells.

The Princess Fairy flies at night,
So make sure you are tucked in tight.

- Ellen Baumwoll (1938 - ).

Words that begin with the same letter line by line (alliteration):

Fairy, flies.
dress, diamonds, dazzling.
crimson, curls, glow, gown.
from, flutters, stars, she.

comes, children.
waves, wand, her, head.
helps, have, delightful, dreams.
fresh, fruit, frappes, crispy, creams.

toads, that, talk, tell, tall, tales.
worms, walk, skunks, sails.
rams, read, wrens, write.
sloths, speed, buttercups, bite.

fish, fly, snakes, sing.
purple, pie, roses, ring.
pigs, pails, sheep, shells.
super, snails, bugs, bells.

Fairy, flies.
so, sure, tucked, tight.

Activity 4

REVIEW Identify rhyming pattern in the following poem from The Dragonslayers.

#7 (Chapter 5)

Well some girls can just sit
They can spin, they can knit
They'll pretend it's a jolly good time
They will gladly stay home
Never daring to roam
Just growing a big behind

Well this girl needs more
Of what life's for
I'm ready to take a chance
I've got to live
Get up and give
Life's a ball and I wanna dance.

You've got to kick up your heels
To see how life really feels
Don't sit there mopin'
Wishing and a' hopin'
If you want what life can give
You've got to be positive.
Now baby if you want what live can give
You've got to get up get out and live.

Dresses sweet and frilly
Necklaces and rings.
I get so sick of wearing all these things.
Well clothes may make the man.
They don't make the girl.
And princess or not
I'm taking on the world.

You've got to tear off that fluff
Don't mess with all of that stuff
Girls hung up on pretty
Miss the nitty gritty
You can set your life on frills
But you miss the bigger thrills
So baby if you want you life can give
You've got to get up get out and live.

I've got skin like peaches.
I've got skin like cream.
I look so sweet
I think I'm going to scream.
This skin is so thin
Just a bag that I live in.
If skin is all you see
Then you ain't seeing me.

You've got to dig in the dirt.
And take a chance that you'll get hurt
When that dragon's warring
And your spirit's soaring.
That's the time to take your stand
You've got to show that life is grand
You can set your life on frills
But you miss the bigger thrills
so baby if you want life can give
You've got to think positive
Think of every single little moment is a superlative
You've got to get up get out and live.

-- Princess Willie