Interpreting Sound Devices in Poetry
Content Overview for Lesson
Sound devices are used by authors and poets as a way to play with language. Sound devices can make reading more enjoyable.
Teacher Preparation and Materials Needed
The teacher will review with the class all that’s been learned about poetry including author’s craft moves, types of poems, how poems can be written, descriptive language in poems, etc.
Copies of the books or poems listed in the lesson. Students’ writers’ notebooks or journals, chart paper, projector
See texts within the teaching of the lesson.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
Student and Teacher Vocabulary
Alliteration, or the repeating of the same letter (or sound) at the beginning of words following each.
Onomatopoeia (a Greek word meaning name-making "), for the sounds literally make the meaning in such words as "buzz," "crash ...
Teaching the Lesson
This lesson can be taught the same way twice (Once for alliteration and once for onomatopoeia.) This lesson may be taught for multiple days.
Suggested Resources
Books to Teach Alliteration
Allison” s Zinnia by Charlotte Zolotaw
The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan
Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant) by April Pulley Sayre
Books to Teach Onomatopoeia
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can you? By Dr. Seuss
WHAM! It’s a Poetry Jam by Sara Holbrook
Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson
Read Aloud:
The teacher will be the lesson by reading aloud from one of the following books where alliteration is evident. (If none of these books are available, the teacher will need to choose some different examples.
Allison” s Zinnia by Charlotte Zolotaw
The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan
Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant) by April Pulley Sayre
As the teacher reads aloud, the students need to listen to how the author chooses words to use in the story. After the teacher reads, she will ask the students what they noticed. They may notice many different things, but what the teacher is looking for is alliteration.
For example in the book, Some Smug Slug, the author wrote the sentence, “Stop!” screamed a sparrow, shattering the silence.
The repeated “s” sound is an example of alliteration.
Reread the story allowing students to point out alliteration examples. The teacher can choose to use highlighter tape to mark the examples.
Writing Workshop
The class will practice together in shared writing. They will write several examples of alliteration with the teacher’s assistance.
Then the students will independently write examples of alliteration in their notebooks. The teacher may do this several different ways. Some students may want to write on their own or the teacher can choose a prompt from the list below.
· Students can each write an alliteration sentence about an animal.
· Alliteration sentences can be written about something being studied in science, math or social studies.
· The teacher can give each student a letter of the alphabet and ask them to write a sentence using alliteration with that letter. Later the class can put together a book entitled The ABCs of Alliteration.
Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment
Assessing the lesson:
The teacher will conference with students during writing workshop to assess the students’ understanding of alliteration. Students who the teacher does not have a chance to conference with that day may be the ones that she asks to share during share time. That way she will be able to assess all children’s understanding.
No summative assessment is recommended at this time.
Extending the Learning
Some students may prefer to work with a partner or in small groups when analyzing poetry and writing their own alliteration or Onomatopoeia.
Students that are ready for enrichment can use these sound devices and write their own picture or poetry book.
Some students may not be able to start the writing process on their own; therefore, the teacher may want to use one of the prompts listed below with those students.
Students can each write an alliteration sentence about an animal.
Alliteration sentences can be written about something being studied in science, math or social studies.