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Alliteration poem 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.
For this lesson, students write an alliteration-style poem. Completed poems are published and illustrated using Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Here is a good site, with examples, to get your creative writing "juices" flowing.
Grade level:
6th–8th
Subjects:
Language Arts, Technology
Materials:
Computer and the Internet
Poem template (optional) below
Skills addressed: Creating a new image, adding layers, importing pictures to illustrate a poem, combining pictures to create fantasy creatures, using the text tool to enter a poem, using layer styles on text to further emphasize and highlight the poetry
Time commitment: One class period to write poetry and one or two class periods in a computer lab to complete the publishing
Products used:
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 3.0
Objective
Students will write an alliteration-style poem.
Students will illustrate and publish the poem using Photoshop Elements.
Background information
The lesson will go more quickly if students possess basic Photoshop Elements skills.
See beginning lessons on this same web page, specifically "Selection Tools" and "Layers and Shapes."
Poem template
Line 1 Introduce the critter
Line 2 Where the critter lives
Line 3 What the critter likes
Line 4 What the critter dislikes
Line 5 What the critter does to me
Instructions
From the Adobe Elements "Splash Screen," select "Start from Scratch."
Set up your canvas at the size you desire; this example will be 7 inches by 7 inches.
Decide what you want your background to be. For this example, we will keep it simple and use a solid color. Create a new layer: Layer/New Layer.
Name your layer "Back."
Open the Color Swatches Palette.
Select a color for your background.
Apply the color to your background: Edit/Fill Layer.
Chose Foreground color, OK.
Now it's time to get creative with your alliteration creature. You might want to surf the Internet for some pictures of animals you want to combine to create your own imaginary animal. Save these pictures and open them in Photoshop Elements.
Combine two or three animals together to create your imaginary creature. Start with one animal and select it using the magic wand. (if the animal is on a solid-colored background) or the lasso tool.
Trace around the animal and then feather.
Using the move tool, move the selection to the original working canvas.
Open another picture to combine.
For this picture, since the background has a high contrast to the animal picture in the foreground, the magic wand is a good choice.
Add to the selection, until all the background is selected.
Select/Inverse so your creature is actually selected, and not your background.
Move your second creature over with the move tool.
To combine these two animals, first resize and combine. In this case, you need to change the order of the layers so the hippo is in "front."
Use the eraser tool to remove the parts of the animals you don’t need.
Resize as necessary.
Add any other "parts" to your creature, as desired, using the same techniques.
Add the poem using the text tool. Before you begin typing, select a color from the swatches for your font color.
Resize your text as necessary, change font if desired, and add Styles and Effects.
Note: Lesson content is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe Systems Incorporated assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this material.
