Imagine if dragons could fly! Children spread their creative wings as they design friendly paper dragons and write about their adventures.

• 1.

  Listen as your teacher or classroom volunteer reads a story about flying dragons. Without looking at the illustrations, can you imagine what such a dragon would look like?

• 2.

  Dragons are often portrayed in Western folklore as frightening, fire-breathing creatures. Chinese dragons typically are less fearsome. Try to imagine friendly dragons, too. Would your dragon be large or small? Would it be growling or smiling?

• 3.

  Most dragons are shown with wings. What kinds of wings would your friendly dragon have? How high could it fly? Close your eyes, and imagine looking up at a laughing dragon, flying high above you.

• 4.

  Using Crayola® Crayons, draw a picture of your friendly, flying dragon on construction paper. Include details to show the land and sky around your dragon.

• 5.

  Use Crayola Washable Markers to add large areas of bold color and fine lines to your flying dragon drawing.

• 6.

  Write a story about your dragon’s adventures. Where does it fly? What does it do there? Who does it meet? Display your drawing and story together, to share with your friends.

Standards

• LA: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• LA: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting or plot.
• LA: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding word s.
• LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• LA: Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.
• SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.
• VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

Adaptations

• Working in small groups, students discuss animals that fly. Students make a list of these animals. If the teacher has a dragon story, share it with the groups and have them share what they know about dragons. Post this information for all students to view.
• Have students explain what a fantasy is. Working in teams of two, students create an imaginary creature, identifying the unique qualities of their creation. Students compose an original story using their imaginary creature as a main character. Students illustrate important scenes from their story. Bind their stories into book-like formats and display in the classroom for student reading.
• Working in small groups, students create flying dragon mobiles to display in the classroom.