Content Area: Language Arts
Grade(s): 2, 3

Invitation
So just what would it be like to discover a dragon? How can a teacher use children's fascination with these mythical creatures as a means for developing descriptive writing? In this unit second graders read The Discovery of Dragons and The Whipping Boy and then write letters that describe their own discovery of a dragon. The class also reads Saint George and the Dragon and focuses on the use of similes for description.

Tools
Computers, printer, word processing software; Template: Dragon Outline; The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base,The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

Situations
The unit occurs in the classroom. Drafting, typing, and publishing the letters requires two weeks.

Interactions
The students work independently on their Dragon Outlines. They work independently or with a partner at the computers. The teacher works with small groups, monitors class activities, and acts as technology advisor.

Standards (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)
The students write in different forms for different purposes. The students write to record ideas and reflections. The students compose elaborated sentences in written texts. The students use available technology for aspects of writing such as word processing, spell checking, and printing.

Tasks
The class reads The Whipping Boy and The Discovery of Dragons . Then the students draft letters describing the discovery of their own dragons using the Dragon Outline. They type their letters into the computer and illustrate them with computer graphics. After reading Saint George and the Dragon , they edit and elaborate their letters, adding similes and description. Finally, they print and display their letters.

Assessment
The teacher assesses students on the basis of their participation and their appropriate use of technology. She evaluates the quality of the finished letter based on: 1) addressing all aspects of the Dragon Outline, 2) correct letter form, and 3) use of elaboration featuring similes.