Metaphors, Similes, and other Figurative Language
Lesson plans and other teaching resources
|Metaphors and Similes|
|Personification|
|Other|
As Pretty as a Picture, A Tribute to Mothers
Students work with similes and metaphors, and use them to create a Mother's Day Gift. This 3-day unit plan includes an assessment rubric.
Build a Better Metaphor
Using three different colors of index cards, each student creates a metaphor using a concrete noun, an adjective, and an abstract noun, often with hilarious results. Access requires a word processor.
Extended Metaphor
This lesson uses the Billy Collins poem "Cliché" (text of poem included) to explore extended metaphor. Follow the link to the activity on the student handout.
Extended Metaphor: Will Ferrell
Examples of extended metaphor drawn from literature. Don't miss the clip of Will Ferrell describing his education in the School of Hard Knocks (school-appropriate).
Figurative Language
This collection of links includes definitions, lessons for teaching simile and metaphor, idioms, analogies, and more. It is designed for elementary level but middle and high school teachers may also find it useful.
Figurative Language Awards Ceremony
Students explore books rich in figurative language and nominate their favorite examples of similes, metaphors, and personification for a figurative language award. Once nominations are in, the class votes, selecting a winning example in each category. Finally, students are challenged to write an acceptance speech for one of the winners, using as many literary devices (simile, metaphor, personification) as they can in their speech. Designed for grades 3-5.
Figurative language: Similes
Students will define and identify similes as well as evaluate the use of similes in the poem "The Base Stealer" by Robert Francis. This lesson is designed for grade 3.
Figuratively Speaking: Exploring How Metaphors Make Meaning
Students investigate common metaphors in poetry and song, analyze the use of metaphors in a variety of short texts, and explore the metaphors in use throughout their daily life. This lesson is designed for high school students. It might be appropriate for middle school with some modification.
Four Metaphor Poetry
This writing activity stresses the skillful creation of metaphors. It is designed to accompany Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox.
Homeric Simile Examples
Definition, examples, and a link to a video that raps The Odyssey.
Introducing Metaphors Through Poetry
Students read excerpts from the work of Langston Hughes, Margaret Atwood, and Naomi Shihab Nye in order to gain a deeper understanding of metaphors.
A matter of identity: Writing an extended metaphor poem
Students apply their knowledge of literary devices by reading and analyzing the poem "Identity" by Julio Noboa Polanco. Students then create their own poem incorporating the literary devices studied and analyzed in the poem. This lesson includes modifications for a Novice Low Limited English student.
Personificiation
An activity on personification for elementary students. This 2-page handout requires Adobe Reader for access.
Rap Simile Activity
Students create their own similes, and then the class will have to guess whether similes were written by a famous rapper or their classmate. Includes a list of school-appropriate rap similes and their authors.
Similes
In this activity elementary students generate 5 similes and then illustrate their favorite. This printable handout requires Adobe Reader for access.
Unique Metaphor Collections
Inspired by the first chapter of the novel Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, students will discover metaphors in their world and reading and create their own unique metaphorical descriptions for a collection they devote a page to in their writers notebooks or their journals. Once a collection of unique metaphors has been built in the writers notebook, teachers can challenge students to create a longer piece of writing (poem, narrative, reflection, etc.) that is inspired by one or several of their metaphors.
What am I? Teaching Poetry through Riddles
An introduction to poetry via metaphor, simile, metonymy, concrete imagery, and creativity.
Writing about Writing: An Extended Metaphor Assignment
This lesson uses Richard Wilbur's poem "The Writer" to encourage students to develop an extended metaphor describing themselves as writers.
Personificiation
This activity uses "Summer Grass" by Carl Sandburg to illustrate what personification adds to a poem. Students identify personfication in the 10 sentences that follow.
Metonymy
Examples of metonymy drawn from rap music, literature, and current events.
What am I? Teaching Poetry through Riddles
An introduction to poetry via metaphor, simile, metonymy, concrete imagery, and creativity.
