ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Literary Elements and Techniques | Figurative Language

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Literary Elements and Techniques | Figurative Language

URL:

 https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/litel18-fig/literary-elements-and-techniques-figurative-language/

Content Source:

 PBS
Type: Audio/Video

Overview:

Discover how authors use figurative language to enhance their writing and explore the differences between similes and metaphors in this animated video from WNET. Discussion questions below help students to further apply their understanding before analyzing a text.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
14. Describe word relationships and nuances in word meanings, including relating them to their opposites and distinguishing shades of meaning in similar or related words, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

a. Determine meaning of words using synonyms in context.

b. Determine meaning of words using antonyms as a clue.

c. Describe the similarities and differences between related words.

d. Use knowledge of homophones to determine appropriate use of words.

e. Interpret figurative language.

f. Identify relationships and nuances in word meanings to determine real-life connections between words and their use.
Examples: Discuss relationships in words related to home (house, residence, habitat) and give reasons for choosing a particular word in speaking or writing.
Distinguish shades of meaning in words related to bad (terrible, awful, horrible) and give reasons for choosing a particular word in speaking or writing.
Distinguish shades of meaning in words related to talk (yell, scream, bellow) and give reasons for choosing a particular word in speaking or writing.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
14.
  • Describe
  • Word relationships
  • Nuances
  • Opposites
  • Distinguishing
  • Shades of meaning
  • Similar words
  • Related words
  • Nouns
  • Verbs
  • Adjectives
14a.
  • Determine
  • Synonyms
  • Context
14b.
  • Determine
  • Antonyms
  • Clue
14c.
  • Similarities
  • Differences
  • Related words
  • Describe
14d.
  • Homophones
14e.
  • Interpret
  • Figurative language/li>
14f.
  • Word relationships
  • Nuances in word meanings
  • Identify
  • Real-life connections
Knowledge:
14. Students know:
  • Word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
  • Words with opposite meanings are antonyms, and words with similar meanings are synonyms.
  • A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.
  • A verb expresses an action or state of being.
  • An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.
14a.
  • Synonyms are words that have similar meanings.
  • The meaning of an unfamiliar word can be identified using synonyms.
14b.
  • Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
  • The meaning of an unfamiliar word can be identified using antonyms.
14c.
  • Related words can be described by their similarities and differences.
14d.
  • Homophones have the same pronunciation, but different meanings, origins, and/or spellings.
14e.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
14f.
  • Writers and speakers use a variety of words to distinguish between specific intended meanings.
  • Real life means situations that they have experienced or will experience, and they can make real-life connections about how vocabulary words can be used.
Skills:
14. Students are able to:
  • Describe the relationships between words and nuances in word meanings.
  • Describe how the meaning of words are alike or different.
  • Describe the nuances of words that have different shades of meaning.
14a.
  • Use synonyms to interpret word meaning in context.
14b.
  • Use antonyms as a clue to interpret word meaning.
14c.
  • Describe how the meaning of related words are alike and different.
14d.
  • Determine appropriate homophone use based on their knowledge of homophones and context clues.
14e.
  • Interpret figurative language to understand its meaning.
14f.
  • Discuss relationships of words and give reasons for choosing to use a particular word in writing or speaking; for example, words related to home include house, residence, and habitat.
  • Distinguish shades of meaning in related words, and give reasons for choosing to use a particular word in writing or speaking; for example, words related to bad with different nuances include terrible, awful, horrible.
Understanding:
14. Students understand that:
  • Writers and speakers should carefully select words to convey specific meanings, ideas, and relationships.
  • Words have relationships with other words and words have subtle differences that can be distinguished within text.
14a.
  • Synonyms are words that have similar meanings, and they can be used to determine the meaning of a new vocabulary word.
14b.
  • Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, and they can be used to determine the meaning of a new vocabulary word.
14c.
  • Identifying the similarities and differences of related words improves their vocabulary knowledge.
14d.
  • Their knowledge and understanding of homophones can help determine the correct word to use when given context clues.
14e.
  • Figurative language carries meaning other than the literal meaning of the words or phrases .
14f.
  • Writers and speakers carefully select words to convey specific meanings, ideas, and relationships.
  • Making real-life connections to new vocabulary words helps them move the new words to their long-term memory, becoming part of their "ready to use" vocabulary.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
10. Interpret words and phrases, including figurative language, as they are used in a text.

a. Explain how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

b. Explain how figurative language contributes to the meaning of text, including simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, and idioms.

c. Use the relationships between synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to increase understanding of word meanings.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
10.
  • Interpret
  • Figurative language
10a.
  • Word choice
  • Meaning
  • Tone
10b.
  • Figurative language
  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Alliteration
  • Personification
  • Hyperbole
  • Idiom
10c.
  • Synonym
  • Antonym
  • Homograph
Knowledge:
10. Students know:
  • Strategies to identify word meaning in context.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
10a.
  • Words have nuanced shades of meaning.
  • Authors choose to use specific words to convey intended meaning and create tone in the text.
10b.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
  • Examples of figurative language include similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, and idioms.
10c.
  • Words with opposite meanings are antonyms, and words with similar meanings are synonyms.
  • Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but not necessarily pronounced the same and have different meanings and origins.
Skills:
10. Students are able to:
  • Explain the meaning of words and phrases that are specific to the text.
10a.
  • Explain how the specific word choices of an author create meaning and indicate tone in the text.
10b.
  • Identify examples of similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, and idioms in text.
  • Explain how figurative language contributes to the meaning of the text.
10c.
  • Use synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to interpret word meaning.
Understanding:
10. Students understand that:
  • Words and phrases, including figurative language, can have different meanings in different texts.
10a.
  • Words can determine the tone of the text and contribute to text meaning.
10b.
  • Figurative language carries meaning other than the literal meaning of the words or phrases, and authors choose to include figurative language in text to enhance the text's meaning.
10c.
  • The relationships between words can be used to increase vocabulary knowledge.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
12. Interpret the meaning of words, phrases, and patterns as they are used in texts, including domain-specific and academic vocabulary and figurative language.

a. Locate similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms and interpret their meanings in context.

b. Explain the meanings of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

c. Use the relationships between synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to increase understanding of word meanings.

d. Explain how an author's vocabulary and style influence the tone and mood of a text and support his/her purpose for writing.

e. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meanings of words.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
12.
  • Domain-specific vocabulary
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Figurative language
12a.
  • Similes
  • Metaphors
  • Personification
  • Hyperbole
  • Imagery
  • Alliteration
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Idioms
12b.
  • Common idioms
  • Common adages
  • Common proverbs
12c.
  • Synonyms
  • Antonyms
  • Homographs
12d.
  • Author's vocabulary
  • Author's style
  • Tone
  • Mood
  • Purpose
12e.
  • Common Latin roots
  • Common Greek roots
  • Common Latin affixes
  • Common Greek affixes
Knowledge:
12. Student know:
  • Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
  • Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
  • Strategies to determine the meaning of words, phrases, and patterns in text.
12a.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
  • Examples of figurative language include similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms.
12b.
  • Idioms, adages, and proverbs are all figures of speech, in which the words and phrases carry meaning beyond their literal definitions.
  • An idiom is a common saying with a meaning different from that of its individual words.
  • Adages and proverbs are well-known sayings that have been used for a long time.
  • Proverbs usually give practical advice about ways to behave and live.
12c.
  • Words with opposite meanings are antonyms, and words with similar meanings are synonyms.
  • Homographs are words that are spelled the same, but not necessarily pronounced the same and have different meanings and origins.
12d.
  • Authors choose particular vocabulary and write in a specific style depending on the purpose of the writing and the tone and mood they intend to create.
  • Tone is the attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience, and mood is the overall feeling, or atmosphere, of a text.
12e.
  • Many English words and English morphemes originated from ancient Latin and Greek languages.
  • Understanding Latin and Greek roots and affixes can provide clues to meanings of unknown words.
Skills:
12. Students are able to:
  • Interpret the meaning of domain-specific vocabulary, academic vocabulary, and figurative language as they are used in texts.
12a.
  • Identify examples of similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms in text.
  • Interpret the meaning of the figurative language in context.
12b.
  • Identify examples of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
  • Explain the meanings of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
12c.
  • Use synonyms, antonyms, and homographs to interpret word meaning.
12d.
  • Identify the tone and mood of a text.
  • Explain how an author's vocabulary and writing style influence the tone and mood of the text.
  • Identify an author's purpose for writing a text.
  • Explain how an author's vocabulary and writing style support their purpose for writing the text.
12e.
  • Identify and use Latin and Greek affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
Understanding:
12. Students understand that:
  • There are multiple strategies they can use to interpret the meaning of academic and domain-specific vocabulary, including using context clues in the text, their background knowledge, the morphological structure of the word, and outside resources.
  • Words and phrases, including figurative language, can have different meanings in different texts.
12a.
  • Figurative language carries meaning other than the literal meaning of the words or phrases, and authors choose to include figurative language in text to enhance the text's meaning.
12b.
  • Idioms, adages, and proverbs are figures of speech that carry meaning beyond the literal definitions of the words.
  • To fully comprehend text that contains figures of speech, they must learn the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
12c.
  • The relationships between words can be used to increase vocabulary knowledge.
12d.
  • Authors select specific words and write in a particular style to set a tone and mood for the text, and indicate their purpose for writing the text.
12e.
  • The meaning of an unknown word can be learned by knowing the morphology and orthography of the word, including its origin.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
1. Identify and explain an author's rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
1.
  • Rhetorical choices
  • Point of view
  • Purpose
  • Anecdotes
  • Figurative word meaning
  • Connotative word meaning
  • Technical word meaning
  • Central idea
  • Supporting idea
Knowledge:
1. Students know:
  • Authors make specific rhetorical choices in their writing to convey meaning.
  • Rhetorical devices include point of view, purpose, personal anecdotes, and word choice.
  • Authors develop the main idea of the text by including supporting details to further elaborate on the text's central meaning.
Skills:
1. Students are able to:
  • Identify an author's rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
  • Explain why an author made particular rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
  • Explain how an author's rhetorical choices developed the central and supporting ideas of the text.
Understanding:
1. Students understand that:
  • When writing a text, authors make specific decisions about the structure, format, and vocabulary to accurately convey their central idea.
Tags: figurative language, metaphor, simile, word meaning
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Handouts and materials associated with this resource can be found to the right of the video under the heading, "Support Materials for Use with Students".

  This resource provided by:  
Author: Jessica Byrd
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