ALEX Learning Activity

  

Figurative Language Fun (Part 1)

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

You may save this Learning Activity to your hard drive as an .html file by selecting “File”,then “Save As” from your browser’s pull down menu. The file name extension must be .html.
  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Lisa Wilson
System:Phenix City
School:Lakewood Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2786
Title:
Figurative Language Fun (Part 1)
Digital Tool/Resource:
Figurative Language Book List on Epic
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

Students will explore the figurative language types of simile, metaphor, idiom, and hyperbole using the attached book list on Epic. Students will also explore the Epic book list on their own to locate and use examples of a simile, metaphor, idiom, and hyperbole to complete the attached Figurative Language Fun Table.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
11. Acquire and use grade-level vocabulary, clarifying the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases in text, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
11.
  • Acquire
  • Use
  • Grade-level vocabulary
  • Clarifying
  • Multiple-meaning words and phrases
  • Range of strategies
Knowledge:
11. Students know:
  • Techniques to learn and use new grade-level vocabulary words.
  • Strategies to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words.
Skills:
11. Students are able to:
  • Learn and use grade-level vocabulary words.
  • Clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases in text using a variety of strategies.
Understanding:
11. Students understand that:
  • New vocabulary can be learned from text, and they should use grade-level vocabulary in writing and speaking.
  • There are many strategies to learn the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases in text, such as using context clues, consulting reference materials, or using knowledge of the word's morphological structure.
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.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to locate and explain/interpret the meaning of common idioms, similes, metaphors, and hyperboles. 

Students will acquire and use the meaning of unknown phrases in text (idioms, similes, metaphors, and hyperboles).  

 

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

1. Teacher will go to the Epic Figurative Language book list and present the Simile and Metaphor video to the class.

2. After listening, ask students to recall simile and metaphor examples from the video. Discuss their meaning together.

3. Teacher will then go to the Epic Figurative Language book list and present and read pages 52 and 58 only from the book, The Know-Nonsense Guide to Grammar by Heidi Fiedler.

4. After discussing hyperboles, ask students to think of any other hyperboles they have heard someone say or heard on television. Discuss their meaning as well.

5. Teacher will share the Epic book list with the class. This can be shared digitally or the teacher can write the link address on the board for the kids to type into their devices. 

6. Teacher will pass out the Figurative Language Fun table (attached above) and go over the directions with the class. 

7. Students will then use the Epic book list to complete the table. 

8. Teacher will walk around to be sure students are identifying and using the figurative language types (simile, metaphor, idiom, and hyperbole) correctly. 

Assessment Strategies:

The teacher will assess the Figurative Language Fun table by checking for the following: 

  • Students located and labeled examples of simile, metaphor, idiom, and hyperbole.
  • The student used figurative language (simile, metaphor, idiom, and hyperbole) correctly in context.

Advanced Preparation:

1. Teacher should open the attached Epic book list to be sure the simile and metaphor video and all books are accessible. 

2. Make student copies of the Figurative Language Fun table.

3. Share the Epic book list site with students. This can be done digitally or by writing the link on the board for them to type in their device. 

Variation Tips (optional):
 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This activity may be used with the following learning activities: 

Figurative Language Fun (Part 2)

Figurative Language Fun (Part 3)

  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: figurative language, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor, simile