Language learners get into the swing of things with a jazzy instructional activity about similes. They read an article about Duke Ellington, listen to samples of his music, and then try their hand at crafting similes to describe his...

Use the Civil War and important figures from that period to help your class write poetry. You'll need to create a list of similes and metaphors, but you could also consider having your learners create this the day prior. They will use...

Third graders listen to the non-fiction book: COMING HOME: FROM THE LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES. They identify examples of metaphors and similies within the book and understand how this figure of speech is used in writing. They then create...

In this desert similes fill-in-the blank worksheet, students read the definition of a simile at the top of the page. They write 10 similes using desert words that are shown in a box at the top of the page. They draw a picture of one of...

In this language arts and geography worksheet, students write their favorite similes about the desert on the given cards. They color the desert pictures that will be displayed on a bulletin board.

Young scholars explore the Choctaw Native American tribe.  In this cross curriculum literacy and U.S. history lesson plan, students locate where the Choctaw Indians lived on a United States map.  Young scholars listen to When...

For this simile worksheet, students think about their state and then write similes to describe it. Students then pick their favorite simile and illustrate it.

To examine the “New English” Chinua Achebe uses in Things Fall Apart, readers complete a series of worksheets that ask them to examine similes, proverbs, and African folktales contained in the novel. Individuals explain the meaning...

Explore the symbols and special features of Oklahoma. By focusing on Oklahoma's state bird, the flycatcher, learners identify similes, write metaphors, and answer questions about this famous state symbol.

Students examine several examples of similes and metaphors, stating what is being compared. Then each student chooses a different person from the Civil War era and writes similes and metaphors that describe that person.

Students create snowflake similes, Kwanzaa plaques, menorah banners, and more for the month of December. In this December activities lesson plan, students also analyze characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

What makes a good monarch? Elementary and middle schoolers examine popular symbols of the British monarchy before designing a television advertisement about the qualities needed in a monarch. Next, they write poems using metaphors and...

Disrespect can be as subtle as a frown or a turn of a head. To prepare for a study of Toi Derricote's poem "The Weakness" class members create wordless skits that demonstrate subtle or not so subtle signs of disrespect. After a...

Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise", offers young scholars an opportunity to consider how poets use literary devices to create powerful messages. After a close reading and discussion of the poem, class members reflect on how they can...

The second lesson in the series asks groups to analyze an exchange of love letters between Abigail and John Adams. Scholars identify the many allusions and references in the letters and consider what they can infer about the writers.

To introduce the idea of different theoretical views about the nature of society, class members engage in a sociology activity that asks them to create an analogy between society and another concept, and then to explain the parallels.

Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...

To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences...

Students explore the role of resistance during the Holocaust. Viewing images, they complete a set of notes on the Holocaust and discuss the feelings they get from looking at the photographs. They identify the parts of speech used in...

Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, students first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc. Learners...

Fifth graders choose a poetry activity in order to focus their research about American presidents.

Young scholars examine an author's philosophical look at life through anecdotes he describes as a teacher in Uzbekistan. In this Uzbekistan activity, students analyze a literary passage in order to identify, then practice using, similes,...

Students read and analyze the short stories, "In a Grove," and "Rashomon," by Akutagawa. They discuss the samurai warrior culture, watch a short video, take a quiz, participate in whole-group discussions, identify similes and metaphors,...

Scholars are introduced to the characteristics of a legend. They read and discuss Old Father Story Teller by Pablita Velarde. Then, in groups, they write and illustrate a poem based on one of the legends from the book. This lesson plan...