Figurative Language Lesson

Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5- Demonstrate understanding of figurative

language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Objective: Given a discussion on similes, hyperboles and onomatopoeia; students will practice
adding more sensory images for the reader by adding these different forms of figurative language
into their writing.

Materials: Anchor Chart and Exit Cards.

Rationale: The goal of this lesson is for students to be able to use this concepts for their literacy
essay now and for ones in the future.

Procedure: Mini Lesson

1. Students will come to the carpet for the start of the mini lesson on figurative language. The
Anchor Chart will be hanging on the board, since it will be down before the language parts will
be covered with paper until we get to that concept.
2. I will asked students to give me a thumbs up if they have heard about figurative language before.
Than I will ask them to turn and talk to one or two other people and talk about what they think
figurative language is and what they know about it. I will than ask students to share what their
group talked about. After every group has been given the chance to share. I will show on the
anchor chart what my definition of figurative language is. I will also share why it is important
which is, it adds sensory enhancement to how the reader create mental images.
3. I will than go through similes, hyperboles and onomatopoeia one by one on the anchor chart. I
will be giving examples of each as I go through each concept, after I give a few examples I will
ask students to share an example that they have.
a. We will as create some as a class so they get a better idea.
b. I will give examples on how each can be added to their writing to make their stories more
interesting.
4. Simile Example: John was playing football with his friends. He was one of the fastest runners
on the team. One day he ran so fast he scored a touchdown.
a. Instead of One day he ran so fast he scored a touchdown. students should write He ran as fast
as lightning. This helps the reader picture that he has ran very fast.
5. Hyperbole Example: Our teacher had us bring home three textbooks and our chromebook. My
backpack felt very heavy when I was walking to the bus.
a. Instead of My backpack felt very heavy. students should write My backpack weighed a ton.
This tells the reader how heavy the backpack really felt for the character.
6. Onomatopoeia Example: My brother and I were running around the house. When we both
turned into another room, the picture frame felt off the table.
a. Instead of the picture frame felt off the table. students can use a sound to describe what they
heard. They could say, my brother and I heard a crash! When we went to see what it was the
picture frame was laying on the ground.
7. When we have gone through all three concepts I will give students an exit card. On the exit card
there will be one example of each similes, hyperboles and onomatopoeia. Students are to write
what one goes with the example. At the bottom of the card I will ask students to give me a
number 1-5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest); on how confident they think they could
use these forms of figurative language in their literary essays. From these cards I will than decide
which students I want to pull for a small group. I will pull students that seem like they need a
little more explanation on these concepts.
8. Students will then go back to their desks and try to see where they can fit similes, hyperboles and
onomatopoeia into their literacy essays they have been working on.

Procedure: Small Group

1. When pulling these students as stated previously I will being using their exit cards to see which
students need a little more help on the concepts.
2. I will keep the anchor chart on the board as a reference for the students I pull but I will be
teaching the lesson in a different way than I previously did. If these students got the match wrong
I will go over that also.
3. I will break down the concepts into simpler forms. For simples I will give them an example like
I am as sick as a dog; by giving this example I will be pointing out the two things being
compared which is being sick and a dog. I will then show how the word as is in the middle of the
statement. So by using like or as you are connecting the two things to compare them. For
hyperboles, I will explain how by using this it is like when you talk to your friends and you want
to make a story really interesting that sometimes you exaggerate some facts in you story. That
those exaggerates are very similar to hyperboles and make your essay seem more interesting. For
onomatopoeia I will have them think about comic books and how in them they have words in the
sound bubbles. In those bubbles the sounds that are in them are examples of onomatopoeia.
4. If students are confident in this skill I will conference with them one on one as they are working
on their essays.

Procedure: Independent
1. Students will go to back to their desks and continue working on their literary essays. I will
conference with students when they are working on their essays to see where they can add these
forms of figurative language into their essays.

Assessment: The exit cards will be the form of assessments for this lesson. Also I will be seeing
how the students are able to put the different forms of figurative language into parts of their
writing.

Exit Cards: For 1 and 3 students are to state what form of figurative language is being used.
1. He is as funny as a monkey.

2. Write two examples of onomatopoeia.

3. I read a million books this school year.