Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor,

Personification, Hyperbole, Alliteration,

Onomatopoeia
Grade: 6
Alignment with Oklahoma Academic Standards
LA.6.1.b. Use prior experience and context to analyze and explain the figurative use of words, similes
(comparisons that use like or as: The Snowplow Reared Up Like a Stallion), metaphors (implied
comparisons: Peace is a Sunrise), and multiple meaning words.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to understand and explain different types of figurative language including simile,
metaphor, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. Students will also be able to apply
their knowledge of figurative language to their writing.

Prior Academic Knowledge and Conceptions

Students need to have basic reading and listening skills. Most students should understand the difference
between literal and figurative language.. Student also need to have prior exposure to reading and examining
literature, poetry, and song lyrics to identify grade appropriate types of figurative language. The content of
this lesson builds on what students already know and are able to do because we are applying the skills they
should have learned in 2nd-5th grade to their current understanding of figurative language. Not only will
they be learning more types of figurative language than they have in the past, but they will also be
analyzing how a writer’s word choice impacts the meaning and tone of a text. If students have gaps about
literal versus figurative language or simile versus metaphors, the class will have a quick lesson to refresh
students so that they have the necessary support for learning the skills and concepts of this lesson. To
activate students’ prior knowledge, the teacher will open with questions about figurative language, literal
language, simile and metaphor to determine what skills the students already have when working with
figurative language.

Common Errors and Misconceptions

Common errors or misunderstandings of students related to the central focus of this lesson may deal with
the difference between figurative and literal language. Another common error may be that some students
are confusing similes and metaphors since they are so similar. The teacher will address these common
errors and misconceptions for this group of students at the beginning of the lesson on figurative language
by figuring out what students know and do not know when activating background knowledge. By asking
questions about figurative language, literal language, simile and metaphor, the teacher can determine if
these common misconceptions needs to be addressed based on the students’ responses to the questions.

Launch: 10 minutes
We will introduce this activity by activating students’ prior knowledge and conceptions. We will ask the
class what they know about figurative language versus literal language. We will ask the students what the
difference between simile and metaphor is. We will start the lesson by watching a YouTube video that give
examples of figurative language in movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMSLgxj2dxk This will
motivate the students to figure out more about figurative language and get them making inferences about
each type of figurative language they will be learning.

Instruction: 45 minutes
∙ As a class, we will go over what the meaning of each type of figurative language means- simile,
metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration, personification, and onomatopoeia. This will be done through a Prezi
or PowerPoint presentation. Each slide will contain the definition of the word, a few examples and a
link to a YouTube video that has a song with the specific type of figurative language in it. To engage
 students in developing understanding of the lesson objective, the students will listen to the song and
write down, as a table group, the specific sentences or phrases where the figurative language is being
used. Here are some examples of songs and their links that can be used for each type of figurative
language:
Simile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvgJEznqtms
Metaphor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UdZIh8_xGc
Personification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw
Hyperbole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z57hbRJJ4t0
Alliteration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj_UEJjUIQ4
Onomatopoeia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdBN0Ip93Ww
After the class as reviewed the different types of figurative language, the class will count off into groups of
3 students. Each group will receive a large poster board with a picture in the middle. Using the picture in
the middle of the poster board, the group will have to create sentences related to the picture using the six
types of figurative language we have discussed. Below is an example of what they poster board should look
like when the students are done. However, for our purposes, the students should include all six areas of
figurative language that we discuss during this lesson.

Teaching with a mountain view. (2013, March 13). Tell me a story Tuesday: figurative language. Retrieved from:
http://www.teachingwithamountainview.com/2013/03/tell-me-story-tuesday-figurative.html
∙ The teacher will set up the task for the students by preparing a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation,
finding videos of current songs using figurative language and preparing the poster board with the
picture in the middle. We will link the new content to the students’ prior academic learning and their
personal/cultural community assess by sharing in discussion before the lesson begins about what they
already know about figurative language. The students will also have the opportunity to link the new
content to their personal/cultural assets by allowing them write sentences for assessment about
anything they would like.
∙ At the beginning of the lesson, the students will be engaged in the lesson by listening to the teacher
present each type of figurative language. Then, the students will watch each video and pull out phrases
where figurative language is used. Students will be participating in group work when they create
figurative language sentences based off of a picture. Finally, the students will be participating in
assessment that will engage the students and help them understand the concepts. The teacher can help
engage the students during group work by rotating around the classroom and asking if they have any
questions or are struggling with any part of the figurative language lesson. If students are confused
about something they are supposed to be doing, the teacher will be readily available to help them
understand the concepts.
∙ Before the students get to do any work with each type of figurative language, the teacher will present
the information about each type through the PowerPoint or Prezi containing definitions, examples, and
video links. The teacher will discuss the vocabulary words that are listed below throughout the lesson
 to help the students understand figurative language terms. Some questions the teacher can ask are:
Based off this example, what do you think ____ means? Can you give me an example of ____? Give
an example of encountered with figurative language you have experienced in daily life. The teacher is
making sure each child is accountable for understanding and doing the work by creating group work
where each member must participate and share their ideas. The students are also held accountable for
what they learn because of the summative assessments such as the exit slip where they have to make
up their own examples of each type of figurative language and the worksheet they will be taking home
for homework.
∙ The teacher will facilitate discussion of the task posed by having students share the information they
got after watching videos or after working in their groups on the poster. Each group will be coming up
with different ideas and interesting sentences that can be compared to other groups. Questions that the
teacher will ask the students that will help them understand the mathematics they explored in the
activity or task are: In what ways do you think you can apply this when you leave the classroom? What
are benefits of talking or writing in figurative language? The teacher will structure these questions with
a mix-pair-share so that all the students will be participating in answering each question and getting to
talk with someone that was not in their group. The students will present their findings by sharing with
the class.
∙ Opportunities for students to work with partners or in groups will be used after the students have the
basic concepts of figurative language understood. The students will get to do an activity with a group
so that discussion will be sparked when they are learning. Students will get to work with a partner
when they are working on their poster board, when they talk in the think-pair-share, and when the
students work as a table on the ending YouTube video containing different types of figurative
language that they have to guess and write down.
∙ To form the groups, we will prepare groups ahead of time. We choose to do this because we want to
choose groups so that students will be focused and talking about the lesson and not talking to their
friends about their plans for the night or what they are doing this summer. We also choose to do this
to help the ELL students and students on IEP plans. Assigning groups will ensure that they are with a
partner or partners who will aide in their understanding of figurative language and someone who will
be willing to assist them when they are stuck.

Structured Practice and Application: 20 minutes

∙ The teacher will give the students the opportunity to practice with another YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be2BR8fNZ_Q This YouTube gives them what each part of
figurative language the segment contains, but the students must carefully listen for the figurative
language phrase and write it down on a sheet of paper to turn in. The class will go over the answers to
makes sure everyone understand the concept. While the class is going over the answers, we will start
and pause the video again to find the phrases of figurative language from within each segment.
∙ The students will apply what they have learned by writing down one example of each type of
figurative language we have learned today on a notecard. As a class, the students can then share some
of their sentences with the class to check for understanding before they turn in this exit
∙ The teacher will determine if students are meeting the intended learning objectives by reading the exit
slips that the students will turn in at the end of class, discussing the YouTube videos viewed, and
listening to other discussion and responses from student to check for understanding. All forms of
formative and summative assessment will help the teacher determine if the students are meeting the
intended learning objectives.

Closure: 10 minutes
We will wrap up this lesson by allowing the students to discuss what they learned in a think-pair-share. Then,
we will come together as a class to share out about what figurative language is. Students will share ideas that
them and their partner discussed and any misconceptions will be fixed. Finally, the students will hand in their
exit slips to the teacher on the way out the door.

Differentiation/ Planned Support:

∙ How will you provide students access to learning based on individual and group needs?
 ○ Whole Class: The whole class will get an explanation and get to participate in the learning
tasks of this lesson. The whole class will also have the same videos, worksheets and
activities to learn about the different types of formative language. This lesson will meet the
classes’ learning needs as a whole. Whole class discussion will also take place, which will
allow each student to hear how some of their classmates applied figurative language in their
own writing and may encourage other students to share their writing.
○ Groups of students with similar needs: This may be students that are ELL. If this was the
case, the student may choose to show figurative language in their own language. For
example, for onomatopoeia, the ELL student could use an expression in his/her own
language that may be different from the English language or the student could make an
alliteration using his/her own language. Not only would the ELL students be getting to
explore figurative language in their own language, but also these examples would benefit the
native English speakers as well. The ELL students should also be placed throughout the
room where more advanced students could assist them if the ELL student needed help.
○ Individual students: Many students have individual needs that we will also be able to
accommodate. For example, a student could be colorblind, have dysgraphia, have ADHD or
ADD, have an auditory language processing disorder, be gifted and talented, or simply be on
an IEP for any other problems. There are ways to make accommodations in this lesson for
almost any need. For example, students with ADHD will be forced to stay busy because of
the amount of work the student has to complete in a short amount of time. The videos that
the students have to watch and pull out information from require the student’s attention. For
gifted and talented students, we will ask them to think of more example of each type of
figurative language. These students can also be encouraged to make more complex sentences
when writing their own sentences with figurative language. So instead of a simple sentence
like “Her smile shone as bright as the sun.” the student could write something like “When
her face lit up after receiving the award, her smile radiated like the sun on a warm summer
afternoon.”
○ Students with IEP’s or 504 plans: Each student will be placed at a table with a student that is
more advanced than others, is more knowledgeable about figurative language, is a good
communicator and is some that is inclusive of all students. This will ensure that the
classroom contains tables of varying levels of ability so that they can work with each other
and help each other when needed. All of these students will be given extra attention
throughout the lesson to ensure their understanding. The teacher may occasionally
specifically call on some of these students to share ideas and provide answers so that the
teacher can ensure that the student is grasping the information.
○ Earlier finishers: These students can continue writing more sentences using figurative
language for practice. Or the teacher will have an extra activity for the student to continue
working on figurative language such as listening to more educational video about figurative
language or playing on an app on a school iPad about figurative language.
○ Strategies for responding to common errors and misunderstandings: When there is a
common error or misunderstanding, the teacher will stop everyone and have them focus on
you. Then, the whole class will address the issue to make sure that there is no more
confusion.

∙ To support students with gaps in their prior knowledge that is necessary to be successful in this
lesson, the teacher will provide them with a worksheet of definitions and examples of each type of
figurative language so that they can refer back to the worksheet when they are working during class.

Materials:
Computer with PowerPoint and Internet
Poster Boards
Markers
Notecards
Worksheets
Projector
 Notebook Paper
Pens/Pencils

Academic Language:
∙ Some key vocabulary terms the teacher needs to teach are simile, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole,
personification, onomatopoeia, figurative language, literal language, symbolism, style, mood and
tone. The teacher will teach these vocabulary words by defining them and showing examples in the
opening PowerPoint presentation. The teacher will also teach the students these vocabulary terms in
the lesson by including them into the activities.
∙ Opportunities that we will provide for our students to practice the new language include the group
work the students will participate in that will address all of the main topics and vocabulary words that
will aide in their understanding of the lesson. When presenting the content to the students on the
PowerPoint, the teacher will orally tell the students then new language and provide an example of
these words. The teacher will also have the students write them down in their daily notebook.
∙ Students will needs to use language to participate in learning tasks and demonstrate their learning for
this lesson. They will use the language when actively participating in the group work, when activating
background knowledge at the beginning of the lesson, when sharing ideas out loud to the class, and
when writing sentences with each type of figurative language on the exit slips.
∙ To facilitate student learning of the central focus of the lesson, we will compare and contrast different
types of figurative language when learning about them and when sharing ideas. The students will be
able to describe each type of figurative language at the beginning of the lesson when they teacher is
using the PowerPoint to go over the lessons.

Assessment:
Formal- Each student will fill out an exit slip notecard one example sentence that they created on their own
of each type of figurative language that the class learned. This will show us what information the students
took in during the lesson. This assessment provides direct assessment by telling us exactly what they
students learned in the lesson.
Formal- Assign a homework worksheet with text such as excerpts from stories, poetry, or song lyrics. The
students will be required to locate and label all the different types of figurative language throughout the
text. The worksheet assigned as homework serves as a formal assessment because it requires little to no
teacher support. Students will perform the assessment at home, and the teacher will look at it upon them
turning it in. This way, the teacher can see if found all the figurative language examples in the provided text
and can compare it to their work in class to see if they have full understanding of how find figurative
language in a text.
Informal- During the group work, the teacher will be rotating around the room to question students and
check for understanding of what they are doing. This assessment allows us to informally walk through and
assess if students understand figurative language. Students will not feel as pressured as if a formal
assessment was being done, but we will be able to gain valuable entail on each student’s level of
understanding through the assessment.
Informal- During the closure, students will participate in a Think-Pair-Share that will allow them to
discuss with a partner what they learned and then share out what they discussed. Through the Think-Pair-
Share discussion, students will share important insights and thoughts gained through the activities and
discussions. The teacher will walk around the room, listening to each conversation, and taking notes on
some of the knowledge the students share. The teacher will have a list of her students with her as well, and
she will put a check mark next to students that are making noteworthy connections. After the discussion,
she will call on the students she put a checkmark on, and ask them to share their thinking and what they
were discussing with their partner, then she will open the discussion up to everyone to share their thinking.
This method of assessment is effective because instead of assigning children to answer question on what
the teacher thinks they should learn, the students are able to share their thinking and what they learned.
This is valuable to a teacher because she can see what students excelled in during the assignment, and what
may need further instruction.