Kathleen Conniff
English is as Easy as Pie!
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as
a picture) in context.)
Learning Disability: Visual Impairment
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Modification: Read the steps of all activities out loud and be sure to be clear and
concise.
Accommodation: Provide the student with a worksheet that has large print so that it is
easier to read. Show all images and text on the projector so that it easier to read.
Anticipatory Set Activity
“Hello, fellow creators! I am Queen Simphoria of the writing warriors. I was given this name
because I know all about similes and metaphors, and I’m here to tell all of you how fun they can
be! Will all of you please rise? I would like you all to bow to the person next to you and then
say, ‘You are as bright as the sun!’ in your most royal voices. Now reply with, ‘I am a star!’ in the
voice of a warrior! When you told your neighbor that they were as bright as the sun, you were
using simile. When you replied with, ‘I am a star!’ you were using metaphor! Now that we know
we can use similes and metaphors in our everyday language, let’s see what else we can learn!”
Objectives
“Fellow creators, by the end of this experience, you will be able to create one similes and one
metaphor to describe 2 important people in your life.”
Purpose
“Learning about Similes and Metaphors is great because it can add imagination and creativity to
our writing. If you ever create birthday cards for your friends or relatives, adding a simile or
metaphor is a great way to surprise and even impress them! You can write notes to your friends
or letters to relatives using only metaphors! How great is that? It’s like speaking in code to
create a message you want to convey to someone. Similes and Metaphors are a great way to
describe and compare things; they create vivid pictures in peoples’ minds.”
Input Modeling
I.
Vocab
a. Simile- a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another
thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid.
b. Metaphor- a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or
action to which it is not literally applicable.
II.
Focus Questions
a. What if someone told you that you were as stubborn as an ox?
b. Has anyone ever said that you looked as snug as a bug in a rug?
c. Would you compare your room to a hazardous zone?
III.
Factual Statements
a. Similes and metaphors are used to describe or compare two different things.
b. A simile is when you are say something is like something else.
c. A metaphor is when you say something is something else.
d. Metaphors and Similes can both be found novels, poetry, letters and all other
forms of writing.
e. Similes often include the words like or as to describe or compare something.
Fellow creators, can anyone tell me the difference between a simile and a metaphor? A simile is
when we compare one person, place, or thing, to another thing of a different kind. When using
a simile we almost always use the words like or as to help compare the two. Similes are also
used to make descriptions more vivid or exaggerated, and help to create images about a
person, place, or thing in your mind! A metaphor is a figure of speech used when comparing
one thing to another, but applying it as fact. Metaphors are not literal interpretations, but help
describe a person, place, or thing by creating a scene or visual in our brains. Let’s take a look at
these examples on the projector. The first simile we see says, ‘The snow is like a blanket for the
earth.’ Since it only compares the snow to a blanket, it is a simile. Another hint is that it uses
the word ‘like’ to compare the two objects! The next example states, ‘The snow is a blanket for
the earth.’ This is a metaphor because the snow is not literally a blanket, but it is a figure of
speech used to convey a message. Our next example is, ‘My mom stores information like a
computer,’ and, ‘My mom is a computer, storing information.’ Can anyone tell me why the first
one would be a simile? […] Great! It is a simile because it uses the word like and compares two
different objects. Why is the second sentence a metaphor? Is your mom literally a computer?
No, right? The sentence is only used to convey the message that my mom is good at
remembering information. Our third two examples of a simile and metaphor are, ‘Her eyes
were as bright as diamonds!’ and, ‘Her eyes were bright diamonds!’ Do you fellow creators see
the difference between the two sentences? Would you be able to tell the difference between a
simile and a metaphor on your own?
Checking For Understanding
“Now that we know what similes and metaphors are, let’s take a look at some of these
examples and see if we can guess what they are! I will be showing you 6 different examples on
the projector. If you think is a simile I want you to make spirit fingers by wiggling your fingers in
the air! If you think it is a metaphor I want you to shake both fists in the air like your dancing!
My first example is, “Maria is as snug as a bug as a rug!” That’s right! This is a simile. You can
tell because it uses the word as to compare Maria to a bug! Our next example is, ‘My brother is
a couch potato.’ Great job, creators! This a metaphor because it is stating that my brother is
potato, even though he isn’t literally a potato. What about, ‘The world is a stage.’ Good, this is
another metaphor. ‘The light bulb is as bright as the sun!’ You are all really getting the hang of
this! That’s another simile. ‘The moon is like a ball of cheese in the sky.’ This one is a little
tougher but you can guess that is a simile because of the word ‘like’! Lastly we have, ‘The tree
branches were fingers, reaching for the sky.’ Great, this is another example of a metaphor! You
guys have done a wonderful job helping me sort out these similes and metaphors.
Guided Practice
“Now it’s time to create our own Similes and metaphors! As fellow creators, I know all of you
will do a wonderful job! I will hand out a special worksheet for you to write your work on. We
will be choosing two important people in our lives and writing one simile and one metaphor to
describe each person. Once you receive your paper, first put your name on it and then write
down the names of the two people you have chosen. If you can’t think of similes and
metaphors, first brainstorm some adjectives you can use to describe them and then go from
there. Don’t be afraid to ask the peers at your desk for any ideas or help, just make sure you
only include your own work on your paper. I will also be making my way around the room to
check your work and give you any help you may need for your sentence creations!”
Independent Practice
“Tonight when you go home I would like you to pick two more people to write one simile and
one metaphor for, and write them on the back of your worksheet. Bring it back tomorrow to be
turned in!”
NAME:_________________________
Similes and Metaphors
Similes and metaphors are both used to describe or compare something. A simile is when you
say something is like something. A metaphor is when you say something is something.
Instructions: Choose 3 important people in your life and write one Simile and one Metaphor for
each person below.
Name of person:______________________________________________________________
Simile:________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Metaphor:_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Name of person:_______________________________________________________________
Simile:________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Metaphor:_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Simile: The snow is like a blanket for the earth.
Metaphor: The snow is a blanket for the earth.
Simile: My mom stores information like a computer.
Metaphor: My mom is a computer, storing
information.
Simile: Her eyes were as bright as diamonds.
Metaphor: Her eyes were bright diamonds.
Maria is as snug
as a bug in a
rug!
My brother is a
couch potato.
The world is a
stage!
The light bulb is
as bright as the
sun.
The moon is
like a ball of
cheese in the
sky.
The tree
branches were
fingers reaching
for the sky.