Figurative Language Unit
Essential Questions:
 Why is learning figurative language important?
 How is figurative language used both inside and outside of the classroom?
 How can figurative language improve reading comprehension?
Rationale:
Figurative language can found everywhere from the classical canon to modern day advertisements,
songs, and television shows. With that in mind, learning different types of figurative language, such as similes
and metaphors, enriches comprehension skills across all areas of a student’s life both inside and outside of
school. Figurative language uses words in a way that give the reader a more vivid image in their mind about a
particular idea or statement. Students need to have the ability to look at how the English language can be
molded. Without this skill, students will have trouble can comprehending what exactly is being stated.
Objectives:
 Students will be able to define the following types of figurative language: simile, metaphor,
personification, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and idiom.
 Students will be able to identify these types of figurative language in poetry, song lyrics, movie clips,
and every day speech.
Daily Procedures:
Day 1:
SSR (15 minutes)
Alliteration (Smart Board)
 Background Knowledge:
Students will brainstorm as many TV shows, movie titles, character names, stores, etc. that use the
technique of alliteration. (Example: Best Buy)
 Smart Board definition and examples
V for Vendetta Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyxgPocbM8Y
 Students will highlight alliteration poem “Picture Puzzle Piece” by Shel Silverstein (worksheet)
 Using the first letter of their first or last name, students will create a sentence full of alliteration.
Example: Ella enviously examined Emma's extremely expensive earrings.
Day 2:
NESA practice packet—page 1 #1-10
Personification (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 Students will practice identifying personification (worksheet)
 Students will practice writing sentences using personification (worksheet)
Day 3:
SSR (15 minutes)
Onomatopoeia (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 Show Video Clip- 1960’s Batman Fight Scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r94AJzJZZaU)
 Share comic strip examples (Smart Board)

Students will create their own comic strip using with the computer program Comic Life. They will use
at least two onomatopoeia examples in their comic.
Day 4:
NeSA reading packet—page 2 #1-10
Hyperbole (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 Students will complete a practice worksheet (worksheet)
Read Aloud
Day 5:
SSR (15 minutes)
Simile (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 “Firework” (worksheet)
-Listen to “Firework” by Katy Perry
-Students will mark similes they see in the lyrics and complete rest of worksheet
-Students will share with their row partner the similes they found
 Practice writing similes (worksheet)
Day 6:
NeSA reading packet—page 3 #1-5
Metaphor (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 Identify worksheet (worksheet)
 Notecard Activity
- “My life is…” (also could use friendship is…/family is…/love is…)
- Students are given a notecard with a random object (ie: airplane, volcano, bouquet of flowers,
etc.) They create a metaphor about their life to the object they receive.
- Example: “My life is an airplane always moving to new places”
Homework: Simile/Metaphor Review
Day 7:
SSR (15 minutes)
Check Simile/Metaphor Homework
Idiom (Smart Board)
 Smart Board definition and examples
 Students will list three idioms they have heard or used in their life
-What are you really saying when you use these phrases?
-Why do we use these phrases?
 Idiom worksheet
Day 8:
Figurative Language Assessment
-Students must be able to identify, define, and create the types of figurative language that they have learned
in this unit.
Name ________________________
Period(s) ______ and ______
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring
words. Example: The critters crawled into the cabin. While you read through this poem,
mark each use of alliteration by circling the alliterative letters.
“Picture Puzzle Piece” by Shel Silverstein
One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
Name ________________________
Period(s) ______ and _______
Personification
Personification is giving human traits/characteristics to a non-living object. For each
sentence provided, circle the object being personified and underline the human trait it
is being compared to. Then, write the meaning behind the personification.
Example:
The blizzard swallowed the town.
Meaning: The town was covered in deep snow after the blizzard.
1. The first rays of morning tiptoed through the meadow.
Meaning:
2. She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door.
Meaning:
3. The sun baked the back of my neck while I was swimming.
Meaning:
4. The words appeared to leap off of the paper as she read the story.
Meaning:
5. The waffle jumped up out of the toaster.
Meaning:
Name: ___________________
Period(s) _____ and _____
Pick an object from the box below (or pick your own!). Using what you know about
personification, write a sentence that personifies the object you chose. Do this for five different
objects.
Tornado
iPod
Popcorn
Microwave
Rain
Computer
Bouquet of flowers
Piano
Daisies
Blanket
Time
Stars
Newspaper
Earring
Pen
Cherry Pie
1. Object:
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Object:
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Object:
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Object:
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Object:
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Name ________________________
Period(s) _____ and ______
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is using exaggeration for emphasis. Hyperbole is used to draw attention to a
particular point.
 It took forever to get to the beach.
 I told you a million times to do your homework.
 I was so embarrassed, I thought I’d die!
Try your hand at writing hyperboles:
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________
Draw an illustration of one of your hyperboles.
An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
Name: ________________________
Period(s) _____ and ______
Name: ___________________
Period ___________________
Date ___________________
Define simile:
Write a complete sentence using a simile:
Highlight or underline each simile in the song lyrics below:
“Firework” by Katy Perry
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine.
Just own the night, like the Fourth of July
[Chorus Here]
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time, you'll know…
In the space below, reflect on what impact the similes have in the song. What do the similes
mean? What does the song mean to you or how has its meaning changed, now that you
recognize the similes?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________
Period(s) ____ and _____
Complete each simile below:
1. Her picture was as colorful as _________________________________________________
2. When Taylor Swift sang, her voice was like _______________________________________
3. The classroom was as crowded as _____________________________________________
4. Extremely hungry, Kyle ate like_________________________________________________
5. The stereo was as loud as ____________________________________________________
Rewrite each sentence below to create a simile. Don’t be afraid to move words around or
even take some words out. Be creative!
Example: She was exhausted after work. She was as worn out as an old shoe after work.
1. The weather was freezing today.
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Joy’s hair is soft.
____________________________________________________________________________
3. It must have been a full moon tonight because the moon was so round.
____________________________________________________________________________
4. That perfume smells really bad!
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Victoria’s room is messy.
___________________________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________
Period(s) _____ and _____
Metaphor is a direct comparison of two unrelated things. Metaphors DO NOT use “like” or “as”.
Identify and highlight each metaphor you read in the paragraph below. As you identify each
metaphor, write the comparison that is being made in the blanks below. Then, write the meaning
behind the comparison.
As Kyle scurried home, he pulled his hat over his red ears to protect them from the frigid
weather. His fingers were icicles, frozen from the snowball fight with his friends. Shivering, he
puffed heat into his hands to warm them. The snow sparkled as it fell from the grey, sullen sky.
When he saw his house, he sprinted towards the door. As he entered, the smell of warm
chocolate chip cookies filled the air. Walking to the kitchen, he saw his mom closing the oven,
cookies in hand.
“I’m starving! My stomach has been a growling lion all day long!” he mumbled as he
shoved a cookie into his mouth and ran upstairs.
“Make sure you pick up your room while you’re up there! It’s a pigsty!” his mom yelled.
“I will after I do my Language Arts homework!”
He sat at his desk to brainstorm ideas for his persuasive essay. His mind was a volcano
erupting with numerous ideas. Once he completed his graphic organizer, he realized it was a
goldmine! It was full of all the information he needed to write his paper. He knew writing his
paper would be an easier task with the graphic organizer as a reference.
1. _______________ is being compared to __________________.
Meaning:
2. _______________ is being compared to __________________.
Meaning:
3. _______________ is being compared to __________________.
Meaning:
4. _______________ is being compared to __________________.
Meaning:
5. _______________ is being compared to __________________.
Meaning:
Name: _______________________
Period(s): ____ and ____
Identify the idiom in each sentence. Then, write the meaning of each idiom you identified.
Example: I will cross my fingers that I get a good grade on that test.
Meaning: To hope something happens the way you want it to.
1. My friend gave me the cold shoulder because I forgot to call her this weekend.
Meaning:
2. We must be cut from the same cloth because we both are really competitive and aggressive
when it comes to sports.
Meaning:
3. She decided to take a rain check on the lunch offer.
Meaning:
4. After the company made changes, I decided to jump ship and find a different job.
Meaning:
5. Jeff and Amy tied the knot this weekend in front of their family and friends.
Meaning:
6. I’m still sitting on the fence on whether I want to drive or fly to California this summer.
Meaning:
7. My teacher gave me all the materials to complete the project and now the ball is in my court.
Meaning: