Beacon Lesson Plan Library--Persuasion and Figurative Language
Sherry Czupryk
Description
Students identify and explain the effect of metaphors, similes and personification in "Sinners in the Hands
of an Angry God."
Standards--Florida Sunshine State Standards
LA.A.2.4.5
The student identifies devices of persuasion and methods of appeal and their effectiveness.
LA.B.1.4.2
The student drafts and revises writing that: is focused, purposeful, and reflects insight into the writing
situation; has an organizational pattern that provides for a logical progression of ideas; has effective use of
transitional devices that contribute to a sense of completeness; has support that is substantial, specific,
relevant, and concrete; demonstrates a commitment to and involvement with the subject; uses creative
writing strategies as appropriate to the purpose of the paper; demonstrates a mature command of language
with precision of expression; has varied sentence structure; and has few, if any, convention errors in
mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
LA.B.1.4.3
The student produces final documents that have been edited for: correct spelling; correct punctuation,
including commas, colons, and common use of semicolons; correct capitalization; correct sentence
formation; correct instances of possessives, subject/verb agreement, instances of noun/pronoun agreement,
and the intentional use of fragments for effect; and correct formatting that appeals to readers, including
appropriate use of a variety of graphics, tables, charts, and illustrations in both standard and innovative
forms.
Florida Process Standards
Effective Communicators
02 Florida students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose,
symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays, and computer-based programs.
Critical and Creative Thinkers
04 Florida students use creative thinking skills to generate new ideas, make the best decision, recognize and
solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong
learning.
Cooperative Workers
08 Florida students work cooperatively to successfully complete a project or activity.
Materials
- A copy of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" for each student.
- A copy of the grading rubric for each student (see assessment section)
Preparations
1. Obtain a copy of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" for each student.
2. Prepare a definition and examples of metaphors, similes, and personification to be written on the board,
overhead, computer, etc.
3. Make a copy of the essay grading rubric for each student.
Procedures
The teacher does the following:
1. Writes the definitions of metaphor, simile, and personification on the board and discusses them with the
class.
2. Divides the class into groups of four.
3. Divides "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" into sections, so that each group has one section to
analyze for use of metaphors, similes, and personification.
4. Instructs the groups to identify the examples of metaphors, similes, and personification in their section
and to explain what effect is illicited by each example.
5. Has the groups present their examples to the class, with each member of the group participating. The
entire class discusses the appropriateness of the answers.
6. Assigns each student a one or two paragraph essay explaining the author's use of metaphors, similes, and
personification to achieve his purpose.
Assessments
The teacher will assess the students by their essays using the following rubric:
A: Essays are well-organized, with excellent use of specific examples and integration of quotes. The
student has excellent diction, varied and effective sentence structure, and no mistakes in punctuation and
grammar. The student fully understands the author's use of metaphor, simile, and personification to achieve
his purpose.
B: Essays are fairly well-organized, with good use of specific examples and integration of quotes. The
student has good command of diction, some varied and effective sentence structure, and few mistakes in
punctuation and grammar. The student understands the author's use of metaphor, simile and personification
in order to achieve his purpose, but not as well as the best essays.
C: Essays are somewhat organized, with some use of specific examples and quotes. The student has
mediocre diction, simple and/or ineffective sentence structure, and/or several mistakes in punctuation
and/or grammar. The student has little understanding of the author's use of metaphor, simile, and
personification to achieve his purpose.
D/F: Essays are poorly organized, with little use of specific examples and integration of quotes. The student
has poor diction, ineffective and/or incorrect sentence structure, and/or several mistakes in grammar and/or
punctuation. The student has little or no understanding of the author's use of metaphor, simile and
personification to achieve his purpose.