Lesson questions and activities for:
FIGURATIVE/DESCRIPTIVE
LANGUAGE & LITERARY DEVICES
AND TEXT FEATURES
Day One
Begin reading the article (“Don’t Say
Goodbye”) using the READ-HIGHLIGHTWRITE method.
Read a small chunk; highlight (underline) a
few important words from the text.
Stop at a “transition” in the text and write a
very short summary statement (no more
than five or six words).
Review the Terms
• In order to get the students up and moving, rather than just sitting
mindlessly listening to me define the terms for them, I sent them
on a “Scavenger Hunt.”
• I had them copy down the terms on the next slide, skipping a line
between each term.
• Then, I printed out the slide after that. Depending upon the number
of students you have, you will have to make multiple copies. I cut
the terms/ definitions into strips. I placed one strip/definition on
each student’s desk, face down. Then, I gave them each a piece of
tape. They had to tape the strip on the back of a friend, with the
definition facing out. Then, they walked around the room, looking
at each other’s back, copying the definitions as they went.
• It is kind of a goofy way to do it, but they enjoyed it and it was
better than just having them sit there and copy them off the board.
Descriptive Language:
Tone
Mood
Irony
Imagery
Alliteration
Sensory Details
Onomatopoeia
Figurative Language:
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Hyperbole
Symbolism
Figurative and Descriptive Language
Scavenger Hunt
LA._.2.1.7: Figurative and Descriptive Language Words and Definitions
Review the Terms:
Descriptive Language and other Literary Devices:
Tone: The author’s attitude about what he/she is writing about.
Mood: The feeling the reader gets as he/she reads the text.
Irony: When one thing is expected to happen, but its opposite happens instead.
Imagery: Description that allows the reader to “see” what he/she is reading
about.
Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words
for an effect.
Sensory Details: Description so good that it allows the reader to see, hear, taste,
smell or feel what he/she is reading about.
Onomatopoeia: Words that are spelled like a sound (Boom, Click, Clack, etc.).
Repetition: When the author/poet repeats the same word(s) for an effect.
Figurative Language:
Simile: A comparison of two unlike things using like or as.
Metaphor: A comparison of two unlike things, not using like or as.
Personification: When something non-human is given human characteristics.
Hyperbole: A total exaggeration.
Symbolism: When one thing is meant to represent another.
Some Typical Descriptive Language Question Stems:
Descriptive:
What mood does the author create by writing
that _______?
Based on the descriptions in the passage Clara
thought the city smells were ______?
What words or phrases create the tone of
_________?
What word best characterizes the overall tone of
the passage?
How does the author’s use of descriptive language
help _________ know what to expect?
The description of the kitchen in the passage
indicates that Clara’s grandmother likes to
_______?
Typical Figurative Language Question Stems:
Figurative:
Read these sentences from the passage. Which literary device is used in
the sentence above? (for example: personification, imitating the sound
of the ball)
Which literary devices does the author use in the sentence above?
How is the author comparing _sunsets_ to _Fridays_? (possible options:
simile, metaphor, etc.)
Why does the author compare _sunsets _ to _Fridays_? (to show the …)
Which characteristic applies to the sunset? (personification, simile, etc.)
Read this line from the poem. What does the speaker mean by…?
The following phrase: ________ emphasizes that…
Why does the author compare the sunsets to death?
1. Look at the article with a partner.
Circle and Label any Figurative or
Descriptive Language in the article.
2. Read the poems.
Circle and Label any Figurative or
Descriptive Language in the poem.
Examples
Imagery
Personification
Hyperbole
Alliteration
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Hyperbole
Day 2
Warm-Up: Take a ¼ sheet.
Take the poems out of your folder.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary
Devices and Text Features
Answer the following
questions (from lines 11-17):
1. Why does the poet call “him” a “broken statue?”
2. What is the purpose of repeating the words “crawling,
crawling, crawling” three times?
3. Based on the poem, write a caption for the picture
above. It must have something to do with the picture
AND the poem.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
1. Why does the poet refer to Alex as a “broken statue?”
A. He is using imagery to “show” the reader Alex’s true
appearance.
B. He is using metaphor to provide an image of how bad
Alex must feel.
C. He is using personification to show the reader how
statues can become human.
D. He is using hyperbole to exaggerate how badly he has
been physically abused by the bullies.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
2. Read the following line:
Crawling, crawling, crawling. One cracked arm and leg
after another.
Which device is used in the line above?
A. Irony, because statues cannot crack.
B. Hyperbole, exaggerating how far the boy crawls.
C. Repetition, to illustrate the feeling of the boy’s life.
D. Personification, making the boy seem like a statue.
Text Features
3. Based on the poem, write a caption for
the picture.
A. Ancient ruins.
B. Living a broken life.
C. The history of bullies.
D. Saving the world.
Day 3
Warm-Up: Take a ¼ sheet.
Take out “Don’t Say Goodbye” and the three poems.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices and Text Features
1. Look at the first paragraph in “Don’t Say Goodbye.”
Which figurative language devices do you see in this
paragraph?
2. Look at the poem “Alex”. Look at lines 15-17. What
figurative language device is used here? What is the
mood of those lines?
3. In “Alex,” look at all of the italicized words. Look at the
entire poem and try to determine why those words
are italicized, yet others, like them, are not.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
4. Read the following sentence:
Tears well in his eyes as he looks at the
school that seems more like a prison.
Which figurative language device is used in this
sentence?
A. Metaphor, comparing Alex’s eyes to prison bars.
B. Simile, comparing the school to a prison for
Alex.
C. Hyperbole, exaggerating the anger Alex feels
inside.
D. Personification, making the school look like the
eyes of a prison to Alex.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
5.Read the following lines from “Alex:”
Looking for happiness in the medicines.
But, they don’t come. They don’t find him.
Which figurative language device is used in these
lines?
A. Simile, comparing Alex to medicine.
B. Metaphor, comparing happiness to medicines.
C. Symbolism, describing the medicines as
something that represents freedom.
D. Personification, describing the medicine as
something that can go look for Alex.
Text Features
6. The author’s use of italicized print in
“Alex” aids the reader’s understanding by:
A. Helping to establish the point at which
Alex changes.
B. Establishing the importance of the word
“him.”
C. Providing emphasis to the words that
make the reader feel the saddest.
D. Creating an image that allows the reader
to see the importance of Alex being male.
Day 4
Warm-Up: Take a ¼ sheet.
Take out “Don’t Say Goodbye” and the three poems.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices and Text Features
1. Look at the third paragraph in “Don’t Say Goodbye.”
Based on the content of the article, rewrite the first
sentence with a different simile. Be creative…
2. Read line 1 of the poem, “Lonely.” Either illustrate
the line, or rewrite the line with stronger imagery.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
3. Read the following sentence:
It may not sound real, but for 13-year-old Alex
Minardi, the car ride to school felt less like a new
day and more like a death march.
Which figurative language device is used in this sentence?
A. Metaphor, comparing the sounds Alex heard to a death
march.
B. Simile, comparing the car ride to a death march for
Alex.
C. Hyperbole, exaggerating the anger Alex feels inside.
D. Personification, making a car seem like it could march.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
4. Read the following line from “Lonely:”
The smell of bullying is putrid green.
Which figurative language device is used in this line?
A. Imagery, describing the feeling that bullying gives the
poet.
B. Personification, giving the color of green to bullying.
C. Hyperbole, exaggerating the colors that victims see.
D. Simile, comparing bullying to a green muck.
Text Features
5. How does the bulleted list support the theme
of the article?
A. It provides information that might be helpful
to students dealing with bullying.
B. It shows how law enforcement officers deal
with bullies.
C. It tells students what to do if they feel like
bullying someone.
D. The list provides names of sites where bullies
can be reported.
Day 5
Warm-Up: Take a ¼ sheet.
Take out “Don’t Say Goodbye” and the three poems.
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices and
Text Features
1.Read the following definitions (types of tones):
Optimistic: Seeing good in all things (glass half full)
Pessimistic: Seeing bad in all things (glass half empty)
Anxious: Being nervous about things (based on fear)
Carefree: Having no worries or concerns
Which of the tones above describes the tone of
lines 19-22 of “Techno-Bully?”
2. Review the textbox on the back of “Don’t Say
Goodbye.” What is the purpose of the textbox?
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
3. Which of the following expresses the
most likely tone of paragraph 9 in “Don’t
Say Goodbye?”
A. Frustrated
B. Happy
C. Pessimistic
D. Quiet
Figurative/Descriptive Language & Literary Devices
4. Read lines 9 through 15 of “Lonely.”
What is the tone of these lines?
A. Angry
B. Anxious
C. Carefree
D. Wondering
Text Features
5.How does the text box on the back of “Don’t Say
Goodbye” aid the reader’s understanding of the article.
A. It spotlights the importance of journal entries in
fighting bullying.
B. It emphasizes the different types of communication
necessary to stop bullying.
C. It recalls a real-life scenario in which people can learn
how to stand up to bullies.
D. It emphasizes that there are people who can
overcome bullying and are willing to support others.
Final Assessment