Pop-Culture POSHAMI: Figurative Language

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Sketch the image that came to mind while thinking about your favorite book.

Then, answer these questions beneath your drawing.

• Why did you choose that particular scene?
• How did the author capture your attention?

Now, consider this sentence: The boy ran.

• It is pretty basic, right?

It does the job; it tells you what you need to know but is not very interesting. Imagine reading a paragraph of simple sentences like this; you would likely fall asleep!

To keep readers interested and make them feel like they are part of a story, writers use many techniques to spice up their writing. The most common method is using figurative language.

To explore the seven most common types of figurative language, first make a foldable. Gather five pieces of construction paper, markers, and staples or glue. Then, watch this video to make your foldable.

Now that your foldable is ready, label each tab with the following types of figurative language.

• personification
• onomatopoeia
• simile
• hyperbole
• alliteration
• metaphor
• idioms

As you watch the video below, take notes on these seven symbolic language techniques and their definitions.

(Note: The video will also discuss imagery. While not covered in this lesson, it is still useful to understand.)

• Could you complete your foldable with definitions for all seven types of figurative language?

Next, brainstorm some examples for each figurative language technique on its tab.

When ready, head to the Got It? section to see examples of figurative language in the real world!