Setting the Tone with Figurative Language Grade Eight

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1 Ohio Standards Connection Acquisition of Vocabulary Benchmark C Recognize the importance and function of figurative language. Indicator 4 Infer the literal and figurative meaning of words and phrases and discuss the function of figurative language, including metaphors, similes and idioms. Literary Text Benchmark F Identify and analyze how an author uses figurative language, sound devices and literary techniques to shape plot, set meaning and develop tone. Indicator 8 Explain ways in which the author conveys mood and tone through word choice, figurative language and syntax. Lesson Summary: Students review the terms metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration and personification. They recognize them in text, use them in their writing and explain their importance for establishing the author s tone, shaping the plot and appealing to the senses. Estimated Duration: Two hours and 20 minutes. Commentary: This series of activities gives students the opportunity to review terms previously encountered in language arts class. By applying the terminology in a variety of large group, small group and pair sessions, they have the opportunity to benefit from interaction with their peers. As they move from the writing activities to application, students locate and identify examples in children s picture books and explain their connection to the development of plot, identification of tone and sensory appeal. The culminating activity is a collaborative written assignment. Students will see relevance when discussing sports. Plus, all of the pre-assessment is positive; groups, engaging [activities], [relying on] prior knowledge Pre-Assessment: Group Brainstorm on Figures of Speech Introduce the figurative language terms simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration and personification through a carousel activity. Mount five large pieces of chart paper on the wall. Label each with a category and an example as follows: Emotions/Feelings Figurative language example of happy- Happy as a pig in mud. Movement Figurative language example of slow- As slow as molasses in January. Appearance/Parts of the Body Figurative language example of facial description- Her sparkling eyes spoke volumes. 1

2 Weather/Temperature Figurative language example of rain- Swoosh! During the downpour it was raining buckets. Advice Figurative language example of advice- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Divide students into five groups and give each group a piece of oversized chart paper and a marker. Explain that each group has two minutes to brainstorm and write down as many examples of figurative language in each category as possible. When the two minutes end, the groups rotate in a clockwise fashion to the next sheet of paper and repeat the process with the new category. They only add new examples to the lists as they rotate through each category. Throughout, serve as a facilitator to the process and discussion. At the end of the rotations, one student from each group reads aloud to the class the examples for each category so students see what other groups added to their descriptions and evaluate the accuracy of each. Introduce the term idiom. As appropriate, have students identify examples from the brainstorm lists. Using the graphic organizer, each student identifies and records an example of each figure of speech: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration and onomatopoeia. See Attachment A, Graphic Organizer for Pre-Assessment Activity. Scoring Guidelines: See Attachment B, Scoring Guidelines. Post-Assessment: When given another narrative poem, students highlight and label examples of simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia, as well as identify and analyze how an author uses figurative language, sound devices and literary techniques to shape plot, set meaning and develop tone in an extended response. Scoring Guidelines: See Attachment D, Post-Assessment Holistic Rubric. Instructional Procedures: Day One 1. Prepare sets of four cards listing the same sport. Make enough sets so that two pairs of students in the class unknowingly share the same sport/activity on their sets of cards. (Sports/activities may include basketball, swimming, weightlifting, soccer, dodge ball, wrestling, kickball, golf, baseball, football, skiing, hockey, skateboarding, jumping rope and/or gymnastics.) 2. Review the terms simile, alliteration and onomatopoeia and write them on the board. 3. Ask each student pair to create an example for each figure of speech as it pertains to the activity listed on their cards. 4. Each student writes an example of each term on his/her card. 2

3 5. Student pairs share their examples and evaluate them according to the definition. 6. The two pairs sharing the same activity read aloud to the class their best examples for each figure of speech. Day Two 7. Select a large scenic or action poster and display so all students can see it. 8. Review the terms: simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia and personification. 9. As a group, brainstorm examples for each figure of speech as it applies to the picture. 10. Break students into groups of three or four. Each group receives a vivid picture from an old calendar or a magazine. Collaboratively, group members use the pictures to create text examples for each literary term as it applies to the picture. Students attach the pictures to pieces of chart paper and write their examples underneath labeling the terms used in each. One representative from each group presents the examples to the class and mounts the paper on the wall. Day Three 11. Select 30 to 35 multicultural picture books with descriptive text. (This number allows each student to have a picture book. If there aren t enough books, students may work in pairs using the same book. Acquire an appropriate number of books.) Instructional Tip: Be sure to choose books that have substantial amounts of text and detailed descriptions. (Allow students who may need more time to read and process the information to complete this as a homework assignment.) 12. Review the literary terms: mood, tone and plot development. 13. Give each student a children s picture book. They locate and bookmark examples of alliteration, simile, metaphor, personification and onomatopoeia with self-adhesive notes. 14. In pairs, students exchange books and identify the examples. Together, they review the examples and discuss how each contributes to the mood, author s tone and plot development of the story. Each pair also writes a response, explaining the author s use of the figures of speech to hold the reader s interest. (Use Attachment C, Children s Picture Books Paired Activity.) Day Four 15. Choose and copy a narrative poem. Distribute copies to each class member. 16. Read the poem aloud. 17. Model how to write a paragraph (using the poem) which responds to the prompt, Identify and analyze how an author uses figurative language, sound devices and literary techniques to shape plot, set meaning and develop tone. 3

4 18. Assign the post-assessment prompt and distribute the rubric. Review both the prompt and the rubric, and allow time for students to work with their poems, identifying examples of figurative language. 19. Allow students to finish the response for homework. Instructional Tip: Poems may include Annabel Lee, by Edgar Allan Poe, The Highwayman, by Alfred Noyes, And Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou, Paul Revere s Ride, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, And Then Came...Freedom to Dream, by Miguel Pinero and Persimmons, by Lee Young Li. Differentiated Instructional Support: Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs to help all learners either meet the intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified indicator(s). Examples: The carousel activity may be limited to similes, metaphors and personification (or even fewer types) to simplify the process. Give the students cards with examples of figurative language already on them. Students match the correct example to the activities listed on a handout and copy them on the paper. For the poster activity, make laminated cards with the figures of speech terms defined so each pair of students has a handy reference. Assign students one term at a time instead of all four. Students use reference cards from previous activity. Select and assign poems matching students ability levels. Students design a graphic organizer to sort examples instead of writing the extended response. Students who can handle more challenging work could be assigned more complex poems, or be asked to seek out additional figures of speech or idiomatic expressions. Students who have mastered the objectives may identify a number of figures of speech worth teaching to their classmates and plan a mini-lesson or lessons to do so. Some students may wish to make an illustrative definition of each figure of speech to display in the classroom. Extensions: Students bring in sports articles from newspapers and/or magazines with highlighted and labeled examples of the terms. Post the best examples on the bulletin board. Students locate cartoons in magazines or newspapers that illustrate figurative language. Students create their own drawings/cartoons to illustrate the figures of speech. Students bring in pictures, song lyrics and videotaped TV commercials and write descriptions using figures of speech. 4

5 Students write expository essays citing examples of figurative language, sound devices and literary techniques, analyzing how authors use them to shape plot, set meaning, convey mood and develop tone. Homework Options and Home Connections: Students survey adults for examples of figurative language that their families taught them, (e.g., slower than molasses in January ). Students write paragraphs about exciting sports events they viewed/participated in using the figures of speech in their descriptions. Students retell fairy tales or folk tales integrating examples of the terms they have learned. Interdisciplinary Connections: Social Studies Students use a dictionary of idioms to write descriptions of people and events from a time period studied in social studies. History Standard Benchmark: D. Describe the effects of interactions among civilizations during the 14 th through the 18 th centuries. Indicator: 2. Describe the political, religious and economic aspects of North American colonization. Science Students describe scientific tools using figurative language. Earth and Space Sciences Standard Benchmark: B. Explain that the universe is composed of vast amounts of matter, most of which is at incomprehensible distances and held together by gravitational force. Describe how the universe is studied by the use of equipment such as telescopes, probes, satellites and spacecraft. Indicator: 8. Name and describe tools used to study the universe (e.g., telescopes, probes, satellites and spacecraft). Art Have students describe a poster-size version of a famous artist s work. Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts Standard Benchmark: B. Create a work of art which incorporates the style or characteristics of art from a culture other than their own. Indicator: 3. Identify artworks that make a social or political comment and explain the messages they convey. Materials and Resources: The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site s main page, 5

6 therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students. For the teacher: chart paper, felt-tipped markers, index cards, tape, large scenic poster, six vivid pictures/illustrations per class from calendars or magazines, a variety of children s picture books for a class and self-adhesive notes For the students: newspapers, sports magazines, dictionary, thesaurus Vocabulary: alliteration metaphor onomatopoeia personification simile Technology Connections: Use graphics to illustrate terminology. Use Internet to research word etymologies. Research Connections: Blachowicz, Camille and Peter J. Fisher. Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill Prentice Hall, One of the important characteristics of good literature is a high incidence of figurative language. It is a part of our daily lives, and the average adult is estimated to use more than 500,000 figures of speech a year (Petrosky, 1980). Marzano, Robert J., Jane E. Pollock and Debra Pickering. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Nonlinguistic representations or imagery helps students think about and recall knowledge. This includes the following: Creating graphic representations (organizers), Making physical models, Generating mental pictures, Drawing pictures and pictographs, Engaging in kinesthetic activity. Cooperative-learning grouping has a powerful effect on student learning. This grouping includes the following elements: Positive interdependence, Face-to-face interaction, 6

7 Individual and group accountability, Interpersonal and small group skills, Group processing. Pask, Gordon. Conversation, Cognition and Learning. New York: Elsevier, The fundamental idea is that learning occurs through conversations about a subject matter which serve to make the knowledge explicit. Conversations can be conducted at a number of different levels: natural language (general discussion), object language (for discussing subject matter) and metalanguage for talking about learning/language. To encourage learning, Pask argued that subject matter should be represented in the form of entailment structures that show what is to be learned. Entailment structures exist in a variety of different levels depending upon the extent of relationships displayed. Petrosky, A.R. The Infernos We Make: Children and Literature. Language Arts, 57, Petrosky estimates that adults use more than 500,000 figures of speech a year. He views figurative language as natural and necessary. Robb, Laura, Ron Klemp and Wendell Schwartz. Reader s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, Figures of speech help provide clues about the mood, author s tone and plot of the story or poem. They often appeal to the five senses to help readers personally connect to the text. They require careful reading as opposed to skimming or speed reading. General Tips: Old calendars are a tremendous resource to teach descriptive writing and to create bulletin boards. After December holidays, many bookstores reduce their calendars to as little as $1. Attachments: Attachment A, Graphic Organizer for Pre-Assessment Activity Attachment B, Scoring Guidelines Attachment C, Children s Picture Books Paired Activity Attachment D, Post-Assessment Holistic Rubric 7

8 Check one Attachment A Graphic Organizer for Pre-Assessment Activity simile metaphor onomatopoeia alliteration personification Definition: The example appeals to which senses? sight hearing taste touch smell Check one simile metaphor onomatopoeia alliteration personification Definition: The example appeals to which senses? sight hearing taste touch smell Check one simile metaphor onomatopoeia alliteration personification Definition: The example appeals to which senses? sight hearing taste touch smell Check one simile metaphor onomatopoeia alliteration personification Definition: Which senses does the example appeal to? sight hearing taste touch smell 8

9 Attachment B Scoring Guidelines Advanced Proficient Identifies all examples appropriately, provides definitions and clarifies sensory appeal (no errors in any category). Identifies most examples appropriately, provides most definitions and clarifies most sensory appeals (no more than one error in each category). Limited Basic Identifies some examples appropriately, provides some definitions and clarifies some of the sensory appeals (no more than two errors in each category). Identifies few examples appropriately, provides few definitions and clarifies few of the sensory appeals (more than two errors per category). 9

10 Attachment C Children s Picture Books Paired Activity Title 1: Title 2: Author: Author: Reader: Reader: ************************************************************************ Title 1 or 2 Page: Simile Title 1 or 2 Page: Metaphor Title 1 or 2 Page: Idiom Title 1 or 2 Page: Alliteration Title 1 or 2 Page: Personification Title 1 or 2 Page: Hyperbole Title 1 or 2 Page: Onomatopoeia 10

11 Attachment C (Continued) *(If no examples can be found in either book, write one that might be appropriate.) Together, take turns writing the answers to the following questions in complete sentences and using specific examples from the books. 1. What clues do the examples give as to the time the story takes place? Does it change during the story? Explain. 2. Find examples of the author s word choices that tip off the reader to the place of the story s plot. List each time the location changes. 3. How does the author s choice of language convey the mood or feeling of the story? Does it change? Explain. 4. How does the author s use of figures of speech relate to the plot? In other words, how does the language help hold the reader s interest in the story? 11

12 Attachment D Identifying and analyzing how an author uses figurative language, sound devices and literary techniques to shape plot, set meaning and develop mood and tone. Post-Assessment Holistic Rubric 4 The answer is clearly focused on the prompt. Development of the topic is rich as evidence of clear thinking and a natural flow of ideas. Evidence from the poem is interwoven into the response to the prompt. Vocabulary and sentence structure work together and demonstrate a strong command of the English language. There may be some minor mechanical errors but they do not interfere with communication. 3 The answer is clearly related to the prompt. Organization is evident, but some drifting may occur. Evidence from the poem is insufficient or inappropriate. Vocabulary and sentence structure may not demonstrate sophistication and variety. There may be some minor mechanical errors but they do not interfere with communication. 2 The answer is somewhat related to the prompt. There is little development and/or evidence in the poem provided. There is no clear organizational plan. Limited or inappropriate vocabulary inhibits the student s understanding and communication. There may be some errors but they do not interfere with the overall communication. 1 The answer is slightly connected to the prompt. There is no development and the evidence cited does not support the response. There is no logical or clear organizational structure. Sentence structure and vocabulary are simplistic and repetitive. Lack of some conventions impairs understanding. 12