Amy Gillis

Derek Payne
Integrating Technology in Education K-12

Lesson Plan: Figurative Language Unit

Objectives:
1. Students will be familiar with various types of figurative language.
2. Students will be able to identify various types of figurative language in a grade
appropriate text and will be able to decipher the figurative meaning behind it.
3. Students will be able to decipher between the literal and figurative meanings in
figurative language.
4. Students will be able to incorporate figurative language within their own writing.

California State Board of Education Content Standards for ninth and

tenth grade:
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Students apply their knowledge of word origins to determine the meaning of new
words encountered in reading materials and use those words accurately.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.1 Identify and use the literal and figurative meanings of words and understand word
derivations.
1.2. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and interpret
the connotative power of words.
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis Students read and respond to historically or culturally
significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and
social science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes.
The selections in Recommended Litera-ture, Kindergarten Through Grade
Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by
students.
3.7 Recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices, including
figura-tive language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their appeal.
Literary Criticism
3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and
figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary
criticism.
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics) Students combine the rhetorical
strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description to produce texts of
at least 1,500 words each. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard
American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies
outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.

Instructional Activities for Entire Unit:

Timeframe: Four Class Periods

Class 1: Introduction
Essential Questions:
 What is figurative language?
  How and why is it used?

Activity:
 Introductory power point lesson with notes
o Hand out the scaffolded notes to students to use during the power point
lesson.
o Project the ‘figurative language’ power point stopping for explanation and
questions of students

Class 2: In class practice

Essential Questions:
 How and why is it used? What does that look like?
 What is the literal meaning and figurative meaning in an example of figurative
language?
 How can figurative language be used to express emotion? Why might figurative
language be used to help express emotion?
 What makes figurative language successful?

Activity:
 Webquest
o Assign students to partners in mixed ability levels
o Bring class to computer lab
o Have students activate webquest
o Go through lesson and directions as a class
o Have students work in pairs through webquest.
Homework:
o Reflection described in webquest
Assessment:
o Rubric attached

Class 3: In class practice

Essential Questions
 How and why is it used? What does that look like?
 What is the literal meaning and figurative meaning in an example of figurative
language?
 What makes figurative language successful?
 How does figurative language help an author describe something?

Activity:

 Partner in class activity: finding examples within text

o Put students into partners in mixed ability levels
o Hand out ‘Examples from Text’ worksheet and go through it as a class
o Using the novel the class is reading have students find examples of
figurative language, classify them, and explain classification on the
worksheet
 o Once finished with worksheet go over what a literal illustration is and
explain homework
Homework:
 Create literal illustrations
 e-mail literal illustrations to teacher
 Study types of figurative language:
o Know what all the various types of figurative language are and their
meanings
o Know how to identify various types of figurative language
o Practice creating your own examples of various types of figurative
language

Class 4: Assessment
Essential Questions:
 What are the various types of figurative language?
 How do you identify various types of figurative language?
 How do you incorporate various types of figurative language into original writing?

Activity:
 Assessment writing assignment
 Hand out the assignment and have students write quietly.
 Student generated power point
 Previous to class period choose top 10 drawings, create a list of all
examples (in text) from students
 Hand out the list of possible examples
 Project 10 student created literal drawings have students write out:
1. Which example from the list it is
2. Classify type of figurative language
3. Explain why example is that type of figurative language in
terms of the definition.