Unit three/ Week 2

Theme and Figurative Language

Time: 6 days, 45 minutes per day.

Day 1: Introduce theme and figurative language

Day 2: Practice identifying themes and figurative language
Day 3: Vocab for Wonders story, Read introductory text
Day 4: Read main text (Weslandia), talk about genre, theme, figurative language, finish vocab.
Day 5: Fifth grade response, introduce prompt, text evidence, write response
Day 6: Finish response/test
*Day 7: Test if test is not completed on day 6.

Day 1:
Write on the board. “I can determine the theme of a story.”
“I can also explain the difference between the main idea and the theme of a story”
Define:
Main idea: What the story or article is mostly about.
Theme: An author’s overall idea or message about life or human nature; moral.
A story’s theme is not often directly stated so we as the readers need to use context clues to
figure it out.
One way to help us determine the theme of a story is by using a graphic organizer that looks
something like this:
Draw:
Main character (the Philo
boy who invented tv)

Main problem (idea) Inventing the TV

Solution He worked hard and overcame his challenges, never gave up

Theme If you work hard and never give up, anything is possible

Evidence Pg. 81 “Philo hit upon a way to work 24 hours a day: he set himself
problems to solve while sleeping.”
Pg. 82 “Thanks to him, the future would include TV.”

Have students read “The Hen and the Apple Tree:

Label a graphic organizer:
 Main character (The Hen or Wolf
Hen and the Apple
Tree)

Main problem/ idea Hen is suspicious of this new apple tree growing.
The wolf is hungry.

Solution Hen asks questions to determine if it is really an apple tree.

The wolf tries to convince or persuade Hen that he is just an apple
tree so she’ll get close enough for him to eat her.

Theme Awareness
Safety
Persuasion

Evidence “I have never seen a tree that has ten furry toes”
“I have never seen a tree with two long, pointed ears.”
“There are some of us that grow fast… Hen, come outside and eat
one of my delicious apples.”

If there is time, have students read “The Ducks and the Fox” and determine the theme in table
groups.

Day 2:

Yesterday we talked about how to identify the theme of a story. Today we are going to talk more
about story structure but this time we are going to focus on something called figurative
language.

The simplest way to describe figurative language is to say that it is a literary device that creates
a mental image and not a literal one. It’s used to create something called imagery.

Have students take notes:

Imagery- words that create a mental image; may include all five senses.

Six types of figurative language

Simile- Compares two unlike things using like, as or than.

Ex: The parents were as angry as a wolf when their children stole their car.
Metaphor- Compares two unlike things; does NOT use like, as or than.

Ex: During the summer, it is an oven in my house.

Personification- Gives human qualities to a non-living object, plant, or animal (anything that is
not human).

Ex: The television screamed in the living room.

Hyperbole- Extreme exaggeration

Ex: She is 1 million years old.

Idioms- A common phrase or saying that is not meant to be taken literally.

Ex: When the girl revealed her friends secret, she spilled the beans.

Onomatopoeia- Words that refer to a sound.

Ex: Boom! Crash! Sizzle. Screech.

Guided practice, Think/Pair/Share

Identify the figurative language being used:

1. Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

2. I’m as busy as a bee.
3. Swish! The ball dropped smoothly through the hoop.
4. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
5. I’m going to call it a night.
6. My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning.

Read the first half of Daffodils

Work with the class to identify the figurative language and why the author chose to use it in the
poem.
Have class work on My Big Brother Donnie together.

Day 3:
Do the vocab with the kids from page T78 in Wonders teacher edition.
Talk about the fantasy genre.

The setting of a fantasy is made-up, or imagined.

A fantasy tells about characters that could not exist and events that could not happen in real life.
A fantasy may include sensory language and figurative language such as personification.
Does anyone remember what personification is?

Tell students to turn to page 180 in Wonders. Read essential question.

Read Survivaland.
Point out any figurative language like personification.
Talk about how learning about nature can be useful.
Talk about the theme.

**Do you want them to have some sort of writing assignment here for Survivaland?

Day 4:
Finish any vocabulary.
Review yesterday’s theme.
Read Weslandia.
Talk about genre (fantasy)
Essential question
Identify character features of Wesley to help with theme.
Ask some comprehensive questions from page T89C.
Ask “What important decision to Wesley make since he feels like such an outcast?”
What key details tell us that this story is a fantasy?
Talk about any figurative language
Complete a graphic organizer to help identify the theme of this story.

Main character

Main problem/ idea

Solution

Theme

Evidence
Day 5:
Fifth grade response

Day 6:
Test