Lesson plan
Poetry: Figurative Language
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify some of the different types of figurative language in poetry.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(5 minutes)
- Introduce Emily Dickinson and give a quick history of her as a poet.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Review some different types of figurative language.
- Point out that there are three important types to think about for the poem you're about to read: personification (speaking of something non-human as though it were human), simile (comparing something to something else using "like" or "as"), and metaphor (comparing something to something else by saying it is that thing).
Guided Practice
(20 minutes)- Display "The Moon Was But a Chin of Gold" using the document camera and projector. Distribute copies of it to the class.
- Read the poem aloud.
- Each time you come across figurative language, underline it and ask students to identify what type of figurative language it is.
- Students should underline it on their sheet as well.
Independent working time
(10 minutes)- After finding all the instances of figurative language, read the poem again without stopping.
- Ask students, "Is the poem really about a moon, or can it represent something else in life?"
- Have them answer the two questions on the second page of the worksheet.
Differentiation
Support:
- Pull struggling students aside during Independent Working Time to review the different types of figurative language.
Enrichment:
- Advanced students can be challenged to write another stanza for the poem. If all students are advanced, you can allow them to find the figurative language in the poem independently.
Assessment
(10 minutes)- Have students share their answers to the questions on the second page.
- Assess students based on how well they understood the poem's content.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Review the definitions of personification, simile, and metaphor.
Related Guided Lesson
Based on your interest in Poetry: Figurative Language.
Figurative Language
Related learning resources
Poetry: Figurative Language
Lesson plan
Poetry: Figurative Language
This literary lesson has students delving into Emily Dickinson's "The Moon was but a Chin of Gold" to find different types of figurative language.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Figurative Language
Workbook
Figurative Language
Descriptive language and metaphoric phrases take the spotlight in this workbook. Kids use new vocabulary and common phrases to tackle writing skills.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Workbook
Fall Figurative Language Task Cards
Worksheet
Fall Figurative Language Task Cards
Ideal for fourth and fifth graders, this worksheet includes figurative language examples and definitions on the first page, and a second full page of questions and tasks that can be used to check for understanding
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Oxymoron
Lesson plan
Oxymoron
Your students will find their lack of knowledge growing smaller after this teacher-approved figurative language lesson.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
