Lesson plan
Simile for Me!
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify and use different similes.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Use sticky notes to poll the class using the following prompt: "What is a simile?"
- Have students volunteer to share their thoughts.
- Write a simile on the board, e.g. "She is as blind as a bat."
- You can also use any examples from the Easy as Pie worksheet.
- Tell students that similes are analogies that compare two things using "like" or "as."
- Have students identify the meaning of the analogy. (She can’t see very well.)
- Explain to students that in this lesson, they will identify and create similes and explain their meanings.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Write another example of a simile on the board, e.g. "It's as easy as 1-2-3."
- You can also use any examples from the Easy as Pie worksheet.
- Advise students that an "as ___ as ___" analogy should follow the following format: "as + (adjective) + as + (noun)."
- Have students identify the adjective (easy), noun (123), and meaning of the analogy (It's very easy).
- Have students create an analogy using "like" and write it on the board. One example is "I slept like a log."
- Advise students that when using a "___ like ___" analogy should follow the following format: "(verb) + like + (noun)."
- Have students identify the verb, noun and meaning of the analogy that have been listed on the board.
- Advise students that they just created similes.
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Go through the examples on the Similes For Kids worksheet.
- Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the worksheet.
Independent working time
(20 minutes)- Have students complete the Clear as Crystal worksheet independently.
- Tell them that, in addition to following the sheet's instructions, they must also circle the adjective and write the meaning of the analogy next to each sentence.
- Collect and correct students' worksheets once they're done. Assess their understanding based on their responses.
Differentiation
- Enrichment: Challenge advanced students to create an illustrated ABC book for grades of similes for every letter of the alphabet.
- Support: Have struggling students complete the Scrambled Similes worksheet with you or a partner. This worksheet includes a word bank that could be helpful for them.
Assessment
(10 minutes)- Allow volunteers to share what they wrote for the meanings of different similes.
Review and closing
(10 minutes)- Have each student share the following: three things she learned today, two things she has questions about, and one thing from the lesson that she'll use later on.