Similes
A simile is a comparison between two things using like and as. Similes are often used in poems to emphasize a point.
Examples
He ran as fast as a cheetah.
My hair looks like flowing ocean waves at midnight.
My hands are as rough as skin of a crocodile.
Simile Lesson Plan
Activity 1
Pick random things in the class and model to students how to create a simile with a specific object.
The chair is as strong as Superman.
Her lips are as red as cherries.
Ask students to find 3 items and write a simile to describe it. Students can work with a partner or solo. After students have written their simile, let them share them with the class.
Activity 2
Read a poem that is filled with similes to the class. Give the poem to the class and ask students to highlight the similes in the poem. Students are able to find the similes with the clue words like and as. Students should underline the part of the sentence compares the object. Correct this orally with the class.
Activity 3
Give students a worksheet to complete the sentences using a simile. The teacher may decide to fill in either blanks or leave them both blank. As well, the teacher should provide sentences with like and as.
This is a great opportunity to have a mini lesson on descriptive language and how they create pictures in the mind. Also, the teacher may have a chart of descriptive language for a reference for the students.
For this worksheet students should all have a thesaurus to aid in their formation of descriptive language.
Her teeth were as ___________ as ___________
Her teeth were as white as snowflakes.
Correct with the class and have students share their answers. The teacher may write all the responses on chart paper. The teacher writes the statement at the bottom of the page, and records the answers.
Activity 4
After students have a grasp of a simile, they will describe themselves or a partner.
Students will draw a picture of themselves portrait or full size and write 3-5 sentences describing themselves using descriptive language and similes.
Students will not share their information with the rest of the class. The teacher will collect all of the assignments. After, the teacher will read the paragraphs and the students will have to guess who it is based on the information.
Bulletin Board Idea
Teacher places the short poems with the student’s portrait on the bulletin board. The teacher will have the students place a piece of paper over the portrait to create a flap. On parents night, the parents can guess which is their child based on the descriptions. This interactive bulletin board is a good way to start communication with the parents and teacher.
Debbie DeSpirt - Debbie DeSpirt is an Elementary Teacher for the York Catholic District School Board in Ontario, Canada. Her post secondary education ...
