Employing Descriptive and Figurative Language

Active learning works because figurative language is a skill that grows through practice and immediate feedback. When students speak, act, and draw, they test how words feel, sound, and look in real time. This sensory engagement helps them move from memorizing definitions to feeling the power of their own language.

• Foundation
• English
• 4 activities
• 15 min–30 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify examples of imagery, similes, metaphors, and personification in provided texts.
2. Explain how specific word choices create sensory details and evoke emotions in a reader.
3. Create a short narrative or poem using at least two different types of figurative language.
4. Compare the impact of a literal description versus a figurative description of the same object or event.

RAFT Writing

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Pairs: Simile Creation Chain

Pairs select everyday objects like a ball or flower. One student starts a simile with 'like' or 'as', the partner completes it, then they swap and create two more. Pairs share favourites with the class for a group vote on most vivid.

Prepare & details

Explain how the use of imagery appeal to the reader's senses and create a stronger connection to the text?

Facilitation Tip: During Simile Creation Chain, listen for the 'like' or 'as' in each student’s phrase and quietly point it out to reinforce correct structure.

Setup: Standard classroom seating, individual or paired desks

Materials: RAFT assignment card, Historical background brief, Writing paper or notebook, Sharing protocol instructions

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Personification Role-Play

Groups draw slips naming objects like wind or tree. Students act out personification by giving voices and movements to items, then write one sentence describing the action. Perform for other groups and discuss effects.

Prepare & details

Analyze the effect of metaphors and similes in conveying complex ideas or emotions.

Facilitation Tip: In Personification Role-Play, step in only if a group gets stuck, reminding them to name one human trait their object would 'do' or 'feel' in the moment.

Setup: Standard classroom seating, individual or paired desks

Materials: RAFT assignment card, Historical background brief, Writing paper or notebook, Sharing protocol instructions

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 15 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Sensory Imagery Pass

Pass a textured object around the circle. Each student adds one sensory description using imagery, building a class poem. Record on chart paper and reread to note vivid parts.

Prepare & details

Construct descriptive passages that effectively use figurative language to 'show, not tell'.

Facilitation Tip: For Sensory Imagery Pass, pause the chain after three passes to ask the class which senses were most active in the new sentence.

Setup: Standard classroom seating, individual or paired desks

Materials: RAFT assignment card, Historical background brief, Writing paper or notebook, Sharing protocol instructions

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 25 min·Individual

Individual: Metaphor Sketchbook

Students draw a simple scene like a playground. Label with three metaphors comparing elements to other things. Share sketches in pairs for peer compliments on creativity.

Prepare & details

Explain how the use of imagery appeal to the reader's senses and create a stronger connection to the text?

Facilitation Tip: With Metaphor Sketchbook, model how to underline the two parts of a metaphor and label them 'this' and 'is like that' before sketching.

Setup: Standard classroom seating, individual or paired desks

Materials: RAFT assignment card, Historical background brief, Writing paper or notebook, Sharing protocol instructions

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Start with short, shared writing where students co-create one example together. This models the process without overwhelming beginners. Avoid over-explaining; instead, let students discover how figurative language feels by revising their own literal sentences. Research shows that young writers benefit most when teachers model the struggle of choosing the right image, not just the final polished product.

What to Expect

Successful learning shows when students confidently create and explain their own similes, metaphors, and personifications. You will see them using sensory details naturally, discussing why certain phrases work, and revising their own writing to add vividness. Peer reactions and teacher prompts guide them toward precision in their choices.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Simile Creation Chain, watch for students who say 'The sky is like blue.'

What to Teach Instead

Gently pause and ask, 'Which word in your sentence shows the comparison word?' Then model adding 'as' or 'like' to complete the simile clearly.

Common Misconception

During Personification Role-Play, watch for students who only give human actions to people or animals.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt the group to choose one non-living object from the classroom and brainstorm two human qualities it could have, like 'The clock's hands tick impatiently.'

Common Misconception

During Sensory Imagery Pass, watch for students who list facts instead of creating sensory phrases.

What to Teach Instead

Hold up a prop like an apple and ask, 'What does it feel like? What does it smell like?' to guide their next phrase toward imagery.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Simile Creation Chain, display three sentences on the board, one with a simile, one with a metaphor, and one literal. Ask students to write in their notebooks which is which and explain one reason why.

Exit Ticket

During Personification Role-Play, give each group a sticky note to write one personification sentence they created. Collect these to see if each phrase gives a human trait to a non-human thing.

Discussion Prompt

After Sensory Imagery Pass, reread the final chain sentence aloud and ask, 'Which sensory word made the sentence most vivid? Why did that word stand out?' Have students turn and talk before sharing.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to create a two-sentence riddle using at least two types of figurative language; peers guess the answer.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters with blanks for the missing part of the simile or metaphor, such as 'The thunder was ______ a ______.'
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to find and bring in a short poem with figurative language, then share how it affects their understanding.

Key Vocabulary

Imagery	Language that appeals to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. It helps readers imagine what something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels like.
Simile	A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'The cloud was as fluffy as cotton candy'.
Metaphor	A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as', stating that one thing is another. For example, 'The classroom was a zoo'.
Personification	Giving human qualities or actions to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. For example, 'The wind whispered secrets through the trees'.