English · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Exploring Similes and Metaphors

Active learning helps Year 2 students grasp similes and metaphors by engaging them in hands-on tasks that make abstract comparisons concrete. When students create their own figurative language, they move from identifying comparisons to understanding their purpose and power in writing.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E2LA08

• 20–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Poem Hunt: Simile Spotters

Read a short poem aloud as a class. In pairs, students reread and underline similes using 'like' or 'as'. Pairs share one example and draw what it helps them picture. Conclude with a class chart of favourites.

Can you find a simile in the poem that uses the word 'like' or 'as'?

Facilitation Tip

During Poem Hunt: Simile Spotters, model aloud how you locate and think about similes in a poem before letting students work in pairs.

What to look for

Provide students with a short poem. Ask them to circle all the similes they find and write one sentence explaining what two things are being compared in one of the similes.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Metaphor Match-Up

Prepare cards with metaphors on one set and matching pictures or definitions on another. Small groups spread cards face down and take turns matching, discussing why they fit. Groups present top matches to class.

How does a simile help you picture something in your mind?

Facilitation Tip

For Metaphor Match-Up, prepare matching cards with metaphors on one side and literal descriptions on the other to clarify the difference.

What to look for

Present students with pairs of sentences. Ask them to identify which sentence contains a simile and which contains a metaphor. For example: 'The cloud was like a fluffy pillow.' vs. 'The cloud was a fluffy pillow.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Whole Class

Create: Personal Simile Chain

Whole class sits in a circle. Teacher models a simile about an animal. Each student adds one simile about their favourite place or pet, building a chain. Record on chart paper for display.

Can you make up your own simile to describe your favourite animal or place?

Facilitation Tip

When students create Personal Simile Chains, provide sentence stems like 'My dog’s bark sounds like...' to support struggling writers.

What to look for

Ask students: 'If I said, 'The classroom was a zoo today,' what do I mean? What is the classroom being compared to? How does this comparison help you understand how busy the classroom was?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Individual

Draw and Write: Metaphor Makers

Individually, students choose an object, write a metaphor for it, and draw to show the comparison. Swap with a partner for feedback on the image it creates. Display in classroom gallery.

Can you find a simile in the poem that uses the word 'like' or 'as'?

Facilitation Tip

During Draw and Write: Metaphor Makers, circulate and ask students to explain how their drawing matches the metaphor they wrote.

What to look for

Provide students with a short poem. Ask them to circle all the similes they find and write one sentence explaining what two things are being compared in one of the similes.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach similes and metaphors by first grounding them in familiar contexts, then gradually moving to more abstract examples. Avoid over-focusing on definitions; instead, emphasize how these tools enhance meaning and imagery. Research shows that children learn figurative language best when they create it themselves, so prioritize student-generated examples and discussions over worksheets.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing similes from metaphors, explaining how figurative language creates mental images, and applying these tools in their own writing. By the end of these activities, students should use similes and metaphors naturally to enhance descriptions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Poem Hunt: Simile Spotters, watch for students marking literal comparisons like 'The sky is like the sky' as similes.

  Use the sorting activity in small groups where students separate literal and figurative comparisons using provided poem examples, then discuss why only figurative ones are similes.

• During Game: Metaphor Match-Up, watch for students assuming metaphors mean the things are exactly the same.

  Have students pair metaphors with visuals (e.g., a picture of a storm with 'The day was a storm') and explain how the comparison suggests feeling, not identity, in a class discussion.

• During Draw and Write: Metaphor Makers, watch for students thinking figurative language has no real meaning.

  After they draw their metaphor (e.g., 'The playground was a jungle'), ask them to write a sentence explaining how the comparison helps the reader picture the scene.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Simulation Game