Metaphor and Meaning: Figurative Language

Active learning works well for figurative language because students need to wrestle with abstract ideas before they can truly grasp them. When students collaborate to map metaphors or discuss cultural symbols, they move from passive reading to active meaning-making, which builds deeper understanding.

• Year 5
• English
• 3 activities
• 20 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how specific metaphors in a poem create vivid imagery and convey abstract emotions.
2. Compare and contrast the use of explicit simile with implicit metaphor in selected Year 5 texts.
3. Explain the symbolic meaning of common objects or concepts within a given cultural context.
4. Create original metaphors to describe abstract concepts using concrete imagery.
5. Classify examples of figurative language as either metaphor or simile.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Metaphor Mapping

Give groups an abstract concept (like 'Friendship' or 'Fear'). They must brainstorm five concrete objects that could represent it and explain the connection (e.g., 'Friendship is a bridge because it connects two people'). They present their 'map' to the class.

Prepare & details

How does a metaphor allow a writer to describe something abstract in concrete terms?

Facilitation Tip: During Metaphor Mapping, circulate and ask guiding questions such as, ‘What emotions or images does this metaphor create for you?’ to push students beyond surface-level answers.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Simile vs. Metaphor Swap

Pairs take a list of similes (using 'like' or 'as') and rewrite them as direct metaphors. They then discuss which version feels 'stronger' or more 'poetic' and why, sharing their favorite transformation with the class.

Prepare & details

What is the difference between an explicit comparison and an implied one?

Facilitation Tip: For the Simile vs. Metaphor Swap, model think-alouds when comparing sentences to make the differences explicit before pairing students.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Cultural Symbols

Display images of symbols from various Asia-Pacific and First Nations cultures. Students move in groups to guess what each symbol might represent (e.g., water for life, a circle for community) before revealing the actual cultural meaning.

Prepare & details

How can symbols change meaning depending on the cultural context of the reader?

Facilitation Tip: In the Gallery Walk, set a timer for each station and remind students to note not just what a symbol means but why their interpretation might differ from others.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teach figurative language by grounding abstract concepts in concrete comparisons students can visualize. Avoid teaching metaphors and similes in isolation; instead, embed them in rich texts and discussions. Research shows that students grasp figurative language best when they see its purpose—how it deepens emotion, clarifies ideas, or creates imagery.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing between literal and figurative language and explaining how metaphors and symbols add layers of meaning. You’ll know students are progressing when they use figurative language in their own discussions and writing with purpose.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Metaphor Mapping, watch for students who label metaphors as ‘fancy words’ without explaining the new layers of meaning they add.

What to Teach Instead

After mapping metaphors, ask students to write a sentence explaining what the metaphor reveals about the subject. For example, if they map ‘time is a thief,’ they should explain that this metaphor suggests time takes things away without permission.

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk: Cultural Symbols, watch for students who assume symbols have universal meaning.

What to Teach Instead

During the Gallery Walk, have students jot down their interpretation and then compare it with a partner’s. Ask, ‘Why might someone from a different culture see this symbol differently?’ to highlight the culture-bound nature of symbols.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Collaborative Investigation: Metaphor Mapping, give students a short poem. Ask them to identify one metaphor, write it down, and then explain in one sentence what abstract idea it represents using concrete terms.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share: Simile vs. Metaphor Swap, present students with two sentences: ‘The internet is a highway’ and ‘The internet is like a highway.’ Ask them to explain the difference in how these sentences compare the internet to a highway and identify which is a metaphor and which is a simile.

Quick Check

After Gallery Walk: Cultural Symbols, display images of common symbols (e.g., a dove, a heart, a national flag). Ask students to write what each symbol represents and then explain how cultural context might influence its meaning.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to rewrite a literal sentence as both a metaphor and a simile, then compare which version better conveys the intended tone.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank of concrete nouns (e.g., rock, storm, candle) for students to use in creating their own metaphors.
• Deeper exploration: Have students research a cultural symbol from their own background and present how its meaning has shifted across time or cultures.

Key Vocabulary

Metaphor	A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, suggesting a resemblance without using 'like' or 'as'.
Simile	A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid, using 'like' or 'as'.
Symbolism	The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else.
Abstract Noun	A noun denoting an idea, quality, or state rather than a concrete object, such as 'happiness', 'freedom', or 'anger'.
Concrete Noun	A noun that can be perceived by one or more of the five senses, such as 'chair', 'music', or 'rain'.