Language Arts · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Figurative Language in Vocabulary

Active learning works for figurative language because students need to test meanings in context, not just memorize definitions. When they decode idioms with peers or build analogies together, they move from passive recognition to active construction of meaning, which research shows deepens retention and application.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5.A

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs: Idiom Hunt and Decode

Provide pairs with texts containing idioms from Canadian and global sources. Partners identify idioms, infer meanings from context, research origins using devices, then rewrite sentences literally. Pairs share one decoded idiom with the class.

Analyze how idioms and analogies contribute to the richness of language.

Facilitation Tip

During Idiom Hunt and Decode, circulate with a list of idiom cards to challenge pairs who finish early with regional variations like 'take a rain check' versus 'hold the fort'.

What to look for

Provide students with two idioms and one complex concept. Ask them to write a short paragraph explaining the meaning of each idiom and then construct an original analogy to explain the complex concept.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Analogy Construction Relay

In small groups, students draw a complex concept like photosynthesis. Each member adds to an analogy chain, such as comparing it to a factory. Groups refine and present their complete analogy, explaining comparisons.

Explain the cultural context necessary to understand certain idiomatic expressions.

Facilitation Tip

In Analogy Construction Relay, provide sentence frames like 'A _____ is to _____ as a _____ is to _____' to keep the structure visible for all groups.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'When is it more effective to use an idiom versus a literal explanation, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share examples and justify their reasoning, referencing specific contexts.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 30 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Cultural Idiom Gallery Walk

Post idiom cards from diverse cultures around the room. Students walk, note interpretations, discuss variations in small huddles, then vote on most surprising. Debrief as a class on cultural influences.

Construct original analogies that effectively explain complex concepts.

Facilitation Tip

For Cultural Idiom Gallery Walk, post idioms with blank spaces for cultural notes so students physically annotate their observations as they move.

What to look for

Present students with a short text containing several idioms. Ask them to identify the idioms and provide a literal interpretation for each. Then, ask them to identify one analogy and explain what two things are being compared.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Personal Analogy Creator

Students select an emotion or process, craft three original analogies, then pair to exchange and refine based on clarity and originality. Compile into a class analogy anthology.

Analyze how idioms and analogies contribute to the richness of language.

Facilitation Tip

Set a two-minute timer for Personal Analogy Creator to prevent overthinking, reminding students that rough drafts often clarify thinking more than polished ones.

What to look for

Provide students with two idioms and one complex concept. Ask them to write a short paragraph explaining the meaning of each idiom and then construct an original analogy to explain the complex concept.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach figurative language by treating it as a puzzle rather than a list. Avoid over-explaining; instead, let students wrestle with ambiguity through guided discovery. Research suggests that when students create their own analogies, they internalize the structure better than when they analyze pre-made ones. Model think-alouds to show your own confusion first, then resolution, normalizing the struggle with nuanced language.

Successful learning looks like students explaining idioms accurately through context clues, constructing analogies with clear structural parallels, and recognizing how cultural background shapes interpretation. They should comfortably distinguish figurative from literal language and justify their reasoning with evidence from texts or discussions.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Idiom Hunt and Decode, watch for students assuming idioms always mean exactly what the words suggest literally.

  Provide idiom cards with both literal and figurative meanings, and ask pairs to sort them into ‘literal’ and ‘figurative’ columns before explaining their choices to the class.

• During Analogy Construction Relay, watch for students treating analogies as loose comparisons without clear structure.

  Give each group a checklist with three points: ‘Identify the two things being compared’, ‘State the shared relationship’, and ‘Explain why this relationship matters’, and require them to revise if any point is missing.

• During Cultural Idiom Gallery Walk, watch for students believing figurative language belongs only in literature.

  Include a station with idioms from everyday contexts like sports or weather reports, and ask students to find examples from their own lives to post alongside the gallery items.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Carousel Brainstorm