Language Arts · Grade 5

Active learning ideas

Figurative Language: Similes & Metaphors

Active learning works for figurative language because students need to see, hear, and manipulate examples to truly grasp how similes and metaphors shape meaning. When they edit their own writing in context, they connect grammar rules to the purpose of their sentences, not just correctness.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5.A

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

Activity 01

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• 30 min · Pairs

Simile and Metaphor Sort

Provide students with a list of sentences. In pairs, they sort each sentence into 'Simile,' 'Metaphor,' or 'Literal.' Then, they discuss why each sentence fits its category.

Explain why authors use metaphors to describe abstract feelings.

Facilitation Tip

For 'The Tense Timeline', assign each station a specific verb tense to focus on, then have students rotate with a tracking sheet to record examples they find in mentor texts.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

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• 40 min · Small Groups

Emotion Metaphor Match-Up

Prepare cards with emotions (e.g., anger, joy, fear) and separate cards with metaphorical phrases (e.g., a storm inside, a bubbling fountain, a cold shadow). Students work in small groups to match emotions with fitting metaphors and explain their choices.

Compare and contrast the effect of a simile versus a metaphor in a sentence.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

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• 25 min · Individual

Figurative Description Challenge

Present students with a common object or scene. Individually, they write two sentences describing it, one using a simile and one using a metaphor. They then share their descriptions with the class.

Construct a sentence using a simile or metaphor to describe an emotion.

• Remember
• Understand
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach figurative language by embedding it in real writing tasks, not worksheets. They model how authors use similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery and emotional impact, then guide students to try these techniques in their own work. Avoid over-teaching definitions in isolation; focus instead on how the language functions in context.

Successful learning looks like students confidently revising their writing to add figurative language, explain their choices, and discuss how these choices affect the reader's experience. They should also self-correct their verb tense and punctuation to improve clarity.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Sentence Surgeon activity, watch for students who erase figurative language thinking it's a 'mistake.'

  Use the activity to highlight how figurative language adds style and power. Ask students to keep their original sentences but add a new layer, comparing which version feels more engaging.

• During the Punctuation Power-Up activity, watch for students who believe longer sentences are always better.

  Have peers read aloud both versions of a sentence, one long and one revised with shorter clauses. Ask students to note which version feels clearer and more enjoyable to hear.

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Methods used in this brief

• Graffiti Wall