English · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Figurative Language in Narratives

Active learning lets students experience figurative language firsthand, turning abstract comparisons into memorable moments. When Year 5 students move, discuss, and create together, they build lasting understanding of how similes, metaphors, and personification shape narrative voice and imagery.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• NC-PoS-English-KS2-Reading-Comprehension-2d
• NC-PoS-English-KS2-Writing-Composition-2a

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Simile Creation Relay

Pairs brainstorm similes for five everyday objects, like a stormy sea. One partner writes the first half, the other completes it with 'like' or 'as'. They swap roles three times, then read aloud to the class for votes on the most vivid.

Analyze how a metaphor provides a deeper level of meaning than a literal description.

Facilitation Tip

For the Simile Creation Relay, provide a timer and a set of starter phrases to keep energy high and reduce wait time between turns.

What to look for

Provide students with three sentences: one with a simile, one with a metaphor, and one with personification. Ask them to identify the type of figurative language used in each sentence and explain what is being compared or described.

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Metaphor Hunt and Match

Provide narrative excerpts with hidden metaphors. Groups underline them, discuss deeper meanings, and match to literal descriptions. Each group creates one new metaphor and justifies why it avoids clichés.

Evaluate what makes a comparison effective versus a cliché.

Facilitation Tip

During the Metaphor Hunt, circulate with a checklist to note which pairs need support in distinguishing implicit and explicit comparisons.

What to look for

Students write a short paragraph describing a setting using at least one simile, one metaphor, and one instance of personification. They then swap paragraphs with a partner. Partners identify the figurative language used and offer one suggestion for making a comparison more original or effective.

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

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Personification Charades

Students act out personified objects or weather from a story, like 'angry waves crashing'. Class guesses and writes sentences using the device. Follow with a shared narrative where everyone contributes one line.

Explain how personification can give inanimate objects a sense of agency in a story.

Facilitation Tip

Use a drumroll or timer for Personification Charades to signal shifts in energy and maintain focus during dramatic responses.

What to look for

Present students with a list of phrases. Ask them to circle the clichés and rewrite them using fresh, original comparisons. For example, if 'as busy as a bee' is listed, they might rewrite it as 'She moved with the frantic energy of a hummingbird'.

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Descriptive Rewrite

Students select a plain paragraph from a familiar story. They rewrite it using one simile, one metaphor, and one personification. Share revisions in a gallery walk for peer feedback.

Analyze how a metaphor provides a deeper level of meaning than a literal description.

What to look for

Provide students with three sentences: one with a simile, one with a metaphor, and one with personification. Ask them to identify the type of figurative language used in each sentence and explain what is being compared or described.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach figurative language through layered practice: start with clear definitions and modeled examples, then move to guided identification before independent creation. Avoid isolated worksheets; instead, embed practice in story contexts so students see purpose. Research shows that embodied and collaborative tasks deepen comprehension more than rote exercises.

Students will confidently distinguish similes from metaphors, recognize personification in context, and revise clichés with fresh comparisons. Success shows when learners explain their choices and apply techniques in new writing with originality.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Simile Creation Relay, watch for students who confuse similes with metaphors by adding 'like' or 'as' to a direct comparison.

  Pause the relay and display two columns: one with similes using 'like' or 'as', one with metaphors making direct comparisons. Have students highlight the structure in examples and rewrite one metaphor as a simile to clarify the difference.

• During Metaphor Hunt and Match, watch for students who treat clichés as effective metaphors because they are familiar.

  After the hunt, bring the class together to underline clichés in their matched phrases. Ask each pair to rewrite one cliché with a fresh comparison, then share with the group. Emphasize that originality strengthens imagery.

• During Personification Charades, watch for students who limit personification to speech or talking objects.

  During the debrief, ask students to act out human traits like 'hesitation' or 'excitement' through objects. Then compare their performances to see how personification builds tension beyond dialogue.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk