The Power of Words: Exploring Narrative and Information · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

Creating Imagery with Similes and Metaphors

Active learning works well for figurative language because students need to physically engage with comparisons to move beyond memorization. When they manipulate words and images, they experience how metaphors and similes create meaning, not just describe it. This tactile and visual approach helps bridge the gap between abstract concepts and concrete understanding.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Reading
• NCCA: Primary - Writing

• 15–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Picture to Metaphor

Place interesting photos (e.g., a gnarled tree, a stormy sea) around the room. Students move in pairs to write one simile and one metaphor for each image on a shared poster.

Explain how comparing two unlike things helps us see an object in a new way.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, circulate with a clipboard to listen for students describing the 'feeling' behind the metaphors, not just the literal image.

What to look for

Provide students with a short poem excerpt. Ask them to identify one simile and one metaphor. Then, have them write one sentence explaining the image created by each and one sentence describing the emotion it evokes.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 20 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Metaphor Mystery Box

Groups are given an object (e.g., a clock, a feather). They must brainstorm five things it is *like* (similes) and then three things it *is* (metaphors), presenting their best one to the class.

Differentiate what makes a metaphor more impactful than a literal description.

Facilitation Tip

In The Metaphor Mystery Box, model how to test each object by asking, 'What does this remind me of?' to guide their thinking.

What to look for

Present students with a series of sentences. Some are literal descriptions, others use similes, and others use metaphors. Ask students to label each sentence as 'literal', 'simile', or 'metaphor' and briefly explain why for one example of each type.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Emotion Imagery

Give students an emotion like 'anger' or 'calm.' Pairs must come up with a color, a sound, and a weather event that represents that feeling, creating a mini-metaphor poem.

Analyze how poets use imagery to evoke specific emotions in the reader.

Facilitation Tip

For Emotion Imagery, pair students who tend to dominate with quieter peers to ensure all voices contribute to the discussion.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How does a poet's choice between a simile and a metaphor change the reader's understanding of the subject?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share examples and justify their reasoning, focusing on the directness and impact of each form.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete examples before abstract rules. Use images and objects to ground comparisons in sensory experience, then connect those experiences to the emotional or thematic ideas in poetry. Avoid over-explaining; instead, let students discover patterns through guided practice. Research shows that students grasp figurative language better when they first identify it in context, then analyze its effects, rather than memorizing definitions upfront.

By the end of these activities, students should confidently identify and create both similes and metaphors, explaining how each type of figurative language builds imagery. They should also describe the emotions or qualities these comparisons reveal, moving from simple recognition to thoughtful interpretation. Success looks like students using their own comparisons in writing or discussion, not just labeling examples.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students treating metaphors as 'lies' because they don't match reality. Redirect them by asking, 'What feeling does this comparison create?' to shift focus from truth to emotion.

  During the Gallery Walk, ask students to hold up a picture of a literal object next to the metaphor, then describe how the metaphor changes their understanding of the object. For example, a 'volcano' head isn’t a real volcano, but it shows the intensity of the person’s anger.

• During the Sentence Sorting activity, watch for students calling every comparison a simile because it uses 'like' or 'as'. Redirect them by having them read each sentence aloud and decide if the comparison is direct (metaphor) or indirect (simile).

  During the Sentence Sorting activity, give students two colors of sticky notes. One color for similes, one for metaphors. Have them physically move sentences to the correct category while explaining why each fits.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share