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.

• 3rd Year
• The Power of Words: Exploring Narrative and Information
• 3 activities
• 15 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how specific word choices in similes and metaphors create vivid sensory experiences for the reader.
2. Compare the emotional impact of a metaphor to that of a literal description in a given poetic excerpt.
3. Create original similes and metaphors to describe common objects or emotions, focusing on unexpected comparisons.
4. Explain the function of figurative language in transforming abstract concepts into concrete images.
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of a poet's similes and metaphors in conveying a particular theme or mood.

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.

Prepare & details

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.

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

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

⏱ 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.

Prepare & details

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.

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

Teaching This Topic

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.

What to Expect

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.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

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.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

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).

What to Teach Instead

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.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Gallery Walk, provide students with a short poem excerpt. Ask them to identify one simile and one metaphor, then write one sentence explaining the image created by each and one sentence describing the emotion it evokes.

Quick Check

During The Metaphor Mystery Box, present students with a series of sentences from the activity. Ask them to label each as 'literal', 'simile', or 'metaphor' and briefly explain why for one example of each type.

Discussion Prompt

After the Emotion Imagery Think-Pair-Share, 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.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to rewrite a literal sentence from a poem as both a simile and a metaphor, then explain which version feels more vivid to them.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters like 'Her smile was as bright as...' or 'The storm was a...' to help struggling students begin.
• Deeper: Have students find metaphors in song lyrics or advertisements, then compare how poets and advertisers use figurative language for different purposes.

Key Vocabulary

simile	A figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually introduced by 'like' or 'as'.
metaphor	A figure of speech that directly equates two different things without using 'like' or 'as', suggesting a likeness or analogy.
imagery	The use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create mental pictures for the reader.
figurative language	Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation, such as similes and metaphors.