English · Class 6

Active learning ideas

Figurative Language Review: Simile, Metaphor, Personification

Active learning works for figurative language because these devices rely on creative interpretation. Students need to see how similes, metaphors, and personification transform plain sentences into vivid images. Movement and collaboration help them internalise these shifts in meaning more deeply than passive reading alone.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Literary Devices - Figurative Language - Class 6

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Trading Cards
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Device Identification Relay

Pair students and provide excerpts from poems or stories. One reads aloud while the partner identifies and explains similes, metaphors, or personification. Switch roles after two minutes, then discuss as a class. End with pairs creating one original example each.

How do different types of figurative language enhance a writer's message?

Facilitation Tip

During Device Identification Relay, ask students to justify their answers by reading the comparison aloud to their partner before moving on.

What to look for

Present students with three sentences: one simile, one metaphor, and one literal. Ask them to label each sentence with the correct figurative device or 'literal'. Then, ask them to identify the two things being compared in the figurative sentences.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Trading Cards
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Figurative Story Chain

In groups of four, students build a story sentence by sentence, each adding one simile, metaphor, or personification. Rotate who chooses the device. Groups read aloud and vote on the most vivid chain.

Compare the effects of simile and metaphor in creating vivid imagery.

Facilitation Tip

For Figurative Story Chain, remind groups to assign a recorder to note how each new sentence builds on the previous one using figurative language.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to write one sentence describing a rainy day using personification. Collect these to check for correct application of the device.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Trading Cards
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Imagery Gallery Walk

Students write three descriptive sentences using different devices on chart paper. Display around the room. Class walks, notes examples, and discusses effects on imagery. Vote for favourites and revise.

Construct sentences using various forms of figurative language to describe a scene.

Facilitation Tip

During Imagery Gallery Walk, place a timer of 2 minutes per station so students focus on identifying devices before moving to the next image.

What to look for

Display a short poem or prose excerpt containing examples of simile, metaphor, and personification. Ask students: 'Which example do you find most effective in creating a picture in your mind, and why? How does it differ from the other examples?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Trading Cards
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Scene Transformation

Students pick a plain scene description from a textbook. Rewrite it using at least two devices each for simile, metaphor, and personification. Share one with the class for feedback.

How do different types of figurative language enhance a writer's message?

Facilitation Tip

For Scene Transformation, provide a checklist of devices so students self-monitor their sentences before submitting.

What to look for

Present students with three sentences: one simile, one metaphor, and one literal. Ask them to label each sentence with the correct figurative device or 'literal'. Then, ask them to identify the two things being compared in the figurative sentences.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach figurative language by starting with concrete examples from students’ surroundings, like comparing a crowded bus to a sardine tin. Avoid long lectures on definitions; instead, use quick writes where students mimic the patterns they see. Research shows that students grasp these devices faster when they produce their own examples rather than just label given ones.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing similes from metaphors in under 30 seconds, spotting personification in everyday objects, and explaining how each device enhances a text’s emotional impact. They should also rewrite literal sentences using these devices with accuracy and flair.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Device Identification Relay, watch for students who label any comparison as a metaphor.

  Pause the relay after each pair and ask them to underline the words 'like' or 'as' if present, then circle the two things being compared to reinforce the difference.

• During Figurative Story Chain, watch for groups who limit personification to nature or animals.

  Hand each group a list of non-living objects (e.g., 'traffic light', 'calculator', 'textbook') and instruct them to include one in their chain using personification.

• During Imagery Gallery Walk, watch for students who dismiss literal sentences as 'wrong' when figurative language is used.

  Ask students to label each example as either 'figurative' or 'literal', then compare what changes when they switch devices in a peer discussion.

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Methods used in this brief

• Trading Cards