English Language Arts · 6th Grade · Poetic Voices: Language and Meaning · Weeks 28-36

Writing with Figurative Language

Students will practice incorporating various types of figurative language into their own creative writing.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.d
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.5.a

About This Topic

Writing with figurative language asks students to do something harder than identifying a simile in someone else's text: they must generate their own original comparisons, personifications, and extended metaphors that are both accurate and evocative. Under CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.d, students use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. Under L.6.5.a, they interpret figurative language in context. The writing application of this standard moves students from passive recognition to active craft.

Students at this level often default to clichéd figurative language (as cold as ice, heart of gold) because familiar comparisons feel safe. The productive challenge is helping them see that a fresh, specific metaphor communicates more precisely than a worn one. A simile that compares anxiety to 'a phone battery stuck at 3%' lands more vividly for many sixth graders than 'butterflies in my stomach.'

Active learning is especially valuable here because figurative language is a creative act that benefits from immediate audience response. When students share a newly crafted metaphor with a partner and the partner says 'I see exactly what you mean,' that confirmation validates the writer's creative choice in a way that a teacher's checkmark cannot.

Key Questions

1. Design a metaphor that effectively conveys a complex emotion.
2. Construct a descriptive paragraph using at least three different types of figurative language.
3. Critique the effectiveness of figurative language in a peer's writing.

Learning Objectives

• Design an original metaphor to represent a specific abstract concept or emotion.
• Construct a paragraph that incorporates at least three distinct types of figurative language to create a vivid scene.
• Critique the effectiveness of figurative language used by a peer, offering specific suggestions for improvement.
• Analyze how word choice and figurative language contribute to the overall meaning and tone of a short narrative.
• Generate similes and personification that are fresh and avoid common clichés.

Before You Start

Identifying Literary Devices

Why: Students need to be able to recognize examples of figurative language before they can effectively create their own.

Descriptive Writing Techniques

Why: Understanding how to use sensory details and precise vocabulary is foundational for applying figurative language effectively.

Key Vocabulary

Figurative Language	Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation, used to make writing more interesting or impactful.
Metaphor	A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, suggesting a resemblance without using 'like' or 'as'.
Simile	A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid, using 'like' or 'as'.
Personification	The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.
Imagery	Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work, that appeals to the senses.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

More figurative language is always better.

What to Teach Instead

Overloading a paragraph with back-to-back similes, metaphors, and personification produces confusion rather than clarity. Strong figurative writing is selective: each device earns its place by clarifying or intensifying something specific. Analyzing published poems and paragraphs where figurative language is used sparingly but powerfully helps students calibrate their choices.

Common Misconception

A figurative expression can mean anything the writer wants.

What to Teach Instead

Effective figurative language works because the comparison is grounded in a real, recognizable relationship between two things. A metaphor that the reader cannot follow fails to communicate. Teaching students to test their figurative expressions on a peer before committing to them catches comparisons that do not land.

Common Misconception

Simile and metaphor are interchangeable.

What to Teach Instead

While both make comparisons, similes use 'like' or 'as' to signal the comparison explicitly while metaphors assert the equivalence directly. The difference is not just grammatical: metaphors tend to feel more assertive and immediate, while similes often feel more tentative or illustrative. Having students rewrite the same idea as both a simile and a metaphor, then compare the effect, makes this distinction concrete.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: Metaphor Speed Round

Present students with five abstract concepts (fear, hope, boredom, belonging, change). Students have two minutes to write a metaphor for each, aiming for originality over perfection. Pairs share their best one and explain why they chose that comparison. The class votes on the most surprising or effective metaphor from each pair, then discusses what makes the winning comparisons work.

20 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Figurative Language Upgrade

Groups receive a flat, literal paragraph describing a scene or emotion. Their task is to rewrite it using at least four different types of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole) without changing the essential information. Groups then compare their versions and evaluate which figurative choices are most effective and why.

35 min·Small Groups

Writing Workshop: Cliche Replacement Lab

Provide a list of ten common clichéd expressions. Students work individually to replace each with an original figurative expression that communicates the same idea in a fresher way. They then share their replacements with a partner who rates each on a scale of 1-3 for originality and effectiveness, with a brief justification for each rating.

30 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Peer Critique of Figurative Paragraphs

Students post their descriptive paragraphs that incorporate figurative language. During the walk, peers use a star-and-question sticky note system: a star for the most effective figurative expression and a question asking the writer to explain one choice. Writers review the responses and write a brief reflection on which feedback they found most useful.

35 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Songwriters frequently use metaphors and similes to express complex emotions and create memorable lyrics that resonate with listeners. For example, a songwriter might compare heartbreak to a shattered mirror to convey the feeling of being broken into pieces.
• Advertising copywriters employ figurative language to make products appealing and relatable. A car commercial might describe a smooth ride as 'gliding on air,' using a simile to suggest comfort and effortlessness.
• Journalists and authors use descriptive language and comparisons to make their stories more engaging for readers. A feature article about a bustling city might personify the buildings as 'reaching for the sky' to capture the urban energy.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with a short paragraph containing several examples of figurative language. Ask them to identify each instance, label the type of figurative language used (simile, metaphor, personification), and explain what it means in their own words.

Peer Assessment

Students exchange paragraphs they have written that incorporate figurative language. Provide a checklist for peer reviewers: Did the writer use at least two different types of figurative language? Is the figurative language clear and easy to understand? Does it make the writing more interesting? Peers provide one specific suggestion for revision.

Exit Ticket

Ask students to write one original metaphor that describes their current mood or a feeling they have experienced. They should also write one sentence explaining why they chose that particular comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does active learning help students write better figurative language?

Writing original figurative language requires students to take creative risks, and active learning creates low-stakes conditions for that risk-taking. Speed rounds with partners, peer rating activities, and group upgrade exercises give students immediate feedback on whether their figurative choices landed with a real audience. That audience response is the most direct indicator of whether a metaphor or simile is working.

How do I help 6th graders move beyond clichéd figurative language?

Start by naming the problem: explain that clichés feel automatic precisely because they have been heard so many times that they no longer create a picture. Then give students practice replacing specific clichés with original alternatives. Encouraging students to draw from their own experiences, interests, and observations produces the freshest comparisons because they are writing from genuine knowledge.

What types of figurative language should 6th graders include in creative writing?

At minimum, students should work with simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole, which are the types most explicitly addressed in the 6th grade standards. Sensory imagery, alliteration, and onomatopoeia extend the toolkit. The goal is not to check off types but to choose devices that serve the specific effect the writer is trying to create.

How do I assess figurative language in student writing fairly?

Assess on three dimensions: accuracy (does the comparison make sense?), originality (is it fresh rather than clichéd?), and effect (does it strengthen the piece?). A rubric that addresses all three prevents students from receiving full credit for technically correct but ineffective figurative language, and helps them understand that craft is about communication, not just compliance.