English Language Arts · 7th Grade

Active learning ideas

Writing Poetry: Using Figurative Language

Active learning works for figurative language because students need to experience the tension between precision and creativity firsthand. When they struggle to craft a metaphor that actually fits, they see why quantity doesn’t replace quality. Through structured activities, they move from recognizing figurative language to owning it in their own writing.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.d
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5

• 25–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Constructing Original Metaphors

Students receive a list of abstract concepts (grief, courage, boredom, anticipation) and must write one original metaphor or simile for each that they haven't heard before. Partners share their constructions and identify the most surprising or precise comparison. The class collects the strongest examples to use as mentor texts for their own poems.

Construct a metaphor that creates a surprising and insightful comparison.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, have students first write a literal sentence about an object before crafting a metaphor, so they feel the contrast in their own words.

What to look for

Present students with a short poem or stanza. Ask them to identify one example of a metaphor, one simile, and one instance of imagery. Then, have them write one sentence explaining the effect of the imagery.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 35 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Sensory Image Map

Small groups choose a single subject (a storm, a crowded hallway, a fading sunset) and brainstorm specific sensory details for each of the five senses. Each group writes a stanza using at least three sense-based images, aiming for language that is concrete and specific rather than generic. Groups share and peer-evaluate for vividness.

How can a writer use sensory details to create vivid and memorable imagery in a poem?

Facilitation Tip

For the Sensory Image Map, provide colored pencils so students can visually group sensory details before drafting lines of poetry.

What to look for

Students exchange poems they have drafted. Using a checklist, they identify at least two examples of figurative language used by their partner. They then write one specific suggestion for how one of these examples could be made more original or impactful.

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

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Generic vs. Specific Figurative Language

Post paired stanzas around the room -- one using generic figurative language, one using original and specific language on the same subject. Students annotate each pair with their analysis of why one is more effective. Discussion focuses on what makes specific language work: precision, surprise, and concrete detail.

Evaluate the impact of different figurative language choices on the reader's emotional response.

Facilitation Tip

In the Gallery Walk, ask students to post sticky notes next to examples they think are effective, then discuss which devices actually add meaning.

What to look for

Ask students to write a single sentence that uses personification to describe a common object (e.g., a clock, a tree, a computer). Then, have them write a second sentence that creates an original metaphor for a feeling (e.g., happiness, frustration).

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

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 35 min · Small Groups

Role Play: Poet's Circle Reading

Students read their completed poems aloud in small groups. After each reading, listeners identify the single most effective figurative language choice and explain why it worked for them. Writers note which choices their audience responded to and which missed, then revise one line based on the feedback received.

Construct a metaphor that creates a surprising and insightful comparison.

Facilitation Tip

During the Poet’s Circle Reading, invite students to read their revised lines aloud twice: once flatly and once with deliberate emphasis to feel the difference.

What to look for

Present students with a short poem or stanza. Ask them to identify one example of a metaphor, one simile, and one instance of imagery. Then, have them write one sentence explaining the effect of the imagery.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should treat figurative language as a craft skill, not just a literary device. Start with short, focused exercises where students revise a single line multiple times. Avoid lengthy lectures on definitions—let students discover the power of precision through editing their own work. Research shows that students improve faster when they revise for audience impact rather than correctness.

Successful learning looks like students revising their own language instead of just labeling others’. They should be able to explain why a particular metaphor works, not just identify it. Clear evidence of growth includes students trimming overwritten lines and replacing clichés with fresh, specific images.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Think-Pair-Share activity, watch for students who default to writing multiple metaphors instead of refining one to fit the subject precisely.

  After they pair up, ask each student to choose their strongest metaphor and explain why it works for the subject, then revise the weaker ones to be more specific or remove them entirely.

• During the Sensory Image Map activity, watch for students who only focus on visual details and overlook sound, touch, or smell.

  Circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'What does this object sound like when it moves?' or 'How would touching it feel?' to push them toward non-visual senses.

• During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students who praise examples just because they see figurative language, not because it enhances meaning.

  Have them write sticky notes explaining the effect of each device, then discuss as a class which examples actually deepen the reader’s understanding.

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Methods used in this brief

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