A Fun Similes Lesson Plan for High School

A Fun Similes Lesson Plan for High School
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Teaching What a Simile Is…

Teachers, read the following material to your students. Then do the listed board work with your students.

What is a simile? Have you ever compared something to another thing? You probably used a simile. For instance, if you said “My brother is like a toad”, you used a simile. There are certain key words that can tell you if a statement is a simile. If the statement compares one thing to another and uses the words “like” or “as”, then it is a simile. One way to remember the definition of a simile is to remember the word “similar”. Similes are a way of saying that one thing is “similar” to another. Can you think of some common similes that you have heard?

Simile Board Work

Teachers, write the paragraph below on the board. Ask students to underline the similes in the paragraph.

Tom is seven years old. He loves to pretend he is an Indian in the woods. When Tom is sneaking through the woods he knows he has to be as quiet as a mouse. Otherwise, the cowboys might hear him! Tom’s sister, Jane can’t pretend to be an Indian sneaking through the woods because she is loud as a train coming through the woods. Sometimes Tom will as Jane to be the “cowboy”, but not very often because she is like a regular Annie Oakley with the slingshot! Tom knows this because the last time Jane got Tom with the slingshot he jumped like a scalded cat. Now, when Tom and Jane play cowboys and Indians, their mom watches them like an owl because she is afraid someone is going to get hurt! Tom doesn’t mind because his mom’s heart is soft as butter and she just doesn’t want to see her children get hurt, even if they are as tough as nails!

Review the board work with students. As they underline the similes, ask them to explain what the similes mean. For instance, what does it mean to be as quiet as a mouse? See if students can come up with other descriptive phrases to use in the similes.

When the board work is complete, please pass out the Similes Worksheet and ask the students to complete the assignment as directed. Go over the assignment with students. Be sure to use similes throughout the day with your students. A good way to practice similes is by making a game out of it. Begin with one student starting a simile and the next student finishing it. The next student then begins another one. Not only is this a great way to practice similes, it’s also a great way to practice descriptive phrases and adjectives!

Images

References

  • Student teaching experience.

This post is part of the series: Similes and Metaphors Lesson Plans

Read on in this series for fun activities using similes and metaphors.

  1. Similes and Metaphors
  2. A Lesson on the Simile
  3. Metaphor Lesson Plan