Lesson Plan of Similes
English Grade V
Students’ Learning Outcomes
· Analyses and use some analogies and more similes in speech and writing.
Information for Teachers
· A 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 (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox).
· A simile (pronounced: SIM-uh-lee) is a figure of speech which is used to make our language more rich and beautiful.
· We use similes to describe things by comparing them to other things which have some similar attribute or quality. For example, if I want to say someone is fast, I can say she is as fast as a horse/cheetah /tiger/panther.
· Most of the similes use the words like or as e.g. as black as coal and happy like a bird in flight.
· It is important that children understand that similes can be developed and they should try to come up with original and creative word play.
· As writers they must understand that they should learn commonly used similes but can also come up with their own once in a while to remain original.
Material / Resources
Chalk/marker, photocopies of the poem, chart and marker for poem display.
Worm up activity
· Write the following Simile Poem on the board/or write on a chart paper and decorate with pictures and read it aloud with expression.
v Poor as a church mouse.
Strong as an ox,
Cute as a button,
Smart as a fox
Thin as a toothpick,
White as a ghost,
Fit as a fiddle,
Dumb as a post
Bald as an eagle,
Neat as a pin,
Proud as a peacock,
Ugly as sin
When people are talking
You know what they’ll say
As soon as they start to
Use a cliché
· Introduce / reinforce similes. Tell how similes make our descriptions and writing more beautiful and rich.
· Explain the use of like/as.
· Give examples of things to explain how common traits are liked to each other: as fast as a horse/cheetah/tiger/panther.
Development
Activity 1
· Write the following sentences on the board and ask the students to work in pairs and analyze these sentences whether they are similes or not.
· Ask the students to write similes in front of those sentences which they think are similes.
1. He’s as strong as an elephant.
2. My brother is a dragon.
3. Sad like tigers locked in cages.
4. It’s as cold as ice.
5. Especially my sister, who is a tall giraffe
6. It’s as light as a feather.
7. We are a busy family with many things to do.
8. Happy like a bird in flight.
· Monitor and help the students.
· Once the students are done with this activity, ask the students randomly to tell the answers.
· All the options are similes except option 2, 5. And 7.
Activity 2
· Write the following words on the board and ask the students to copy in their notebooks.
· Ask the students to come up with things that share the following attributes/qualities.
o Is hard______(rock , stone)
_________________________
o Feels soft ____(silk, flower petals)
__________________________
o Is sweet ______honey
__________________________
o Feels rough _______sand
____________________________
o Is heavy __________rock
___________________________
o Sounds noisy _______cricket match
________________________________
o Is light ________as a feather _a flower
________________________________
· Ask them to come up with as many ideas as possible. Accept and appreciate creative ideas.
· Don’t reject if there is some similarity.
· Tell them to note down the similes in their notebooks.
Activity 3
· Write the following sentences along with the word bank on the board.
· Ask the students to copy and read the words in the words bank.
· Tell them to read the sentences carefully and write appropriate words in the blank spaces.
Light, thin, sharp, blind, wise
1. He’s really smart. He’s as _________________ as an owl
2. Don’t touch that broken glass. It’s as ________ as a razor.
3. It doesn’t weigh much. It’s as ___________ as air.
4. Without his glasses, he’s as ________ as a bat.
5. She is so skinny. She’s as ________________ as a toothpick
· Monitor and help the students.
Activity 4
· Ask students, if someone is very active, what can you compare him or her to? Brainstorm possible options and then choose on one or two.
Sum up / Conclusion
· Ask the student
o What are similes?
o How we make similes?
o What words are mostly used to make similes?
Assessment
· Write the correct options on the board and ask the students to do the self-correction.
· Take rounds of the class and ask the students about their scores.
· Give them the poem with blanks and ask them to fill it up.
Follow up
· Ask the students to write three similes with like and three similes with as, of their own
o As poor as a __________
o As strong as an __________
o As cute as a _____________
o As thin as a ______________
o As white as a ___________
o As fit as a _____________
o As dumb as a __________
o As bald as an __________
o As neat as a ____________
o As proud as a __________
o As ugly as a ___________
· Use fresh similes when you speak and you write, so your friends will think you are quite clever and bright.