ELA | Lesson 1 | Literal and Nonliteral Language

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5

Overview

Students will distinguish literal from nonliteral language and learn how to use context clues to distinguish if a word or phrase is literal or nonliteral. Students will complete two activities in which they distinguish between literal and nonliteral language in text and write their own nonliteral language.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.14

Describe word relationships and nuances in word meanings, including relating them to their opposites and distinguishing shades of meaning in similar or related words, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

UP:ELA21.3.14

Vocabulary

  • Describe
  • Word relationships
  • Nuances
  • Opposites
  • Distinguishing
  • Shades of meaning
  • Similar words
  • Related words
  • Nouns
  • Verbs
  • Adjectives

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
  • Words with opposite meanings are antonyms, and words with similar meanings are synonyms.
  • A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.
  • A verb expresses an action or state of being.
  • An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Describe the relationships between words and nuances in word meanings.
  • Describe how the meaning of words are alike or different.
  • Describe the nuances of words that have different shades of meaning.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writers and speakers should carefully select words to convey specific meanings, ideas, and relationships.
  • Words have relationships with other words and words have subtle differences that can be distinguished within text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.10

Interpret words and phrases, including figurative language, as they are used in a text.

UP:ELA21.4.10

Vocabulary

  • Interpret
  • Figurative language

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to identify word meaning in context.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Explain the meaning of words and phrases that are specific to the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Words and phrases, including figurative language, can have different meanings in different texts.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.12

Interpret the meaning of words, phrases, and patterns as they are used in texts, including domain-specific and academic vocabulary and figurative language.

UP:ELA21.5.12

Vocabulary

  • Domain-specific vocabulary
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Figurative language

Knowledge

Student know:
  • Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
  • Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.
  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
  • Strategies to determine the meaning of words, phrases, and patterns in text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Interpret the meaning of domain-specific vocabulary, academic vocabulary, and figurative language as they are used in texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are multiple strategies they can use to interpret the meaning of academic and domain-specific vocabulary, including using context clues in the text, their background knowledge, the morphological structure of the word, and outside resources.
  • Words and phrases, including figurative language, can have different meanings in different texts.

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

PBS

License Type

Custom

Accessibility

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