Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Literary Elements and Techniques | Figurative Language

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5, 6

Overview

Discover how authors use figurative language to enhance their writing and explore the differences between similes and metaphors in this animated video from WNET. Discussion questions below help students to further apply their understanding before analyzing a text.

    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.

    Unpacked Content

    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.

    Unpacked Content

    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.

    Unpacked Content

    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.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

    ELA21.6.1

    Identify and explain an author’s rhetorical choices, including point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings, to develop central and supporting ideas.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.6.1

    Vocabulary

    • Rhetorical choices
    • Point of view
    • Purpose
    • Anecdotes
    • Figurative word meaning
    • Connotative word meaning
    • Technical word meaning
    • Central idea
    • Supporting idea

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Authors make specific rhetorical choices in their writing to convey meaning.
    • Rhetorical devices include point of view, purpose, personal anecdotes, and word choice.
    • Authors develop the main idea of the text by including supporting details to further elaborate on the text's central meaning.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Identify an author's rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
    • Explain why an author made particular rhetorical choices related to point of view, purpose, anecdotes, and figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings.
    • Explain how an author's rhetorical choices developed the central and supporting ideas of the text.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • When writing a text, authors make specific decisions about the structure, format, and vocabulary to accurately convey their central idea.
    Link to Resource

    CR Resource Type

    Audio/Video

    Resource Provider

    PBS
    Accessibility

    Accessibility

    Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles
    License

    License Type

    Custom
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