Lesson Plan

Fun With Idioms

Subject Area

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
English Language Arts

Grade(s)

5

Overview

This lesson is designed to help students become comfortable with idioms. Students will work closely with idioms to discover meanings and present them to the class.  Students will use technology to present the information.

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): 5

ELA21.5.12a

Locate similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms and interpret their meanings in context.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.12a

Vocabulary

  • Similes
  • Metaphors
  • Personification
  • Hyperbole
  • Imagery
  • Alliteration
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Idioms

Knowledge

  • Figurative language is a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain or describe something.
  • Examples of figurative language include similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms.

Skills

  • Identify examples of similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, imagery, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and idioms in text.
  • Interpret the meaning of the figurative language in context.

Understanding

  • Figurative language carries meaning other than the literal meaning of the words or phrases, and authors choose to include figurative language in text to enhance the text's meaning.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.12b

Explain the meanings of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.12b

Vocabulary

  • Common idioms
  • Common adages
  • Common proverbs

Knowledge

  • Idioms, adages, and proverbs are all figures of speech, in which the words and phrases carry meaning beyond their literal definitions.
  • An idiom is a common saying with a meaning different from that of its individual words.
  • Adages and proverbs are well-known sayings that have been used for a long time.
  • Proverbs usually give practical advice about ways to behave and live.

Skills

  • Identify examples of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
  • Explain the meanings of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Understanding

  • Idioms, adages, and proverbs are figures of speech that carry meaning beyond the literal definitions of the words.
  • To fully comprehend text that contains figures of speech, they must learn the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 5

DLCS18.5.R5

Locate and curate information from digital sources to answer research questions.

Unpacked Content

UP:DLCS18.5.R5

Vocabulary

  • curate
  • keyword
  • search engine
  • database

Knowledge

Students know:
  • information to research questions can be obtained from digital sources.
  • resources to organize information.
  • resources to present or share with others.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • create a list of keywords or phrases to enter into a search engine and/or database such as Alabama Virtual Library.
  • use advanced search techniques to search by file type, dates, and specific domains.
  • organize information.
  • share information by creating a digital resource.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • information can be located from a digital source to answer research questions.
  • information can be organzied and shared by creating a digital resource.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 5

DLCS18.5.16

Use advanced features of digital tools and media-rich resources to communicate key ideas and details in a way that informs, persuades, and/or entertains.

Unpacked Content

UP:DLCS18.5.16

Vocabulary

  • key ideas
  • informs
  • persuades
  • entertains
  • media-rich
  • communicate
  • digital tools
  • collaborate
  • online environment
  • tutorial

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to use advanced features of digital tools to inform, persuade, and/or entertain.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • design communications using advanced features of various digital tools to informs, persuades, and/or entertains.
  • locate and follow directions or tutorials for working with digital tools.
  • use media-rich features such as audio and/or video.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • many digital tools are available to communicate key ideas and details.
  • directions or tutorials can be located online to assist with creation.
  • there are multiple ways to communicate the same information.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 5

DLCS18.5.19

Conduct advanced keyword searches to produce valid, appropriate results and evaluate results for accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness.

Unpacked Content

UP:DLCS18.5.19

Vocabulary

  • keyword
  • search
  • valid
  • true
  • accuracy/accurate
  • relevance/relevant
  • site/domain
  • file type

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to conduct advanced keyword searches.
  • how to evaluate the accuracy of information.
  • that not all information online is valid or true.
  • different sites or domains publish for different audiences.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • conduct advanced keyword searches using domain type such as '.edu', '.com', '.org', '.gov', file types, usage rights.
  • explain how they know information located online is valid or true.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • using advanced keywords while searching will deliver better results.
  • not all information online is valid or true.

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Research a common idiom using the Internet.
  • Describe and explain the idiom to the class.
  • Create a media presentation based on the idiom.
  • Demonstrate the knowledge of their chosen idiom.

Procedures/Activities

Before Strategy

Introduce the concept of literal and nonliteral language by teaching idioms.

  1. Idioms are expressions that don't mean exactly what they say. If I said, "Hold your horses!" What does this mean? What about, "It's raining cats and dogs." Are there really cats and dogs falling from the sky? No, but you know that it's raining really hard and it's a very loud rain. These are both idioms. When using idioms we are using nonliteral language.
  2. Literal language is when I say exactly what I mean. "Hurry up! We're late for school!" What do I want you to do? Hurry because we are late for school!
  3. Students will be prompted to go to www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/idioms/index.html. Complete the first page together. Show students how to complete the sentence by using the drop box.  "School would be ______ without tests and homework." Let's look at the dropbox to find what may fit here. If students struggle with this, point out the illustration. Is there anything in the picture that can help us figure this out? It's a bed with roses, let's look for that! What is the metaphorical meaning of this idiom?  What does this mean? What would happen to school if we didn't have tests or homework? It would be easy! So a bed of roses means- something could be easy.  Now let's use this idiom in a sentence. Model how to make a complete sentence using ideas from the class.

During Strategy

  1. Put students in 6 groups of 3-4 and assign a number. Each group will complete a page. "There are 7 pages, and we've done the first together. You are going to complete a page with your group and then share it with the class.

After Strategy

  1. The next day students will review idioms and be assigned their presentation.
  2. "Now it's your turn. You are going to pick an idiom and research what it means.  You also get to make a presentation and present your idiom to the class."
  3. The teacher will discuss the expectations of the project.
  4. Show the  "On the Fence..." presentation.
  5. Now, let students draw a number out of a cup to pick which idiom they will research. 
  6. Students will use technology to research the meaning of their idiom. The teacher should monitor students regularly to provide guidance and make sure that everyone is using the internet appropriately.
  7. Students will fill out their "Idiom Information Sheet" as they find answers online.
  8. Students will create a media presentation about their idiom. They will use their Information Sheet as a guideline.
  9. Students will turn in their Idiom Information Sheet when doing their classroom presentation. The rubric is on page 2.
  10. Students should be able to explain their idiom as well as answer questions from the class.

Assessment Strategies

Students will turn in their "Idiom Information Sheet"

Students will be assessed based on the information provided during their presentation.  (See page 2 of this document.)

Acceleration

Students can play "Hold the Phone - An Idiom Game" at abcya.com.

Intervention

It would be helpful to ELL students if an ELL teacher or aide could assist them during this lesson. Students who get done with this quicker than others can help struggling students.

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

91 to 120 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background/Preparation

The teacher will need to discuss idioms as well as introduce literal and nonliteral language. Students will need to gain an understanding of what an idiom is and how to use it. 

Materials and Resources

Materials and Resources

Teachers will need:

Technology Resources Needed

Students will need:

Approved Date

2014-06-27
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