Figurative Language & Poetry

Figurative Language Posters

9 colorful posters to help your students learn and understand common figurative language posters.

• Posters Include: Onomatopoeia, Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Alliteration, Allusion, Idiom, Imagery, and Hyperbole.

• Each poster has the term, definition, and example.

Figurative Language Pre Assessment

*ELA Unlimited Exclusive*

Looking for a way to provide differentiation? This 20 question pre-assessment will help you determine what your students know and what they need to work on.

Download Includes:

• 20 Question Assessment: 9 Matching, 11 Identification

• Google Forms or PDF Format with Answer Key

• Instructions: Break down of how to analyze your student’s results and determine what activities are best for their level (activity suggestions provided)

Students are given a time limit and go on a scavenger hunt for the best videos on Youtube that describe: Personification, Metaphor, Simile, Hyperbole, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Imagery, and Symbolism.

When they find THE BEST videos, they use it to determine the meaning of the word, an example of how the term is applied, and then they come up with their own definition.

Download Includes: 

1. Printable Youtube Scavenger Hunt Cards

2. Printable Student Sheet that requires students to write the meaning of the terms, describe examples from the videos, and then create their own example based on what they learned.

3. Teacher Instructions

4. All PDF downloads

*Bonus* Make Youtube Style Video Project for ALL of the figurative language terms with Rubric

UPDATED Figurative Language Terms Mini Lesson

With this mini lesson, you will teach your middle school students the basics of figurative language. 

What's Included:

1. Google Slides Presentation: 20 creative and colorful slides that will help your students understand the basics 9 figurative language terms

2. Vocabulary and Definitions: Introduces and explains- Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Allusion, Idiom, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and Imagery

3. Practice Activity: Students practice matching the terms with the correct definition and examples with an interactive drag and drop Google Slides.

4. Student Practice: This can be used independently or with a partner. Quest activities can be completed digitally on the google slides or on paper.

• Quest 1: Simile or Not

• Quest 2: Using Imagery to Transform Boring Sentences

• Quest 3: Writing dialogue to explain an idiom

• Quest 4: Writing creative hyperboles

• Quest 5: Matching Allusions

5. Answer Key and Instructions: Find your instructions, links, and answer key all on one PDF document.

Building a Foundation

You have taught the terms. Now it is time for your students to practice!

This 10 question worksheet provides students with the practice they need to. make sure they understand the basics of figurative language.

Worksheet includes:

• 8 Identification Questions: Students are given a sentence and they identify the type of figurative language used. They also have to explain how they know it is that figurative language.

• 2 Digging Deeper Questions: Students analyze the mood of one question and identify words that have positive and negative connotation.

Digital Google Docs and PDF Version Available.

Figurative Language Review Game:

ELA UNLIMITED EXCLUSIVE!

*Click the video to watch the game in action*

This fun and engaging Google Slide game is the perfect way to review figurative language terms.

Each level contains a self grading 3 question practice where students will read a sentence and determine the type of figurative language used.

On the final level, students will take a self grading 10 question quiz.

There is also a bonus round where students have to determine the meaning of the figurative statements!

Students can keep up with their coins and points on the point board! It is fun way to practice

The download is a PDF with all of the links for the gameboard, practice questions, quiz, and bonus round.

Determining Meaning

Your students know the terms. Now it’s time for them to dig a little deeper and determine the meaning of figurative statements.

Worksheet includes:

• 12 Statements : Students are given figurative statements, lines from songs, and stanzas from poems to use as practice for determining meaning.

Digital Google Docs and PDF Version Available.

You will call out a type of figurative language like personification and students will have to determine the which sentence on their individual 16 square board matches the term you called out. It's perfect for review!

Terms Included: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Onomatopoeia, Hyperbole, Alliteration, Idiom

This download Includes:

1. 30 game boards (3 sets of 10 so students can switch boards and play more!) 16 sentences on each board are a mixture of the terms listed above.

2. Answers on each game board are mixed and random!

3. Caller Figurative Language Cards

4. Answer Key

5. Blank BINGO board so students can make their own for an extension activity

6. Teacher Instructions

   Delivery: PDF Documents

Station One:

• Students will determine the meaning of 6 figurative language statements.

• To help them with the process a Thinking Sheet is included that guides students to answer: What stands out to you, what is the author comparing. what point is the author making, and how can you related it to your life.

Station Two:

• Students will determine the impact of figurative language within 3 poems.

• To help them with the process a Thinking Sheet is included that guides students to locate the figurative language in the poem, identify the type, determine what the author is comparing or highlighting, the meaning of the figurative language, and the overall meaning of the poem.

• Students will rewrite the poem using literal language

• Students will then compare the two to determine the impact of the figurative language.

Station Three:

• Students will rewrite common and cliched similes to make them more interesting.

• To help them with the process a Thinking Sheet is included that guides students in determining what is being compared, what the connection is between the two items, the meaning, and how they have experienced something similar.

Included in this download:

Student foldables for each station, Student thinking/brainstorming sheets for each station, Station Instructions, Teacher Instructions

Steps for the Activity:

• Give each group a set of the figurative language cards (separated into envelopes)

• Give each group one creative writing story prompt

• Every three minutes, students open an envelope to find out what type of figurative language they need to incorporate into their story. This part is super fun because they do not know what type of Figurative language they are going to need to incorporate until they open the envelope. It requires them to really think and apply what they know about the purpose of figurative language.

This Engaging and Rigorous Download Includes:

1. 8 Figurative Language Cards: Hyperbole, Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Imagery, Allusion, Onomatopoeia, & Alliteration. Each card includes the word, definition, and an example.

2. 8 Story Starter Prompts: You can do this activity as a station rotation, or each group gets a different story prompt. The prompts are reproducible worksheets that allow room for students to write.

3. Teacher Instructions

All documents are PDF downloads.

Figurativegram

Help your students make figurative language relevant with this engaging digital activity!

In true Instagram style, students will ‘post’ images to their feed. Students will use figurative language in the caption to describe what’s happening in the image.

It’s fun, engaging, and encourages creativity!

Download Includes:

• Google Slide Template: Student instructions, Profile page, and templates for 10 posts.

• Teacher Instructions

• PDF copies

What's Included:

1. Google Slides Presentation: 10 creative and colorful slides that will help your students understand the basics of connotation and denotation

2. Vocabulary and Definitions: Introduces and explains- Figurative , Literal, Connotation, Denotation. There is also a Quizziz vocabulary practice embedded into the slides!

3. Whole Class Practice Article: Determine how a word is used with a positive or negative connotation compared to its denotation and write correlating sentences. (Answer key Included)

4. Student Practice: This can be used independently or with a partner. Quest activities can be completed digitally on the google slides or on paper.

• Quest 1: Positive and Negative Connotation Activity

• Quest 2: Applying Connotative Understanding to determine author's attitude

• Quest 3: Changing neutral sentences to positive and negative by changing one word.

• Quest 4: Writing about impressions of sports teams based on their team name.

• Quest 5: Personality graphic organizer with short story writing activity.

5. Answer Key and Instructions: Find your instructions, links, and answer key all on one PDF document.

Delivery: Google Slides Links, PDF Copies

What's Included:

1. Google Slides Presentation: 14 creative and colorful slides that will help your students understand the basics of tone and mood.

2. Vocabulary and Definitions: Introduces and explains- tone and mood. There is also a Quizziz vocabulary practice embedded into the slides!

3. Whole Class Practice: Several practice activities for tone and mood techniques along with 3 movie clips that students can use to practice identifying tone and mood. (Answer key Included)

4. Student Practice: This can be used independently or with a partner. Students will look the picture provided and determine a mood. Then, they will write a short story based off of the picture that conveys the mood. The 5 Quest activities can be completed digitally on the google slides or on paper.

5. Answer Key and Instructions: Find your instructions, links, and answer key all on one PDF document.

*BONUS: Cute Mood and Tone Printable Word List. 30 positive and negative words students can use to describe the mood and tone.

Delivery: Google Slides Links PDF Copies

Glowing Movie Review

This activity will help your students understand and explore WHY figurative language is important.

For this activity students select one of their favorite movies.

Then, they will create a movie poster with the focus on the use of hyperboles to draw people in.

Finally, students will write a movie review that uses figurative language as a tool to get others excited about seeing the movie.

What’s Included:

• Google Slides Activity Slides

• PDF Copies

Analyzing Song Lyrics

Help students understand the purpose of figurative language with this fun, engaging, and relevant activity.

Students pick their favorite songs and analyze the figurative language in the lyrics with four digital activities.

Download Includes:

• Google Slides Activity Sheets: 4 activity sheets that will guide students as they analyze lyrics for meaning, purpose, mood and tone.

• PDF Versions

Standards Bellringer Series: Figurative Language

*ELA UNLIMITED EXCLUSIVE*

These activities are great for providing focused practice and review in small chunks.

Download includes:

• Google Slides Format: 11 colorful and engaging slides where your students can highlight and type their answers.

• 4 Practice Activities:

  • Practice 1: Identifying types of figurative language.

  • Practice 2: Determining meaning of figurative language.

  • Practice 3: Read a passage and answer 4 figurative language multiple choice questions.

  • Practice 4: Write your own passage that includes a simile, metaphor, hyperbole and either alliteration, onomatopoeia, or personification. Then write 4 multiple choice figurative language questions based on the passage.

• Check in: 10 question check in to assess your student’s ability to infer and find relevant text evidence.

  • Section 1: Identify types of figurative language

  • Section 2: Determine meaning of figurative statements

 Terms/Concepts Covered: Metaphor, Alliteration, Simile, Personification, Idiom, Onomatopoeia, Allusion, Hyperbole, Imagery

33 Question Multiple Choice Assessment Includes:

Identification: 9 questions determining the correct definition for each of the terms listed above. 3 questions determining the type of figurative language used in a sentence.

Purpose: 6 questions determining author's purpose of: (1) Figurative language, (2) similes & metaphors, (3) Allusion, (4) Hyperbole, (5) Alliteration, (6) Personification

Understanding: 7 questions that require students to analyze lyrics from popular songs in order to demonstrate understanding of figurative meaning. 

Applying: 8 questions based off the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou (poem included)

Questions cover: central theme, purpose of figurative language, demonstrating understanding of figurative statements, and connotation. 

Included in download: PDF Version of the Test, Link to Google Docs Version of the Test (editable), Link to Google Form (editable) Version of the Test (editable), Printable copy of Maya Angelou's Still I Rise Poem, Answer Key

This Download Includes:

1. Google Slides Guide: Step by Step instructions for you and your students. Speaker notes are included to help you facilitate the pre-reading activities and seminar.

2. Pre-reading Activities: Help students build prior knowledge with an author video with foldable and key vocabulary.

3. Poem: Reproducible poem with annotating space for students.

4. Discussion Questions: 10 thought provoking discussion questions that are designed to encourage discussion and analysis of the poem. Writing prompt is also included to help the students add relevancy by relating the poem to their life.

5. Detailed Instructions: Detailed instructions to guide you through a successful seminar process.

6. Answer Key

All PDF downloads. Link to Google Slides is in the instructions.