Baylee DePugh

Language Arts
Title of Lesson: Simple School Similes

Lesson Summary: Within this 20-30 minutes, I will review alliteration within a poem. We will
also read a short book about similes. I will also play a whole class game in which we make up
our own similes when given a noun and a verb. The students will then play the same game
independently at their tables as an assessment.
Grade Level: 2nd grade
Subject: Review of Alliteration and Simile within poems
Length of Time: 20-30 minutes

District, State, National Standards Covered: RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g.,
regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a
story, poem, or song.

**RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. **This is a beyond grade level lesson
according to MAP assessments and is being taught for the purpose of
distinguishing literal from non-literal language. This is also a skill needed for
MAP testing.

Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to distinguish literal from non-literal text within poetry.
Students will be able to understand how similes appeal to the senses.

Materials Needed:
 Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story
 Ziplock baggies (x8)
 Dry Erase supplies
 Index cards
 Poems from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-simile-poems.html
Procedures:
Lesson Opening: Gather kids at the carpet. Make some of my own similes about the
students (ex: Wow Jake, you’re as tall as a tree. Golly Evelyn, you’re as quiet as a mouse).
Refer to Poetry Anchor Chart and a quick review of Rhyme, Rhythm, and Alliteration.
Reinforce the fact all of these literary devices help us engage our 5 senses to understand text
better. Segway into simile.

Body of Lesson (Modeling): Start by reading the book “Crazy like a Fox: A Simile
Story” by Loreen Leedy. Discuss throughout the book what the similes mean and what senses it
makes them engage.

Guided Practice: After the book, the class will read a poem, “Chocolate Cake.” The
teacher will walk through each line of the poem and ask the students to explain the meaning and
describe the senses that are engaged. The teacher will also focus on the use of “like” and/or “as”
and have volunteers come up to the board to circle it in the poem.
After the poem read, the students will be divided into two teams for a game of Win, Lose, Draw.
One person from both teams will come to the white board and the teacher will show them a
simile from the book and they will have to draw it on the white board. The first team to guess the
simile from the book gets the point. (Game can be modified by only having one person at a time
come up and drawing. They will have 45 seconds to get their team to guess the simile. If they do
not guess it within the time frame, then the other team will have a chance to steal).
Finally, before the independent work, the teacher and students will build their own similes with a
pocket chart. They will then discuss.

Independent Practice: Students will be writing their own similes in a sentence on an

index card and then drawing a picture of what the simile would visually look like on the back.
They will be provided with Ziplock baggies full of nouns and verbs they have to use. For
example, if they draw the words “dog” and “ran” they have to make a simile that says
something like, “the dog ran as fast as a racecar.” They will place them in the pocket chart
once they are complete.

Closing: Ask them whole class what a simile is.

Assessment and Evaluation: The index cards with the similes on them with the picture is the
form of assessment. If the students successfully write a simile and use “like” or “as” along with
drawing the picture, then I will know they have a sufficient understanding of similes.

Differentiation: Most supported group: have a frame of structure for them to write their
similes: (i.e., “___________ is as ______________ as a ________________” “_______________is like a
____________”
Middle group: must make a minimum of 1 simile on the index card and draw a picture on the
back.
Challenge: pick 3 of the 5 senses and write a simile for them. Draw a picture to illustrate at
least 1.
Game can be modified by only having one person at a time come up and drawing. They will
have 45 seconds to get their team to guess the simile. If they do not guess it within the time
frame, then the other team will have a chance to steal).

Technology:
 https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-simile-poems.html is used to find
poems with similes (see below)

Reflection: The lesson I taught over similes went very well overall. This is a 3rd grade literary
device and the students grasped the concept with ease. This is a very gifted group, in which even
the students who need more support rose to the occasion. I thought the students thoroughly
enjoyed the book, “Crazy like a Fox” and they really enjoyed the game as well.
One aspect that could have been improved is my management of students towards the back of the
carpet during the book read. One way I could have improved it would have been to move them
closer or ask them more questions throughout. Another tactic I could have taken to improve this
would have been to keep all of the students in their seats and sat beside the students who tend to
drift off.
Overall, I believe the lesson went well and all of the students were successful in writing their
own similes. The students who needed support received it through having a frame of reference
from Mrs. Jones and myself. The students who needed a challenge were successful in also
pairing their similes with one of the five senses. After looking over all of the notecards (my form
of assessment) I can confidently say they are ready to move on.
"Friends are like chocolate cake
You can never have too many.
Chocolate cake is like heaven -
Always amazing you with each
taste or feeling.
Chocolate cake is like life with so
many different pieces.
Chocolate cake is like happiness,
you can never get enough of it."