Teaching figurative language to middle school kids seems like it would be an easy task, considering that they use some pretty colorful similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration in their casual conversation. But, for some reason, trying to label the types and use them on cue creates some mental roadblock.
As a refresher, remember:
Hyperbole is the use of extreme exaggeration to create emphasis. (“I called your house a million times last night.”)
Metaphor is describing one thing as another in order to illustrate a dominant characteristic. (“I bathe every morning and wear clean clothes to school, but Jimmy is a pig.”)
Simile compares two unlike things using “like” or “as” for the same effect as a metaphor. (“Kids were wearing coats inside because the class was like a freezer.”)
Onomatopoeia is a word that creates the sound it describes. (“There was a loud BOOM and then a SPLASH.”)
Personification is giving human actions or characteristics to something that is not human, and is likely inanimate. (“The sun peeked from behind the clouds as the grass danced in the breeze.”)
Alliteration is the repetition of word sounds in a sentence – usually the first letter or letter sound. (“The green grass grew high around the garden.”)
Before they’re able to generate them in a story in context, it’s usually better to let them read a short story that uses figurative language as a strong part of its foundation. Since most textbook stories are a bit drier than our kids like, I’ve created a set of short stories that are chock full of figurative language. Students can simply circle each example and label it with “M” for metaphor, “P” for personification, “S” for simile, “A” for alliteration, “H” for hyperbole, and “O” for onomatopoeia.
1.Carl showed up at school during the last two weeks of the year, and he was such an easy target for jokes that most kids – even the worst kids – didn’t even try. Carl wore a polyester shirt that had so many holes it looked like it had been smeared with meat and thrown into a pit of lions. His pants cut off about an inch and a half above his ankles, like Moses designed them before the great flood. His glasses were so thick that it looked like he could see into the future. His brown hair was full of dandruff, like the last chunks of snow sitting in a patch of dying grass. His mouth was a wall of metal, with colorless steel braces binding his smile.
He was seriously sloppy and smelly. When Carl walked into the room, everyone knew it. His shoes were about a billion years old. Carl’s odor was the aroma of onions and old eggs, and it usually came into the room even before he did. It was strong enough that your eyes began to sting and water when Carl got within 100 feet. His skin was rough and scaly in patches, like an alligator, and his pants swished when he walked.
But, for some reason, no one really made fun of him. Everyone knew that his situation was a rough one. He was living with an uncle because his mother and father had died in a tragic accident. The uncle had no job and no money, but spent what he did have taking care of Carl. Carl was a good person. He was friendly, caring and even funny at times. Most kids, even those who looked for any excuse to pick on a “new kid,” left Carl alone.
2. I went to the Memorial football game on Friday night, where the crowd was like an ocean of blue and gold, roaring with every big play. The Panthers running back was a freight train, running over the Central defense like they were tackling dummies.
At halftime, the fireworks were giant flowers of fire, blooming in the sky. Although the Panthers had a big lead at the half, the Bears were a fireball after the break, tying the game. But, in the fourth quarter, the Memorial defense was like a stone wall, shutting down the Central attack. When the clock ticked to 0:00, the crowd erupted like a spewing volcano. A million cheers echoed across the city.
The players were dead after the game. Next week’s game will be a war, as Memorial takes on Eastern, whose defense is full of hungry monsters. Memorial’s offense should play like a well-oiled machine, though, and pull out the win.
