Learning Similes & Metaphors in Texts About Dogs

Learning Similes & Metaphors In Texts About Dogs

Topic, Grade Level, & Goals of the Unit

This unit is intended for 4th grade students in a Language Arts classroom. The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to similes and metaphors, two types of figurative language they may encounter in their reading and eventually incorporate into their own writing.

The goals of this unit are: • For students to describe what similes and metaphors are with 80% accuracy. • For students to identify similes and metaphors in text and to describe what they mean with 70% accuracy. (I chose 70% accuracy because this is the first time students will be introduced to this topic.) • For students to begin to create similes and metaphors to use in their own writing with 70% accuracy. • For students to improve their automaticity by 10 wcpm through the use of repeated readings, word games, and worksheets on topics about dogs. (I would give students a 3-minute assessment involving a passage about dogs before instruction, and I would give the student the same passage after instruction with the goal of increasing their wcpm by 10 words.) • For students to improve their expression/prosody through the use of readers’ theatre by 4 points on the Reading Fluency-Expression rubric in the 3-minute assessments. Resources (III)

• Everything Dog: What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs by Marty Crisp - [This text would be great for repeated guided reading. I could choose passages from this book for students to read and discuss in groups each day. I could ask students to describe the main idea of the passage, to compare and contrast different dog breeds, to define unfamiliar words in their own words, etc.]

• The Complete Dog Book for Kids by American Kennel Club [Another informational text for students to read along with teachers or parents.]

• National Geographic Kids Everything Dogs: All the Canine Facts, Photos, and Fun You Can Get Your Paws On by Becky Baines [Informational text for students to use in paired reading with parents or peers.]

• Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What are Similes and Metaphors? by Brian P. Cleary [Picture book about similes and metaphors. Good for read-aloud.]

• My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven [Picture book.]

• My School’s a Zoo by Stu Smith [Picture book. Good for read-aloud.]

• Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story by Loreen Leedy [Picture book/read- aloud.]

• You’re Toast and Other Metaphors We Adore by Nancy Jean Loewen [Picture book. Great to give students examples of metaphors we often use in everyday conversations.]

• Stubborn as a Mule and Other Silly Similes by Nancy Jean Loewen [Picture book. Great to use to give students examples of similes we use in everyday language.]

• My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall [Picture book.]

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen [Picture book with many examples of similes.]

Websites (IV)

• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/PC_met.htm This website is a great way to reinforce what similes and metaphors are. Given phrases like “as hot as,” “as cold as,” “as brave as,” etc., students create their own similes.

• http://canismajor.com/dog/topic1.html On this website, children can read profiles about specific dog breeds. Also, they can read articles about how to have a well-mannered dog and what to do when you first get a new puppy.

• http://www.dogplay.com/index.html This website lists activities that kids can do with their dogs and describes why it is important for dogs to be active.

• http://loveyourdog.com This website is basically a kid’s guide to dog care.

• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/extraordinarydogs/ This website is dedicated to extraordinary dogs, whose hard work, love, and devotion not only enhance human life, but change it.

• http://www.quia.com/quiz/234882.html This quiz challenges students to describe what famous similes and metaphors really mean.

• http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/dragonsville/metaphor1.htm In this game, students must match phrases together to make metaphors.

• http://www.myschoolhouse.com/courses/O/1/103.asp In this activity, students read sentences and decide if they are examples of similes, metaphors, or hyperboles. Advanced students could do this activity if they are ready to move on to more advanced types of figurative language.

• https://www.superteachertools.net/jeopardyx/jeopardy-review-game- from- com.php?gamefile=http://www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy/usergame s/Feb201106/jeopardy1297119259.txt This game is a great way to review similes and metaphors with your students, or for students to practice identifying similes and metaphors at home. Performance Texts (V)

1) Readers’ Theatre: Always in Trouble by Alainee Calo

I created this readers’ theatre based on a picture book Always in Trouble by Noah Z. Jones. I thought this would be a good text for kids to focus on reading with expression and fluency. I also added similes and metaphors to the text; we could discuss their meaning as a class. We would practice the text several times before performing it in front of other language arts classes.

Narrator 1: Emma’s dog, Toby, was always in trouble.

Narrator 2: On Monday, he got into the garbage. Ew! It smelled so bad!

Narrator 3: On Tuesday, he ran into the road because he was chasing a squirrel!

Narrator 4: On Wednesday, he ate a loaf of bread that Emma’s dad just baked. I bet he was mad!

Narrator 1: On Thursday, he barked in the middle of the night! He was an alarm clock for the whole neighborhood!

Narrator 2: On Friday, he peed on the rug and hid behind the couch! They thought about putting him in diapers like a baby!

Narrator 3: On Saturday, he chewed up all the buttons on Emma’s new coat!

Narrator 4: And on Sunday, he slept all day like a sloth!

Emma: “Well, he didn’t do anything bad today. Maybe he will get better…”

Narrator 3: Emma hoped.

Narrator 1: But on Monday morning, he got into the garbage again. This time, he dragged it all over the living room!

Emma’s Mom: “Something has to be done about that dog!”

Narrator 2: Emma’s Mom said, exhausted.

Emma: “Maybe he isn’t getting enough attention.”

Narrator 3: So all day Monday, she gave Toby lots of attention! She took him for walks…

Narrator 4: and brushed his fur…

Emma: “I even sang him silly songs!”

Narrator 1: But on Tuesday Toby ate a box of crayons like an unattended 1st grader!

Emma’s Dad: “On Wednesday he jumped into the basket of clean laundry that my wife had just finished folding!”

Narrator 2: Emma’s dad said.

Emma: “But he was very good on Thursday!”

Narrator 3: Emma exclaimed.

Emma: “He was very good on Friday!”

Narrator 4: she cried out.

Emma’s Dad: “Yes, but on Saturday, he chewed up my favorite magazine!”

Emma’s Mom: “And on Sunday he went swimming in the muddy brook and then ran across the kitchen floor! I spent all afternoon mopping up the mess!”

Emma: “Maybe he needs to go to training school!”

Emma’s Mom: “Well, that’s a great idea!”

Narrator 1: The first class started the next day. There were ten dogs in Toby’s class.

Narrator 2: Some were big and some were little. Some barked and some yipped and some growled and some whined.

Narrator 3: Toby was as quiet as a goldfish.

Narrator 4: He was as good as a kid who wanted to be on Santa’s Nice List!

Narrator 1: He was as shy as the new kid in school.

Narrator 2: He behaved perfectly at training school every week, and he did everything just right. When Emma said,

Emma: “SIT!”

Narrator 3: He sat.

Narrator 4: When Emma said,

Emma: “Come!”

Narrator 1: He came.

Narrator 2: When Emma said,

Emma: “Heel!”

Narrator 3: He stood right by her side!

Narrator 4: At graduation from training school, he received a diploma with a gold seal! He was as smart as a scholar!

Emma’s Mom: “I tacked that diploma right on the wall over his dog dish. I told him he better behave now since I knew he could!”

Emma’s Dad: “But on Monday, he was right back to his old tricks! He got into the garbage again like a wild raccoon! He ran into the road like a deer in headlights! He ate the cookies that I baked, too!”

Emma: “He barked in the middle of the night, so I couldn’t sleep before school. He had accidents on the rug.”

Emma’s Mom: “He dug up the petunias Emma and I had just planted in the flowerbed!”

Narrator 1: Toby was back to acting like a wild animal. On Sunday, he chewed up his diploma!

Narrator 2: Emma took him back to dog school. The teacher said Emma must leave him with her for a week to get special training.

Narrator 3: Emma was sad, but she agreed.

Emma: “Okay…”

Narrator 4: she said.

Emma: “I missed him all week! I was so happy to see him when we picked him up!”

Emma’s Mom: “I really hope he learned something this time.”

Emma: “Please, Toby,”

Narrator 1: Emma whispered to him.

Emma: “You’ve got to be good now.”

Narrator 2: Toby licked Emma’s face. He had a strange twinkle in his eye.

Emma’s Dad: “You wouldn’t believe what happened! On Monday, he took out the garbage!”

Emma’s Mom: “On Tuesday, he baked some bread like a professional chef!”

Emma: “On Wednesday, he vacuumed the rug like a personal maid!”

Narrator 3: On Thursday, he folded the laundry.

Narrator 4: On Friday, he washed the kitchen floor!

Narrator 1: On Saturday, he PLANTED some petunias like an expert gardener!

Narrator 2: On Sunday, he snoozed!

Emma: “But no dog can be perfect always – not even Toby! I took him for a walk the other day, and he took me on a wild ride, dragging me so he could chase a squirrel! But I love Toby no matter what! He is my best bud!”

2) Dialogue Piece: Can I Have a Dog, Mom? by Alainee Calo

[Next, we would work on a dialogue piece about dogs with information from Everything Dog: What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs by Marty Crisp. I have created the dialogue piece myself. The class could work through this text in partners. Students will take turns reading the part of John and the part of Uncle Jeff, helping one another with unfamiliar words as they go.]

John: Mom, I really want a dog! Uncle Jeff, you’re a vet… Shouldn’t you think I should have a dog as a companion?

Uncle Jeff: Well, I’m not sure you’re ready for a dog yet. Having a dog is a big responsibility, John.

John: Well, maybe you can help me learn more about dogs! Why do dogs like people, anyway?

Uncle Jeff: Like wolves, dogs are pack animals. They like living in groups, following a leader, and working together. Prehistoric cave dwellers were the first people to notice that dogs are intelligent, excellent hunters, and fast, with a superior sense of smell. Dogs apparently liked the way the cave dwellers could scratch the unreachable parts of their backs. It was the beginning of a great friendship!

John: I noticed that dogs always sniff me when I meet them. What can they tell about me from smelling me like that?

Uncle Jeff: Well, while people only have 5 million scent receptors in their noses, dogs have over 200 million scent receptors in their noses and on the roofs of their mouths. Dogs also have a much larger olfactory, or smell, processing center in their brains than we do. Wild dogs needed good noses to track their prey and avoid danger. Dogs can read us like a book – they know what we’ve had for lunch and where we have been, just from smelling us when we first come through the door!

John: I love dogs with big floppy ears! Why do different types of dogs have different types of ears? Some stick up while others flop down!

Uncle Jeff: Triangular ears that stand up straight like a wolf’s ears were designed to form a cup that allows a dog to hear sounds four times farther away than a human can hear. Dogs with ears that stick up can hear better than those with floppy ears.

John: How come?

Uncle Jeff: Well, they can move their ears in the direction of sound to fine-tune their listening. Dogs with floppy ears can usually smell better. The ears trail on the ground, sweeping smells into their nose.

John: Do dogs dream? When I was at Timmy’s house, his dog twitched and made noises when he was asleep. Does this mean he was dreaming?

Uncle Jeff: Well, nobody knows for sure. Most experts believe dogs do dream because their eyelids sometimes tremble like humans when they sleep.

John: Cool! What about when they wag their tail? Does that mean they are happy?

Uncle Jeff: It definitely means they are excited. An active, upright tail means things are fine, or at least interesting. A slowly twitching, upright tail and a stiff tail held straight out are warning signs, telling us a dog is on guard. A drooping, tucked under tail means things are really bad. The dog also may crouch and make himself look smaller as if to say, “I’m small, please don’t hurt me.” This makes him look sorry, no matter how he actually feels.

John: How many dog breeds are there?

Uncle Jeff: There are over 400 breeds. A purebred dog has two parents of the same breed. Mutts have parents from different breeds.

John: Well, my favorite breeds are the Dalmatian and the Pug! Do you think I’m ready for a dog now?

Uncle Jeff: Before you get a specific breed, it’s important to learn more about them. It’s good to know how active they are, what their personalities are like, and what their common health problems are before you commit to owning one!

3) Choral Reading: To Love a Pug by Alainee Calo

Next, I would introduce to students that there are different breeds of dogs. All dogs are the same species (the same TYPE of animal), but there are dogs that certainly look different than others, just like how there are humans that look very different than others! For example, I could use this poem to show students about a specific breed of dog, the pug. I would pull up pictures of my own pug Henry so they could see him along with reading the poem.

To Love a Pug by Alainee Calo (Adapted from My Friends, My Pugs by Sam Greatorex, 2006)

Don’t look at my pugs and think they’re ugly Because of their squished-in face. You may think they look like an old man, But they can beat your dog in a race!

Their short little legs are quite misleading, ‘Cause due to their miraculous breeding, They’ll zip right past you, forever speeding!

You may find their snorting disturbing, Their snoring just as bad. But I’ll tell you this for nothing, They’re the best dogs you could have.

If you were to just hold them, I know you’d feel the same. To look into those big bug eyes, They’ll ease away your pain.

I’ll tell you why I love them, ‘Cause when I’m feeling down, They’re loyal, trusting and happy, And they’re always around.

You’ll never know the pleasure, When needing loving hugs, They always come a waddlin’ My wrinkly little pugs.

First, I would read this poem out loud to my students, asking them to follow along and notice how I read with emotion before they try it on their own. Then, we will chorally read the poem together as a class. Next, students will silently read a non-fiction guided reading piece about pugs, and we would discuss it as a class or in groups. Afterward, I would ask students to use what we learned from the poem, the non-fiction text, and the pictures of my pug to come up with 3 similes/metaphors that describe pugs. For example, “A pug is as wrinkly as an old man! A pug has whiskers like a fish.” After many repeated readings, I would ask students to read the poem to me, using their best voice. I would calculate their word recognition accuracy and their wcpm, along with their prosody/expression, using the charts and rubrics from the 3-minute assessments.

4) Song: The Dalmatians Song by Alainee Calo

Next, we would read a poem/song about another dog breed, the Dalmatian. I would show students pictures of my Dalmatian Jax.

Then, I would read the poem, modeling how I want them to clap at the beginning and sing at the end. I would ask students to follow along as I read. Eventually, after many repeated readings and instruction on automaticity and expression, we would perform the text for the principal, reading together as a class. I have attached a recording of how I would want students to perform this text.

Dalmatians Song by Alainee Calo (adapted from My Heart Belongs to a Dalmatian by Anonymous)

Spotted, blotted, polka-dotted, Likes all food, even if it’s rotted, Gets your heart all warm and knotted.

Dalmatians Dalmatians Dalmatians

There’s nothing like a dog with spots, to lift your spirits high. I knew that from the moment a Dalmatian caught my eye.

Active and adventurous, a dog that loves to play. Affectionate, devoted, and protective – come what may.

Spotted, blotted, polka-dotted, Likes all food, even if it’s rotted, Gets your heart all warm and knotted.

Dalmatians Dalmatians Dalmatians

Sharing fun throughout the day, Or by my side at night – I can’t imagine life without My friend, my Black & White.

After we read this poem, I would ask students to come up with similes and metaphors that describe Dalmatians. I could give them starters, such as, “Dalmatians are as ______as a ______. Dalmatians are ______like a ______.” I would give one example, such as, “Dalmatians are as protective as a soldier guarding the gates of a king’s palace.”

Another activity I can use with this poem is the “10 most important words” activity. I could ask students, “What do you think are the 10 most important words that give meaning to this story? Why do you think so?” Students could suggest words, and we can vote on them as a class to rank the most important words. Then, I could ask, “Why do you think this word was chosen so often? Why do you think this word wasn’t chosen? How do these words give the text meaning?”

5) Letter: To Charlie from His Owner

Lastly, we will read a letter from an owner to his dog, that I have adapted to fit 4th grade readers. First, I would read the letter out loud to students, prompting them to follow along as I read. Next, I would ask students to read the letter silently at their desks. Then, we could split into small groups, so we could discuss questions like: “What part of the letter did you like the best? What part was most emotional for you? What did you visualize as you read?” Finally, students could begin a draft of a letter from Charlie to his owner, taking the dog’s point of view to discuss his life.

Charlie, I called you my friend for 8,028,000 minutes of my life. The first minute we shared was when I took you out of the cage on May 9, 1998. You jumped into my arms and kissed my face. I thought I chose you, but I was wrong… you chose me. As I was signing the adoption papers, I asked the lady how they found you, and she said you were put on the side of the road on Interstate I-285 and Cobb Parkway. I looked down at your beautiful face. How could someone abandon a creature as special as you? I put you in my car, and you were so nervous you peed all over my back seat. The truth is Charlie, I was just as nervous to take care of you, because I could barely care for myself. That was the day our life together began… and what a journey we had… Minute 1,834,560: We met Michele, on a beautiful November day at the park, for our first date. I brought you along because if she didn't like you… she was out! We were there 6 hours, and she was a Charlie fan from the start. And as we left the park on that fateful November day, I turned to you and said, "Uh- oh Charlie, we're in trouble now." We had LOTS to talk about that night, didn't we? Minute 3,144,960 (The Wedding): This was the day you put on your doggie tuxedo, and you allowed Michele to be your new mommy! You stole the show that day, but Mommy didn't mind sharing the spotlight with you. She really loves you, buddy! Minute 5,322,240 (Max is born): Mommy and I were very concerned about how you would react to a new person in the house. Before Max came home, I laid one of his shirts on the floor of his room. I’ll never forget what you did next. After you sniffed the shirt, you picked it up and carried it to YOUR bed and laid your head on it. That is one of the sweetest things I ever saw you do! Charlie, we've now reached the 8,028,000th minute, and it’s time to say goodbye. I am going to send you off the same way I found you, but instead of you kissing me we are ALL going to kiss you. Thank you for the love and joy you brought to all of us. We ALL love you so very much. Michele, Max, and me… the one who pulled you out of that cage! -Your Loving Owner

Word Games (VI)

1) Word Sort In this activity, teachers will put each vocabulary word on a notecard. In pairs, students will sort the words according to specific categories given by the teacher. They will sort the words by: number of syllables, words within words, words with multiple meanings, parts of speech, words in the same word family, etc. Words for the sort include: simile, metaphor, canine, breed, pug, Dalmatian, training, yipped, barked, purebred, mutt, protective, scholar, professional, petunias, heel, companion, responsibility, prehistoric, receptors, olfactory, tremble, miraculous, devoted, and snout (all words that they may struggle with from their performance texts above).

2) 10 Words, 5 Sentences In this word game, students are given a list of 10 vocabulary words. They work in pairs. Their task is to create 5 original sentences using 2 vocabulary words per sentence until all of the words have been used. I would judge each team and choose the winners – those with the most creative and informational sentences!

3) Root of the Week For the week of this unit, the root we will be discussing is “simil” (a Latin prefix meaning “like” and “resembling”). The students will create a poster on a posterboard with the root “simil” in large print in the middle with its meaning (“like” and “resembling”) written below it. Throughout the week, I will challenge students to write down on a piece of notebook paper all the words they come across in reading with the prefix “simil.” Then, as a class, we will review the words we found, explaining where we found them, what they mean, and how their meaning relates to the meaning of “simil” (“like or “resembling”). Possible words include: similar (resembling in many aspects), similarity (resemblance), simile (a figure of speech that compares two things), simultaneous (happening at the same time), simulation (an imitation of a real event), etc. The image below represents what the poster board will begin to look like.

similarity simultaneous si SIMIL

similar “like” or simile “resembling” simulation

4) WORDO

Students will create a WORDO game board (a 5x5 square with the 25 vocabulary words and pictures that give them meaning). Then, the teacher will give clues instead of just calling out the vocabulary word. I may say the definition of the word, an antonym of the word, a synonym of the word, a sentence with the word deleted, how many syllables the word has, what part of speech the word is, etc. Students will try to decipher the clue and fill in their game board accordingly. If they call out WORDO, they must explain why they marked each word, based on the given clues. Students can have 1 free space of their choosing. They must get 5 words in a row to achieve WORDO - either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.

Here are the clues for the 25 vocabulary words that I will choose at random during the game:

• Simile – a comparison of two things using the words “like” or “as” • Metaphor – “You’re toast!” is an example of a ______. • Dog – the rival of cats • Breed – a specific type of dog; examples include pugs and Labradors • Pug – My ______is wrinkly like an old man. He snorts and snores! • Dalmatian – This type of dog breed is covered in spots! • Training – This is a word that means teaching your dog to behave. • Yipped - Giving a short, sharp cry or yelp • Barked – The sound a dog makes toward an intruder • Purebred – The opposite of a mutt • Mutt – a dog with parents from two different breeds • Protective – A word that means defensive • Scholar – An antonym of this word would be “unintelligent” or “stupid” • Professional – A 4-syllable word that means “an expert” • Petunias – a type of flower • Companion – An antonym for this word would be an “enemy” • Responsibility – She took ______for her actions, taking the blame for what she did. • Prehistoric – an antonym for this word would be “new” or “modern” • Receptors – devices that receive signals or information • Olfactory – of or relating to the sense of smell • Tremble – shake • Miraculous – a word that means amazing • Devoted – dedicated, in love, loyal • Snout – something animals use to sniff you; one syllable

W O R D O

In these boxes, students write the word and a picture that describes the word.

FREE SPACE

5) Rhyme Time The object of this game is to come up with a unique word that rhymes with the word stated by the teacher. In this game, students are split into groups of five. They can only get a point if they are the only one in their group with their word. For example, if I said the vocabulary word “pug” and the students’ answers are as follows:

Student 1: mug Student 2: slug Student 3: mug Student 4: plug Student 5: plum

… Then, only student 2 and 4 get points. Students 1 and 3 don’t get points because they had the same answer. Student 5 doesn’t get a point because their answer does not rhyme with the given word. Students must work together to decide who is awarded points. One person can keep score on a separate sheet on paper by tallying points. The teacher will go through each of the 25 vocabulary words stated above.

6) Word Detective I will split the class into 6 groups. Each group will be given one of our more difficult vocabulary words (professional, companion, responsibility, prehistoric, receptors, or olfactory). They will take on the role of being “word detectives,” and they will search the web for the roots that make up their word. Then, using that information, they will come up with what they believe to be the definition for their word. Then, they will raise their hands and explain their thought process and reasoning to me. If I think they are on the right track, I will then ask them to look up the definition of the word and write it in their own words. When everyone is finished, we will come back together as a class, and each group will explain their process for finding the meaning of the word. Before we begin the task, I would give students an example of what I want them to do.

7) Dog Word Ladder Directions: Students must read the clues, then write the corresponding words on the lines provided. Students should start at the bottom of the ladder so the clues will make the most sense.

A dog does this with his tail. (Change the first letter.) Groceries are carried in this. (Change the last letter.) Not good. (Change the first letter.) Unhappy. (Take away the second vowel.) Past tense of “say” Dad ______it was time to go to bed! (Change the last letter.) What a ship does. (Change the first letter.) Tail

Found here: http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/give-a-dog-a-bone-word-ladder- grades-4-6 by Timothy Rasinski Written Activities (VII)

1) Making and Writing Words In this activity, I will guide students through writing out and decoding words within a larger word. We will talk about the spelling, meaning, and pronunciation of the words. This activity allows students to see, spell, and say the words. First, I will tell the students what the vowels and consonants are that make up the word.

Vowels: a, i, o, o Consonants: c, m, n, n, p

“First, we are going to start with a word that means the opposite of ‘off.’” The On children will likely shout out, “On!” I will say, “Okay, so we spell that word ‘o-n’.” “Next, we are going to write a word that equals 36 divided by 6 minus 5…. Yes, one! Now, with this word, we are going to put a little heart over the ‘e’ because One this is a word that we have to learn by heart! It doesn’t sound like bone, cone, or tone, which are all words that you would think would rhyme with it!” “Hmm, I see another word. It is something that not many 4th graders like to do when their mother asks them to do chores. MOP! What sound does the ‘o’ make in this word? AH, like the sound Mop you make when your mom asks you to do chores. We’re going to draw a screaming face above this word to remember how to pronounce its ‘o’… AHH!” “The next word is another name for a law enforcement official. Cop! What do we have to mark on this word? The Cop screaming face above the ‘o’ for AH, right! We pronounce this word like k- AH-p.” “This word is the time most people have lunch! Noon. What sound do the o’s make in this case? Ew! Kinda like the Noon sound they make in the word ‘boo.’ We are going to draw a little ghost above the o’s so we can remember that these o’s sound like the word ‘boo’!” “This thing comes out when the sun goes away…. The moon! What do we need to mark on this word? Yes, we need to put Moon the ghost above the o’s because they make the same sound as the word ‘boo’!” “This is something you can cook dinner in. A pan! We can draw a little stick-man Pan above this word because its ending sounds the same as ‘man’.” “Can anyone think of a word that uses all the letters? It is a word that people often call their dogs, when they view their pets as their friends… The word ‘pan’ is in the middle of this word.” I would give students time to think about it before giving more clues. Then I might say, “The first three letters are a prefix that means ‘together’… Right, companion! This word comes from the root ‘com,’ which means Companion ‘together,’ and the root ‘panis,’ which means ‘bread.’ Originally, a companion was a person that you would break bread with or eat dinner with! Now, we view companions as our friends! Let’s draw a loaf bread above this word to help us remember that story and what this word means. Also, let’s draw our little stick-man above pan like we did in the last step!”

2) Writing Metaphors and Similes about Yourself (from www.k12reader.com)

In this activity, students begin writing metaphors and similes about themselves to describe how they feel, look, and act. I would give students an example of my work for each category. For example, I could say, “Ms. Calo feels as lazy as a sloth; all she wants to do is sleep her day away! Her eyes droop like a snow- covered branch in winter as she tries to stay awake. She becomes a monster when her dogs make her mad!” Name: ______

Metaphor and Simile: About You

Write three metaphors or similes about yourself in each section below. I. How do you feel?

Example: I feel as happy as a puppy rolling in the grass. 1) ______2) ______3) ______II. How do you look?

Example: My hair in the morning is like a crumpled piece of paper. 1) ______2) ______3) ______III. How do you act?

Example: My clown self arrives when I feel silly. 1) ______2) ______3) ______

Pick one of your metaphors or similes and explain its meaning. What are you comparing yourself to? Why is that like you?

______

In this activity, students read about what metaphors are and how they are different from similes. Then, they identify metaphors in a passage by underlining them. This would be a good start, before I ask students to make their own metaphors or to describe what each metaphor means.

Name:______Metaphor

Hunt

Figurative language includes special forms that writers use to help readers make a strong connection to their words. A metaphor is one kind of figurative language. It makes a direct comparison of two unlike things. You can tell the difference between a metaphor and a simile because a simile uses the words “like” or “as”, and a metaphor does not. Metaphors often use a form of the verb “to be”. The verb can be in the past tense (was, were), the present tense (am, is, are), or future tense (will be).

Read the story below. Underline all the metaphors you find.

The Haircut

When I woke up on Saturday, mom said I was a sheepdog with my

long, shaggy hair, and it was time for me to get my hair cut. When I looked at

her, she was a zebra, half hidden behind the drapes of my overgrown bangs.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. She was right, my hair had to be cut.

The barber’s chair was a tower, and he pumped it higher and higher. I didn’t really

mind. I was an explorer, looking at the world in a whole new way. The pieces of hair on

the floor were an exotic carpet of strange brown fibers that criss-crossed in a crazy

pattern. The floor was an odd new planet, and I was an astronaut looking down from

above. The barber pumped the chair again, and I was a rocket coming in for a landing. I

couldn’t believe the adventure was over so soon.

On the way home, we stopped at the store to buy some milk. Unfortunately, there

was some amazing sale going on at the time. We were tiny fish swimming in a sea of

people. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and go home. The drive home was a frustrating

experience, because the holiday traffic had turned the street into a parking lot. I hope it’s

a long time before I’m a sheepdog again!

4) Metaphor Meanings

In this written activity, students describe what a list of metaphors actually means. This activity can teach them that metaphors are not to be taken literally. They are examples of figurative language writers can use to enhance their comparisons and descriptions of people and things.

Name:______Metaphor

Meanings

All of the sentences below use metaphors. Explain what each one means.

1. The teeth of the crocodile are little white knives.

___The crocodile’s teeth are very sharp.______.

2. My life is a dream come true!

______.

3. The bird fired a white missile, which exploded on my windshield.

______.

4. The crab was a dancing pair of scissors, clicking across the sand.

______.

5. Her long hair is an ocean of waves.

______.

6. The music of her laughter filled the room.

______.

7. A book is a key that unlocks imagination in your mind.

______.

8. Her diary was her best friend, guarding her secrets quietly.

______.

Name:______Key Metaphor

Meanings

All of the sentences below use metaphors. Explain what each one means. Student answers will vary. Sample answers are given. 1. The teeth of the crocodile are little white knives.

___The crocodile’s teeth are very sharp.______.

2. My life is a dream come true! My life is going very well. I’m getting everything I’ve always wanted. ______.

3. The bird fired a white missile, which exploded on my windshield.

The bird pooped on my windshield and it spread all over. ______.

4. The crab was a dancing pair of scissors, clicking across the sand. The crab was opening and closing its claws as it walked over the sand. ______.

5. Her long hair is an ocean of waves. She had lots of waves, or curls, in her hair. ______.

6. The music of her laughter filled the room. Her laughter was a pleasant sound in the room. ______.

7. A book is a key that unlocks imagination in your mind.

Reading books improves your ability to imagine things and be creative. ______.

8. Her diary was her best friend, guarding her secrets quietly.

Her secrets were safe because they were written in her diary, which could not talk. ______.

5) Using Metaphors

In this written activity, students jazz up regular sentences by changing them to metaphors. It is a great way to show students that figurative language can make our writing more vivid. Using metaphors and similes allows readers to better conceptualize what you are trying to say by comparing it to something they know.

Name:______Using

Metaphors

Read the sentences below. Rewrite each one using a metaphor.

1. She was stuck at home, unable to go anywhere.

____She was a prisoner in her own home.______.

2. Peter does better than anyone else in our classroom.

______.

3. The information was good news that Gracey was glad to hear.

______.

4. Scott was sad for a long time after his puppy died.

______.

5. Life has happy times, and sad times.

______.

6. People of all different races live together in America.

______.

7. Wasting time is bad.

______.

8. The accident taught me to be more careful when I cross the street.

______.

Name:______Key Using

Metaphors

Read the sentences below. Rewrite each one using a metaphor. Student answers will vary. Sample answers given. 9. She was stuck at home, unable to go anywhere.

____She was a prisoner in her own home.______.

10.Peter does better than anyone else in our classroom.

______.Peter is a shining star in our classroom.

11.The information was good news that Gracey was glad to hear.

______.The information was music to Gracey’s ears.

12.Scott was sad for a long time after his puppy died.

______.Scott was blue for months after his puppy died.

13.Life has happy times, and sad times.

______.Life is a rollercoaster of emotions.

14.People of all different races live together in America.

______.America is a melting pot of different races.

15.Wasting time is bad.

______.Time is money.

16.The accident taught me to be more careful when I cross the street.

______.The accident was a painful lesson on safety.

Reflection

After completing this unit, I feel very proud of the work I have done. I learned how to adapt text to meet the needs of my classroom, such as changing a poem or picture book into a readers’ theatre piece. I have learned that readers’ theatres scripts are great ways to teach students about using expression, but they are also great tools for building fluency and automaticity after repeated readings. I also never thought I would be creating a song to sing with my students, but I realized that turning a poem into a song can be very engaging for students. When students sing, they are reading - little do they know! Through reading and singing the song, students can see how language can have rhythm as well as rhyme. They may recognize common word families among words in the songs.

Creating the dialogue piece between John and his Uncle Jeff was also a new experience for me. I basically read an informational book for kids and transformed it into a conversation between a boy and his veterinarian uncle. I thought this would be a great way to incorporate paired reading with an individual and his peers, teacher, or parents. They could take turns reading the part of John and reading the part of Uncle Jeff (which is more difficult), helping one another along the way with decoding unfamiliar words and reading for meaning. I would encourage students to read in their best voice, perhaps trying to sound like a little boy when reading John’s part and trying to sound like a wise old uncle when reading Uncle Jeff’s.

I also thought it was good how I taught metaphors and similes in relation to dog breeds, things that are familiar to kids. Also, I brought in a little bit of my personal life into the lesson, showing pictures of my pug and Dalmatian. This type of thing can help build connections between my students and me.

One of the things I found most challenging was creating the written activity for Making and Writing Words. I feel like I don’t know a lot about the difference between long and short vowels or other phonics rules. I tried my best though! I think it was a good start, but I would like to learn more about creating these activities in the future.

Developing this unit and my own materials really opened my eyes to what teaching will be like for me in the future. Let’s just say – it’s going to be a lot of work to plan worthwhile units such as these that are developed for students to progress in fluency, automaticity, expression/prosody, vocabulary, and comprehension, BUT they are definitely worth the time because the effects can be tremendous. As far as metacognitive awareness goes, I can definitely say I learned a lot from actually CREATING my own unit. It was more of a hands-on activity, rather than passively reading an article. I learned from the modules and the readings, but through this assignment, I was able to put my knowledge to use, and it was very engaging for me.