Flipped Lesson: Figurative Language, Literally

Purpose/rationale: Florida Standards expect students to fully comprehend and be able to

analyze and utilize figurative language by grades eleven/ twelve. Thus, this eleventh grade lesson
is intended to reintroduce the concept of figurative language and all its subcategories to students,
while building their knowledge bases and providing practical application in their own writing. In
this lesson, students will discuss figurative language, create and evaluate examples of it, and use
a mentor text to practice writing with figurative language. This lesson takes place about halfway
through the year as part of a creative writing unit, to help students more fully develop their own
creative writing. This comes after students have already learned several other literary devices as
part of the unit. This lesson is in the form of a flipped lesson, so as to allow students to truly
learn at their own pace before coming to class and practicing using and creating figurative
language with guided support and facilitation.
Florida Standards:
LAFS.1112.L.3.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their
role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
LAFS.1112.L.1.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
b. Spell Correctly.

Objectives:
SWBAT demonstrate comprehension of the figurative language in real-world examples.
SWBAT identify and categorize the types of figurative language.
SWBAT compose an original work utilizing various forms of figurative language.
Materials:
Classroom set of computers/ tablets, paper and pencils, whiteboard and dry erase markers,
projector

Anticipatory set:

Students should come in, sit down quietly, and pull out their bell-ringer journals and personal
laptops/ tablets. The bell-ringer prompt will be displayed on the whiteboard, and should read as
follows: For yesterdays homework, you were to watch several videos about figurative
language. Today I want you to do some Internet research and find at least three examples of
figurative language in Disney songs, which I would like you to copy down, and categorize based
on which type of figurative language each is. You have seven minutes.
Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time
7 minutes

5 minutes

Student is doing
Coming in, sitting quietly,
pulling out necessary
materials, and completing the
bell-ringer.
Listen quietly, volunteer to
share answer.

8 minutes

Watching the video, listening

to the lyrics for examples of
figurative language, and
sharing examples.

15 minutes

Follow instructions to create a

piece with figurative language
similar to the Mulan song.

Teacher is doing
Preparing the days materials.

Ask for volunteers to share

their found examples with the
class. Call on as many
volunteers as time allows.
Tell students, Pay particular
attention to the video Im
about to show you. Listen to
the words, and try to find
some examples of figurative
language. Play the YouTube
video of Mulans Ill Make a
Man Out of You. (Link in
appendix) Students may laugh,
but be sure to manage
reasonable volume levels.
When the video is over, ask
for several volunteers to share
any examples of figurative
language they caught.
Display the lyrics of the song
on the projector. Ask student
to spend the next fifteen
minutes modeling off of the
lyrics displayed to create their
own compositions using
different figurative language.
Tell them their structure of
their writing can differ as little
or as much from the song as
theyd like, but that the
content should be distinct and

10 minutes

Work in pairs to categorize the

examples of figurative
language.

5 minutes

Students should pack up and

leave quietly, turning in their
bell-ringers to the teacher.

original.
Put students into pairs based
on who theyre sitting closest
too. Ask them to take turns
sharing their writing and
categorizing the different
examples of figurative writing
within it, such as metaphor
or simile. Tell students they
may use their electronic
devices to do further research
into the types of figurative
language if they need to.
Begin the process of ending
class. Ask students to restore
their desks to normal if need
be, and to pack up their
belongings. Tell students to
turn in their bell-ringers as
exit slips.

Summary/Closure:
Students will restore their desks to the original positions as needed, pack up their belongings, and
turn in their bell-ringers to the teacher.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: None

Informal assessment: Bell-ringers, student answers, and teacher observations of the pairs
should all demonstrate student comprehension of figurative language and ability to use it
in their writing.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
none
Accommodations/adaptations:

Herbert Millner (M)- ADHD: Allow extra time to complete work as needed, seat at the front and
center of the class, provide written instructions, provide peer assistance in activities, pair with a
kind and experienced peer for the paired activity.
Paten Vander (F)- Speech impairment: Do not call on unless student volunteers, pair with patient
peer for paired activity.
Lya Gross (F)- Mild dyslexia: Provide a peer note taker as required, do not call on unless student
volunteers, pair with patient peer, provide personal copy of Mulan lyrics printed in white on
black background.
Oliver Fore (M)- Mild autism: Allow extra time as needed, provide a trained buddy for pair
activity, provide clear beginning and ending to tasks.
ELL Students: Pair with kind and patient peers, provide extra help and instruction as needed.
Low-SES Students: Open classroom at least ten minutes before the start of school and during
lunch for students to use classroom computers to do required viewing. Laptops/ tablets provided
by the school.
Attachments/Appendices:
Figurative Language Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsS-DoxZtbc
Simile vs. Metaphor Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soP7d3e212k
Google Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kQUyS2MGAAjzJVyVGsyXt3OVUyYGY8bnDszjiL0XS8M/
viewform
Mulan Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64
Plan B:
If students are struggling with the material, facilitate a quick review of figurative language, and
identify further examples. If students find the activity too easy, expand the mentor text activity
and have students revise each others work. If the class finishes early, assign a period of freewriting and encourage students to make use of figurative language.