Activities

Hyperbole Challenge

This activity focuses on using hyperbole, or extreme exaggeration, which is something many
students are already good at. This activity capitalizes on the natural tendency of kids to exaggerate
regular daily occurrences.

To participate in this activity, have each student quickly jot down a list of mundane things that they
did this morning. Examples could include eating cereal for breakfast or loading up their backpack.
Next, they brainstorm hyperbolic phrases they could use to exaggerate their morning routine.
Ultimately, each student will write a short story or poem describing this event, using as many
hyperbolic expressions as they can. When finished, students can share their writings with the class,
which is sure to provide endless humor for your classroom.

Finish the Simile

This is the perfect activity for students who are just learning figurative language. Similes are usually
easy to spot, as most students look for the words 'like' or 'as.' However, this activity takes it a step
further from simple identification.

Provide a list of only half of a simile. It can be the end or beginning, but leave a blank for one of the
objects being compared. The object of this activity is for students to come up with the second half of
the simile, while at the same time making sense within the context of the situation. Here are some
examples:

Silly as a _

Tall like a _

_ as a lion

_ like a demon

You can provide a short story or a poem that contains the unfinished simile. Advanced students
could even write their own story or poem to use the similes. However you decide to set up the
writing, be sure to clarify requirements, like what types of words they have to use in the blanks or
how many of the similes they need to use. This will get your students thinking about how to use a
simile to appropriately describe a specific situation.

Create a series of sentences using various figures of speech, and a series of cards with
the names of the figures of speech, such as metaphor and simile. Split the class into two
teams and give them each a set of strips and cards. Using a timer, have the students place
the sentence strips on the white board and match them with the correct cards. The team
that matches all of the sentences to the correct cards in the shortest time wins. Use tape to
attach the cards and strips, or if you want to reuse them later, laminate the strips and add
magnetic tape on the back.
Group Poems
Divide students into groups of four to six. Begin by providing an opening line or theme for a
poem and instruct students that they must take turns creating each line of the poem and must
use one or more figures of speech in each line. At the end of each line they should indicate
the figure of speech used. For example: "The bird flew like an arrow across the burning cold.
(simile, oxymoron)" Judge the best poems — provide the winners with award ribbons and
display their work on the board.