Laura Conaway

LLT 370—Middle School Lesson Plan

Author Laura Conaway
Subject Information Literacy/Figurative Language
Grade Level/Course Grade 7
Title Understanding Figurative Language in Poetry
Standards AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner
Standard:
Inquire, Think…Learners display curiosity and initiative by:
1. Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular
topic.
2. Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new
meaning.
Collaborate, Think…Learners identify collaborative opportunities by:
2. Developing new understandings through engagement in a
learning group.
The Model Curriculum for Pennsylvania School Library Programs
Big Idea: Critical thinkers actively and skillfully interpret, analyze,
evaluate, and synthesize information.
 Draw relevant evidence from text to answer information needs
using grade-level-appropriate note-taking skills. (CC. 1. 4. S
and CC. 1. 4. W (6-8))
Objectives Students will be able to…
1. Label examples of figurative language in different poems
2. Explain why an example is a specific figurative language term
3. Write a poem displaying their understanding of figurative
language examples such as similes, metaphors, and imagery
Duration 12 minutes. 6-minute formal lesson with the duration set aside for
group and individual instruction with assistance.
Materials Spring Plowing by Ted Kooser
First Snow by Ted Kooser
Worksheet
Instructional 1. This lesson is a continuation of a figurative language lesson
Strategies and presented last week.
Procedures 2. Students will proceed to the tables in the library when they
arrive. No more than four students to a table.
3. First proceed to student’s name desk and get his/her attention
that the lesson is about to begin. Then, get the students’
attention by stating that in class today we are going to continue
the lesson discussing figurative language in poetry.
4. The librarian will ask students what they remember about
figurative language including imagery (visual descriptions),
alliteration (same letter or sounds in words adjacent to each
other), similes (using like or as to compare two things), and
metaphors (comparing two things without using like or as). This
should take about one minute.
 5. After reviewing, the librarian will hand out the two poems to
each student and will ask someone to read Spring Plowing by
Ted Kooser.
6. Then, the librarian will tell students to get into groups of three
or four.
7. Students will discuss in small groups what parts of figurative
language they find in the poem that was read aloud. Provide an
example for them to get started with.
a. Examples: “steam in the night like lakes” is a simile
because it uses like or as, “freshly plowed fields” is
imagery because it is describing a seen that one can
picture.
8. After students discuss in their groups for 2 minutes get student’s
name attention again that the lesson will be a class discussion
now. Then, discuss as a class everyone’s findings for 3 minutes.
a. Have each group mention one figurative language
example they found and why it fits into that category.
9. The librarian will instruct students to practice again with the
next poem in their groups. They will read the poem First Snow
by Ted Kooser, underline figurative language they find, and
discuss the information as a group. This section should take
approximately two to three minutes.
a. The librarian should walk around to each group and
monitor to make sure students are on task and answer
any questions.
10. Get student’s name attention once more and tell him/her to
proceed back to their seat if they are not already there and say
instructions will be given on what to complete for the remainder
of class. Then, tell students to then proceed back to their seats,
and explain to them the assessment they will be completing for
the remainder of the time. Hand out the activity assessment
worksheet to each student.
11. Students will work independently on the worksheet and creating
their own poem with five different figurative language examples
that are clearly marked or underlined. The poem should be no
more than one page handwritten or typed, and it can be on any
school appropriate topic of the student’s choice. Anything not
finished during library will be completed as homework and
turned in during the next class period and will be graded for
correctness.
Assessment  Students will work individually to complete a worksheet
accurately that targets questions about figurative language in a
few lines of a poem.
 Students will display an understanding of the information they
have learned by writing a poem individually that showcases five
 examples of figurative language. The examples should be
clearly underlined or noted.

Accommodations  Students with a reading disability will have access to the

for Exceptional poem(s) being read to them to assist with stronger
Students comprehension.
 Students with a reading disability will have access to a scribe
when creating their own poem with figurative language
examples.
 Students who are visually impaired will have access to the
poems in Braille or an audio version and can use a computer to
write their own poem.
 Students with a hearing impairment will be placed at the front
of the classroom so that they can hear the teacher more clearly.
Any hearing aid devices or microphones supplied will be used
to assist the student in hearing the directions the teacher
explains and information presented during the lesson. The
student must also be signaled by a tap on the shoulder at the
beginning of class and when reconvening from group work so
that they know a lesson is about to begin and/or continue.
Resources used to https://www.pdesas.org/ContentWeb/Content/Content/4603/LessonPlan
create lesson (Figurative Language Focused Lesson Plan idea)
http://www.versedaily.org/2005/3tkpoems.shtml (First Snow and
Spring Plowing Poem)
Information for worksheet activity assessment was taken from the
Lesson Plan on SAS under Focus on Figurative Language
Name _______________________________

Activity Assessment Worksheet

Read these lines from a poem:

Between the silver spears of rain

The silken cat slipped silently.
It seemed as though it spoke to me,
Its gold eyes bright across the lane,

1. Which line of the poem contains a metaphor?

a. one
b. two
c. three
d. four

2. What is the connotation of the word “silken” in line 2 of the poem?

a. warmth
b. swiftness
c. softness
d. arrogance

3. Which word best describes the tone of the poem?

a. entranced
b. despairing
c. critical
d. humorous

4. What does the phrase “silver spears of rain” suggest?

a. The rain is painful.
b. The rain has disappeared.
c. The rain has begun to subside.
d. The rain is coming down hard.

5. Which excerpt from the poem is the best example of imagery?

a. “gold eyes bright”
b. “seemed as though”
c. “it spoke to me”
d. “across the lane”
6. Which word below has a connotation of elegance?
a. spry
b. athletic
c. slinky
 d. graceful

7. Which sentence below contains a metaphor?

a. My science teacher really tells it like it is.
b. My brother is a night owl.
c. The woman slept like a log.
d. The cat was bright orange with yellow stripes.