Lesson #3: Uses of Metaphor and Simile

Read the story: Orubba uses metaphorical expressions to describe her life throughout the story. (Orubba compares parts of her life to climbing a ladder, running a race, ordering from a menu, and eating a meal. Her nieces and nephews are sweet as honey.)

Depending on your group’s reading level, you can ask them to scan the story and call out when they find one. (You can divide them into groups to do this.) Write abbreviated responses on the board. Or you can read the story yourself, mark the metaphors, and tell them where to go in the story to find them. Read the paragraphs out loud so they understand what is being compared to what.

Writing activity: Ask your group to compare their school careers to a sporting event, a TV show or movie, taking a car ride, ordering at a restaurant or other activity. Write a brief passage showing how the comparison works. (“I feel like a contestant on American Idol trying to please my judges…I mean teachers.”)