Mix-n-Match Similes and Metaphors

Have you ever seen those mix-n-match books, where you have the head, mid-section, and legs of one character, but you can flip on piece of it to make an entirely new combination of characters and story?  My daughter has one and it inspired me to get a little creative in my class!


We have been studying similes and metaphors in class.  To help the kids along, I read them "Quick as a Cricket" by Audrey Wood.  It is a very simple book, in which she uses simple similes to compare the main character to various animals.



Similies and Metaphors
After reading the book, the students created a divided circle map in which they listed all the adjectives they could think of that described themselves, then all of the animate and inanimate objects that would also be fitting for a self-description.












Thinking Maps

The next step was a tree map.  I had the students break their body up into 3 parts -- head, mid-section, and legs/feet.  They then used their circle map to create comparisons between themselves and the objects, all relating to that portion of their body.  For example, they could write "dark cave of thoughts" under head, or "fast cheetah" under legs.  The idea was to get them thinking about how different parts of their body could be compared to objects that were definitely not alike.

Once the Tree Maps were complete, I asked the students to choose their four favorite comparisons from each section.  They needed to write as many simple similes and  metaphors from those comparisons.   Again, we used a divided Circle Map (can anyone tell I love using Thinking Maps???)

Finally, they chose the two favorites from each category and, on a separate piece of paper, they made those simple similes and metaphors complex.  For example, using the dark cave from above, a student may have written, "I am a dark cave of emotions after watching a scary movie."  or  "I am an active volcano ready to spurt out my knowledge during the trivia game."

Similes and Metaphors
This is the finished product (minus cover), when it is all closed up.
Once these were done, the fun began.  The students were given a four pieces of paper with a person figure on each.  I had pre-drawn a line separating their head, from the midsection, and then the legs.  On each section, they put either a simile or metaphor.  They then drew a that part of the body to resemble the metaphor.   The students then cut the slips, so that you could mix and match the different parts...all of which came together to make the author (mimicking the last line of Quick as a Cricket).
similes and metaphors
When you open up the flaps, the "story" changes.  You can make any mixture you want!

similes and metaphors
Another view with different flaps open (sorry it is so blurry! iPhone does that sometimes)

29 comments

  1. Hey Steph! I totally love your ideas, even though I am in Kinder. :) I am tagging you in an blogging game. I hope you will play along. Check out my blog for the rules.

    Erica

    http://sprinklestokindergarten.blogspot.com/

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  2. Oh I tagged you too! You get to kill two birds with one stone with this one. Thank you for your blog, I love reading each entry!
    ~Heather
    http://looseshoelaces.blogspot.com/

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  3. WOW! This is amazing! We are about to start figurative language... and I use Quick as a Cricket too.
    What amazing work with the thinking maps. And what a CUTE product.
    I am completely impressed with the work that you and your students did.
    We rarely get past "...as bright as the sun..."
    Just... wow.

    Kim
    Finding JOY in 6th Grade

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    1. Thanks Kim! The kids really took this project seriously and it came out so cute! I am impressed by them too ;)

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  4. You have such awesome ideas! I love the mini flip books!
    ☼Kate
    To The Square Inch

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    1. Thanks! Likewise my lady :) I have been recommending your blog left and right!

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  5. You've been tagged!! Head over to my blog to check it out.
    Beth
    Thinking of Teaching

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  6. Tag you're it!
    http://tothesquareinch.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/ive-been-tagged/

    ☼Kate
    To The Square Inch

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  7. Stephanie-I'm going to use this idea-how did you find the body outline? Striking out there.

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    1. I actually have a little person shape cut out (from Lakeshore) that I just traced. Sorry, no help there. Maybe you can find a person shape online, even one that is filled in, and just trace around it?

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  8. I totally love this. Great ideas.

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  9. Thanks :) I'll figure something out-this is something my class will absolutely love! All of your posts include such great in-depth material. Thank you!

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  10. Oh my goodness... this is wonderful! The students are going to love this! Wow! So creative!

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  11. Absolutely love this activity! It is perfect for creating poems & I can not wait to do this with my kiddos!!!

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  12. I love this idea! So cute! You are so creative! What does the cover usually look like?

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  13. I found this activity on pinterest last night. I loved it so much that I woke up this morning and did it with my 9 year old daughter. I even made up some printables to use with my class next year. We had so much fun working on it all day today. She learned about similes and metaphors and I now have a sample to use with my class next school year. Thanks so much for the inspiration!!! What a truly fun and creative way to teach similes and metaphors!!!!

    ♥Rebecca
    Create●Teach●Share

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    1. Wow! Thank you for sharing...made my day to read this. :) I am so glad you were able to have some teachable fun with your daughter today!

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  14. This is the coolest thing ever! Thanks for sharing!

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  16. What a phenomenal idea - my fifth graders will LOVE this!

    Thanks for sharing :)

    ~Jessica
    Joy in the Journey

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  17. I just did this in my classroom today! How would you display these? I feel like if I hot-glued them that they would be just hanging open and would get ruined. Ideas? Thanks! Love this idea!

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  19. Count me along with the others who love this! What did you do for a cover?

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  20. Just amazing!!!! This one is worth stealing and doing in class.

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  21. We just finished our mix-and-match book and they came out pretty good! I was wondering if you can post a picture of the cover or describe how it looks like. I want to display them on one of our bulletin boards but the strips curl back. Thank you and I love your blog!!!!

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