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*This lesson coincides with section 2, that’s not logical, from A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech.
Lesson written by: Nancy Cole and Mandy Chambers
Grade level range: Grade 3-4
Length of time to teach lesson: 15 minutes
Overview of lesson: Students will first practice identifying metaphors when they play “Metaphor Mania”. Next, we will explain how creating metaphors or similes stimulates creativity and can help in problem solving. Lastly, we will have students create their own metaphors. They will be able to choose from a non-linguistic representation of the metaphor, and a linguistic one.
Objective (Learning target) of this lesson: Students will review metaphor and simile by identifying metaphors, and will create their own.
Resources/supplies/handouts needed to teach this lesson: Game board, game pieces, , rubric, die, answer key, question cards, and 2 handouts to create their own metaphor/simile.
Step-by-step teaching instructions for the lesson.
1) Have students play Metaphor Mania.
2) Explain how creating metaphors stimulates creativity and be used in problem solving.
3) Have students create their own metaphors. Explain the linguistic and non-linguistic choices and allow them to choose which method to use to create their own metaphor.
*Challenge them to extend the metaphor/simile.
Assessment: Steps for using the rubric:
- Students can self-assess and prepare to defend their score.
- Teacher and student co-assess the work. This gives opportunity to refine and correct misconceptions.
- Teacher assesses student work.
Special Notes from the creators of this lesson: Although Robert von Oech gives many examples of metaphors in Chapter 2 of A Whack on the Side of the Head, they are actually similes, which would likely only present a problem in a language arts setting.
