Picture It With Words

Overview

Students explore how similes and metaphors create vivid pictures in a reader’s mind. They identify the difference between the two devices, analyse examples, and apply them in a short descriptive paragraph about a familiar New Zealand setting.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify similes and metaphors in sentences and texts.
• WALT explain how comparisons help readers imagine and understand ideas.
• WALT create effective similes and metaphors for a particular audience and purpose.
• WALT revise our writing so comparisons are clear, relevant, and original.

Success criteria

• I can explain that a simile compares using like or as.
• I can explain that a metaphor says one thing is another to create a comparison.
• I can identify and explain the effect of a simile or metaphor.
• I can use at least one simile and one metaphor in a clear descriptive paragraph.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing to inform: developing a topic with precise language, details, examples, and domain-specific vocabulary.
• English — Writing processes: planning, drafting, revising, and improving writing for communication.
• English — Oral language, reading, and writing: explicit teaching of language and subject-English knowledge.
• English — Teaching sequence guidance: systematic, explicit instruction to support novice learners and manage cognitive load.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and noticing. Display a photograph of a stormy West Coast beach and open with the stormy beach hook slide. Read: “The waves were big” and “The waves were mountains charging the shore.” Students turn and talk about which sentence creates the stronger picture and why.

2. 5–15 min · Explicit teaching and modelling. Use the definitions and examples slides to introduce the terms. Explain: a simile compares two unlike things using like or as (“The kapa haka performers moved like flowing water”); a metaphor compares by saying one thing is another (“The pā is a living history book”). Clarify that a metaphor is not literally true. Model identifying the two parts being compared and think aloud: “In ‘The playground was a beehive’, the playground is compared with a beehive because it was busy and noisy.” Students show one finger for simile or two for metaphor as you read four examples.

3. 15–25 min · Guided practice. Distribute the simile and metaphor practice sheet. Complete the first two examples together: underline the comparison, label it, and discuss the image or feeling it creates. In pairs, students label four further examples and explain one effect using the stem: “This comparison helps the reader imagine/feel…”. Check responses through cold calling, partner explanation, and whole-class correction. Address the misconception that every sentence containing like is a simile: “I like swimming” is not a comparison.

4. 25–37 min · Collaborative comparison workshop. In groups of four, students choose a familiar New Zealand subject from the slides—such as a pōhutukawa, a rugby match, a tūī, a busy dairy, a waka, or a Southern Alps track. Each group brainstorms sensory details and creates one simile and one metaphor. Use the group-task instructions and prompt slide. Students read their comparisons aloud; listeners identify the device and explain the image it creates. Encourage respectful discussion and accurate pronunciation of local names.

5. 37–52 min · Independent writing. Students select one subject and write a descriptive paragraph of 5–7 sentences on the planning and writing section. They plan the subject, audience, and mood, then include at least one simile and one metaphor. Model a quick paragraph opening before students begin: “At dawn, the marae courtyard was a quiet drum, waiting for voices.” Circulate and conference briefly, prompting students to choose comparisons that reveal a specific quality rather than simply add decoration.

6. 52–57 min · Share and revise. Students swap writing with a partner and use the prompts on the peer-review and revision slide: “I can picture…”, “The comparison I noticed was…”, and “You could make this clearer by…”. Writers check that each comparison makes sense, is not repeated, and suits the intended mood. Students revise one sentence in a different colour.

7. 57–60 min · Exit ticket and close. Finish with the retrieval practice exit ticket slips. Students write one original simile, one original metaphor, and a brief explanation of the difference between them. Collect slips as students leave and invite two volunteers to share a strong comparison.

Resources

• the similes and metaphors lesson deck
• the simile and metaphor practice sheet
• the retrieval practice exit ticket slips
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Photograph of a stormy New Zealand beach
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Exercise books and pens
• Timer

Assessment

• During modelling, use finger responses and questioning to check whether students can distinguish similes from metaphors and explain the comparison.
• Review pair answers and group examples for accurate labels, meaningful connections, and explanations of effect.
• Use the independent paragraph and exit ticket to assess whether students can apply both devices. Record students needing reteaching: confusing the definitions, writing literal statements, or using unclear comparisons.

Differentiation

• Support learners with a comparison bank, picture prompts, oral rehearsal, and sentence starters: “The ___ was like ___ because…” and “The ___ was a ___, showing…”.
• Pair students strategically and allow learners to dictate ideas, use speech-to-text, or sketch the image before writing. Pre-teach comparison, literal, mood, and imagery with gestures and examples.
• Provide a partially completed model paragraph and check understanding individually before independent writing. Accept oral explanations alongside written responses where appropriate.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to sustain a mood across the paragraph, avoid familiar clichés, and explain why a metaphor is more effective than a literal description for their chosen audience.