Idioms: Literal vs. Figurative

We recently finished our unit on Figurative Language and Poetry and my kids voted this as one of their favorite activities!  Each of my students picked an idiom that they wanted to illustrate and as they chose they had to tell me what their idiom meant.  If they didn't know we got to "poll the audience" (ask the class if they know) or we looked up the definition in Scholastic's Idiom Dictionary.  That is a must if you don't have it already!  So many great idioms, definitions, and examples in context.

Once everyone had their idiom they began coloring their pictures (no white space, they had to take up the whole box) and writing the meaning for each version.  I created the template with an area for both the literal meaning and one for the figurative.  When they were all done we hung them up in the hall.   The final product was amazing!  The kids did such a wonderful job showing how ridiculous the literal meaning could be and perfect visuals to explain the figurative meaning.  Here are just a few examples:

Click here to get this activity at my TPT store!  It includes the directions sheet, possible idioms list, and the "Literally vs. Figuratively" template.  I hope y'all enjoy it as much as my kiddos did!

Sabra

Figurative Language Through Songs

I'M BACK!!!!  Well it's finally happened.  Mr. S and I got married on November 2, so that officially makes me Mrs. S!!!  SO excited but it is bitter sweet.  Loved the wedding and the planning was exhausting fun but it is nice to be back to my regular schedule of craziness from the classroom.  And believe me... it's crazy!

While I was away from bloggingland things were still going on in the classroom that I wanted to share, so expect lots of posts as a way of catch up, lol.  We recently finished up our unit on Figurative Language and this is one of my favorites!  My absolute favorite lesson from this unit is Figurative Language through songs.  Now I usually do this activity at the very end of the unit as a review and I know I'm posting in the wrong order but I just can't help it!

Activity Breakdown:

My students pull out their Figurative Language notes and make sure they have them handy through this whole activity.  I tell the students that I will play a song, as the song is going they are walking around the room.  They can't follow a friend or stalk a seat, just roam.  When the music stops they need to sit in the seat immediately near them, no running across the room to get a spot.  (I know that this is a Kagan Structure but for the life of me I can't think of the name and my book is at school)  On each pair of desks is one white board, expo marker, and rag (partners share this set of materials).  Even when they are sitting they still do not know who they are working with until I call out "shoulder partner" or "face partner."  This is a very helpful hint so the students don't jump the gun and begin or leave someone out before I have given my directions or hints (like how many types of figurative language are in the song).

Once I tell them who their partner is I restart the song they were listening to as they were walking and put the lyrics to the song up on the projector.  As a team they have to figure out which figurative language is being used and justify their answer by giving me the lyrics.  They write their answer/s (most of the songs have more than one) on the white board and I give them a silent nod or shake.  If it's correct then they put their board face down and enjoy the rest of the song but most songs have more than one so they keep on looking.  If it is wrong, they erase and try again.  When the song is over or everyone has found all the answers we go over it and erase the boards and set up for the next song.  I begin the next song and they push in their chairs and begin the walk and the process repeats itself.

My kids absolutely LOVE this activity and rave about it!  It always ends up being one of their favorites at the end of the year.  Anything to get them up and moving!  Now finding songs was a little more difficult than I anticipated and a lot of them were not necessarily appropriate.  So, for your sanity here is my list of nine songs that I used:

1. Eight Days a Week by The Beatles
2. Love Me Like a Rock by Paul Simon
3. My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles
4. It Ends Tonight by All American Rejects
5. Splish Splash by Bobby Darin
6. The Way Your Do the Things You Do by The Temptations
7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
8. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams
9. You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder

I'm sure there are many more and if you find any please comment and add them below!  There is not just one answer for any song except Splish Splash (onomatopoeia) and if you check back after Saturday I will post all the answer possibilities if you would like them :o)

I hope you enjoy this activity as much as we do!

Sabra