LESSON ONE: Figurative Language and Symbolism
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Students identify and explain figurative language (symbolism) in poetry and prose and in nonfiction.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ADDRESSED
o R2B Identify and explain figurative language (symbolism) in poetry and prose.
o R3B Identify and explain figurative language (symbolism) in nonfiction.
§ Sources of literature
o Passage: “Yellow Man by Moonlight” by Jennifer Owings Dewey from MAP Released Items Intermediate Level Year 2005
www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/Released_Items/ComArts/2005/07caRIs05MO.pdf
o Poem: “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes from MAP Released Items Intermediate Level Year 2002 http://www.favoritepoem.org/poems/hughes/index.html
o Short Story: “Amir” from MAP Sample Items
www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/Practice_Tests/Middle_6-7/CA/7gr_fict_pt.pdf
§ Supplies
o Overhead
o Transparencies
o Transparency markers
o Scoring Guide for Lesson One Formative Assessment
§ Handouts provided
o Short story “Amir” by Paul Fleischman
o Poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
o Passage “Yellow Man by Moonlight” by Jennifer Owings Dewey
§ Words to know
o figurative language
o symbolism
Using a poem, short story and piece of nonfiction, students identify and explain examples of symbolism.
Students read the short story handout “Amir” by Paul Fleischman taken from MAP Sample Items for Grade 7 found on website: www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/Practice_Tests/Middle_6-7/CA/7gr_fict_pt.pdf
They work independently to complete the formative assessment. Scoring guide provided.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. As a class, students generate a working definition of figurative language as it is used in reading. Try to elicit via discussion and questioning techniques the following definition: Figurative language, as used in reading, means the author uses different techniques to give deeper or imaginative meaning to basic words/phrases/sentences. Tell students the word “literal” is often used to describe the basic or most obvious meaning. Words often used to describe figurative meanings include symbolic, abstract, and/or implied.
2. Write on the board an example of figurative language to show literal meaning vs. implied/abstract meaning. For example, “Two heads are better than one. Literally the sentence reads a person should have two heads. However, the abstract/implied meaning of the sentence is---two people thinking how to solve a problem is much better than one person thinking.” Remind students of figurative language learned in past years…simile, metaphor, personification, etc.
3. Use a KWL (Billmeyer 2003) strategy to help students activate prior knowledge and set a purpose for learning about figurative language.
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Questions for Students |
What do you already know about figurative language? What do you want to know about figurative language? |
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Strategy |
KWL Strategy (Billmeyer 2003) A strategy used to increase learning and comprehension by asking students who are getting ready to learn about a new topic to identify what they already know about the topic, and what they want to learn about the topic. After learning, students are asked to summarize what was actually learned. A KWL Chart is commonly used with the strategy.
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4. Tell students the first type of figurative language to be studied will be symbolism. Give the working definition of symbolism as an object/person/word/phrase/sentence/etc. that stands for represents something else. Explain that many times in writing, authors use objects, characters, setting, or text to stand for something else or represent an abstract idea. Give several examples:
a. The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol stands for greed.
b. The sentence “Go train your falcon, you’ll learn a lot about birds…and yourself from The Summer of Falcon by Jean Craighead George is symbolic of learning by trial and error.
c. The setting (dilapidating house) in the novel The House of Wings by Betsy Byars symbolizes the aging process.
d. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol stands for good will to men.
e. The hatchet in the novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen stands for independence.
5. Place a transparency containing a short poem (with ample examples of symbolism) on the overhead projector and model using a Think-Aloud strategy, how to locate symbolism and how to determine abstract meaning from literal meaning.
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Strategy |
Think-Aloud Strategy (Billmeyer 2003) Teachers model their thinking process by verbalizing their thoughts so students understand the type of thinking necessary to work through a process.
Be sure to point out to students, figurative language including symbolism is used in much the same way in nonfiction as it is in fiction. |
6. Students read the article Yellow Man by Moonlight by Jennifer Owings Dewey (from MAP Released Items, Intermediate Level, Year 2005.) Students work in groups of four to answer several questions related to the use of symbolism as used in the article. As students are working, rotate among groups to check for understanding and provide guidance/clarification as needed. When finished, use a strategy called Stir-the Class (Billmeyer 2003) to ask representatives from each group to share ideas and answers.
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Questions for Students |
Questions: 1) Is the setting symbolic? Explain why or why not using two details from the article. 2) Is the main character symbolic? Explain why or why not using two details from the article. 3) Is Yellow Man symbolic? Explain why or why not using two details from the article. 4) Do you see evidence of symbolism in the author’s use of words/language? If so, give one or two specific example(s) and give the literal and abstract meaning of each example cited.
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Idea |
Stir-the-Class (Billmeyer 2003) 1) Create teams of three to four students and assign each student a number. 2) Have the teams stand together and form a circle of teams around the room. 3) Display prepared questions on the overhead and reveal the first one for the teams to discuss. 4) Teams huddle to discuss the answer to the question. 5) Select a number from one to four and Stir-the–Class by having the team member with the selected number rotate clockwise to the next group. 6) Instruct the new team member to explain to the new team ideas discussed for question one. 7) Present the next question to the new groups, they discuss it, a new card is drawn, and that team member rotates to share. 8) Process continues until all questions have been discussed. 9) End with a two-prong process question. A) How did this strategy assist your learning of this content? B) In what ways did this strategy benefit you as a learner? |
7. Students read the poem "Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes (MAP Intermediate Released Item 2002.) Students work independently to answer the following questions related to symbolism as used in the poem. Students use the Idea Exchange Strategy (Billmeyer 2003) to share results. Then, as a large group, ideas and answers should be discussed and shared.
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Questions for Students |
Questions: 1) Is the setting symbolic? Explain why or why not using two details from the poem. Note to teacher: The setting of the staircase in the poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes symbolizes struggles in life. 2) Is the main character symbolic? Explain why or why not. 3) Name two objects mentioned in the poem that are symbolic. For each example, tell what the object symbolizes. 4) Is there evidence of symbolism in the author’s use of words/language? If so, give one or two specific example(s) and tell the literal and abstract meaning of each example cited. |
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Strategy |
Idea Exchange Strategy: (Billmeyer 2003) 1) Select a topic that requires ideas from all students. (In this case the ideas to be shared are various answers to questions.) 2) Discuss the five steps of the Idea Exchange. A) Individual Response: Each student responds individually to task/prompt/etc. B) Mingle Share: Students walk around informally sharing ideas in conversations. C) Remember and Record: Students return to their seats and write what they heard. D) Table Group Discussion: When all students are finished recording, they collaborate to create a group list of ideas. E) Large Group Synthesis: Chart the final compilation of ideas and post for future reference. |