In this idioms worksheet, students read 12 metaphorical expressions and match them to their meanings in another column. Many feature parts of the body, such as "heavy heart."

Play a figurative language game! Starting with a review of terms, this presentation quickly launches into a quiz game with hyper-linked answers. Simply click an answer to find out if it's wrong or right. The option to try again is always...

Use political cartoons to help your class understand the European Debt Crisis and visual symbolism. This analysis handout includes two cartoons depicting the crisis and prompts learners to consider possible symbols and allusions to best...

Use this political cartoon handout to help pupils understand the role the Blue Dog Coalition plays with regard to Health Care Reform. Football is used metaphorically to represent a player (Blue Dogs) tackling someone on his team (Obama)....

Adding details and figurative language makes any story more fun to read! After reading two versions of the same story, one devoid of figurative language and one embellished, young writers are asked to add alliteration, hyperbole,...

Discover lyric poetry through a reading of Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar and analyze its meaning with three short-answer questions covering symbolism, personification, alliteration, metaphors, and similes. 

In this English idioms and metaphors learning exercise, students discover the metaphorical meaning of words and phrases associated with happiness and sadness.  Students work in pairs to role play a conversation about things...

Second and third graders explore similes and metaphors. They complete six sentences by choosing the correct word to complete the sentence.

A brief, dialogue-rich passage from Jerry Spinelli's novel Maniac Magee is accompanied by a well-written literacy assessment tool. Thematic content lends itself to age-appropriate discussions about race relations and social justice....

What does your class think about big business bailouts by the U.S. Government? Find out with this activity, where learners analyze a political cartoon comparing the "Big Three" automakers with the Greek Myth of Sisyphus. Background...

What you tell yourself about an event can have a profound effect on what you actually do about it. Encourage learners to examine their thoughts, and how these thoughts eventually translate into feelings and actions, with a...

Consider a new metaphor when discussing positive thinking with your learners by having them "recycle" their negative, poison thoughts and "minting" them into positive ones using these dollar bill printables!

This is a basic reading comprehension practice activity. Learners read 3 passages: folktale, Richard Cory, and an informational text about the Roosevelts. They then answer multiple choice questions that test reading comprehension. Some...

In this reading and writing analysis learning exercise, students assess from another student's letter the ways in which the novel gave that student "wings." The learning exercise challenges kids to read a letter written by another...

In this reading and writing analysis worksheet, students continue their deciphering of the metaphorical "wing" comparison. The students are challenged because they are analyzing another student's letter to the author.

After your poets have compiled several written poems into a scrap-book, use this grading scale to explain how they'll be graded. The only guiding explanation of the assignment explains that they need to use two of the five literary...

Is global warming all smoke and mirrors? Find out what your scholars think with this handout, which has them analyzing two political cartoons on the topic. Background information gives context, detailing the computer hacking during the...

In this coloring activity, 2nd graders are given a line drawing of a silly dog with a newspaper in its mouth. The newspaper has eyes and hands; the activity can be used as a prompt for an essay on personification, or perhaps a starter...

Harriet Tubman developed a rich extended metaphor for slavery and the imperative for Lincoln to abolish it in this dictated letter from 1862. Young historians read the original document and interpret Tubman's allegory with a pair of...

Cartoons for the Classroom has put out another thought-provoking image along with some great discussion questions. Learners will consider the symbolism used to portray this and other cartoons about Egypt. They will also discuss the genie...

Wondering what dinosaurs have to do with the debt crisis? This analysis handout includes two political cartoons using dinosaur metaphors, and prompts pupils to consider the symbolism to understand the cartoonist's point. You may want to...

In this literary terms worksheet, students define and review ten key literary terms and then locate and circle those ten terms within a word search puzzle for mastery.

Add a literary twist to your St. Patrick's day celebration with a worksheet that asks kids to explain what they think the Irish proverbs on this worksheet mean.

Enrich a unit on The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with a selection of related activities. The packet contains nine activities that go from pre-reading through wrapping up the novel. Young readers work on studying...