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Simile Superstars

sofware
Software: MegaMinds
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This lesson will introduce learners to similes, one of the most persuasive figures of speech in the English language. Similes are figures of speech that use the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ to create a vivid comparison. They create a stronger impact in writing or speech and help paint a picture in the readers’ minds by drawing parallels between unrelated objects. 

Since the idea is to paint pictures in the learners’ minds, they will be using MegaMinds to explore how similes can be used to create engaging and interactive advertisements

 

Lesson Overview 

Overview Activity Objectives 
Opening Activity Learners will draw similes provided to them, which will enable an understanding of how smiles facilitate visualization. 
  • Comprehend how similes facilitate visualization of concepts. 
Main Activity Learners will create a tagline for an advertisement on MegaMinds to explore how similes are used. 
  • Assess how similes can be used to create compelling content, such as taglines.  
Closing Activity  Learners will take turns presenting the similes they have used to create their taglines in a ‘Simile Slam’. 
  • Relate to similes and their meanings. 
  • Incorporate similes in their everyday conversations. 

 

Prior Knowledge 

Learners should be able to:

  • Comprehend the fundamental concept of comparison (examining similarities and differences between two or more objects, ideas). 
  • Form basic sentences

 

Lesson Objectives 

  • Recognise similes in sentences. 
  • Compare objects/ideas/concepts using similes. 
  • Construct sentences that use similes. 

 

Learning Outcomes 

At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to: 

  • Identify similes in sentences and comprehend how they are used.
  • Use similes to write sentences, which compare two objects/ideas. 
  • Interpret the context of similes used in sentences. 
  • Design creative taglines using similes. 

 

Resources 

 

Pre-Lesson Prep 

  • Like all lessons on Eddy, this lesson follows a specific approach. If this is your first time implementing an Eddy lesson, check out the Eddy Approach for more information. 
  • Prepare for necessary technology/hardware in advance.
  • Devices (tablets/laptops/chromebooks/computers) for each learner.
  • A stable wifi connection.
  • Access to MegaMinds on each device.

 

 
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Slide 3

Introduce your learners to the ground rules, lesson norms, and team roles. You can check out the Eddy Approach if this is your first time conducting an Eddy lesson.

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Slide 4, 5

Ask the learners to read the tagline for both cars and ask questions like “Which car would you prefer buying based on the tagline?”, “Why is one advertisement more interesting than the other?”

Explain how the first car is compared with a rock using the word ‘like’, which helps paint a picture that the car is as strong as a rock. 

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Slide 6

Introduce the learners to the concept of similes in simple words. 

 

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example, “Her smile is as bright as the sun” is a sentence that uses a simile to compare the brightness of a smile to the brightness of a sun. 

 

Give more examples if needed.

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Slide 7

Explain why similes are useful. 

 

Ask students - “Why do we use similes”?

  • Possible explanation by teacher: Similes are useful because they enhance communication and understanding by creating a vivid imagination or painting a picture in the mind of readers/listeners.
 

Discuss how similes made one advertisement more interesting than the other. 

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Slide 8

Let the learners know that they will be doing an activity called Simile Sketches, where they will be drawing pictures to understand how similes can be used to compare. 

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Slide 9, 10

Inform the learners that they will be doing the activity in teams. Facilitate the division of teams or let the learners choose their teams on their own. Once the teams are formed, introduce them to the roles as mentioned in Slide 10. If you want more clarity on the rationale of the roles, refer to the Eddy Approach

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Slide 11, 12

Introduce the learners to the rules of the activity. You can access the worksheet 'Simile Sketches' here. To make the activity clearer, use the example as shown in Slide 12. 

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How can I modify this activity for my learners who require more support?
Instead of instructing them to draw their interpretation of similes, provide them with drawings reflecting the similes and ask students to explain (verbally/in writing) how the drawings accurately reflect the similes used.

 

 
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Slide 13

Introduce the slide by explaining to the learners that they will be designing interesting advertisement taglines using similes. However, to make it more interesting, they will be exploring a virtual classroom to learn similes and perform the activity. 

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Slide 14

Divide the learners into groups of three. Introduce Megaminds to the learners, explaining that it is a virtual classroom, where students can engage in activities, solve problems, and express their creativity. To understand how to use Megaminds to create virtual rooms, use this tutorial

However, to make the facilitation of this lesson simpler for you, the virtual room for similes has already been created. You can access it here and modify it as shown in the tutorial on how to use Megaminds.

Note: To give your learners access to the virtual room for similes, give them the code: 5bCFk3y

Using the existing virtual room, guide the learners to navigate through the virtual classroom by instructing them to follow the simple tutorial that appears on their screen when they enter the virtual room using the code (5bCFk3y).

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Slide 15

Once they enter the classroom, guide them to the wall (the first wall towards the left as they enter the classroom). You can open the simile lesson on your screen and project it to the class for easier familiarization.

This wall revisits the following:

  • what similes are 
  • why similes are used in advertisement 
  • examples of similes in advertisements

It is recommended that you explore the classroom before delivering the lesson in order to get an idea of the different virtual walls and rooms.

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Slide 16

After revisiting what has already been discussed, guide the learners towards the activity wall (the wall that appears as they go straight), which displays the five products from which they can choose any three to advertise. 

Let them know that they will be creating three taglines as a group of three (one for each product). They can choose any three products from the wall and discuss among themselves to design taglines featuring similes to advertise the product. The instructions for the activity are mentioned on the wall itself. 

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Slide 17

Once they have decided their taglines, let the learners know that they can move towards the innermost virtual wall of the classroom, where they will be pasting their taglines through a digital sticky note (available on the toolbar that learners can see at the bottom of the screen). 

Some possible responses are: 

  • “Light up your world with the Sunbeam Torchlight, as bright as the sun itself."
  • “A delicious bite: Dairy Milk Chocolate, as sweet as a cake.”

Once done, ask the learners if they enjoyed exploring similes through a virtual classroom. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Slide 18

Once the learners are done creating their taglines, let them know that they will engage in a Simile Slam where they will be presenting the taglines they designed and explain its meaning to convince the audience to buy their products. 

Encourage them to also listen to the taglines created by their peers as it will help them learn a lot of similes, which will enhance their vocabulary. 

Remind them of the ground rules. 

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Slide 19

Once the learners have designed their taglines and presented them, encourage them to reflect on the process of doing the activity. Facilitate a discussion using the questions on the slide.

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How can I modify this activity for my advanced learners?
Encourage your advanced learners to write a short story or a poem using similes to paint a picture in the minds of the readers/ listeners.
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Alternate Activity
Let the learners describe their learning experience, using similes. You can ask them to post their responses on a Padlet (optional). For example, “During this activity, I was busy like a bee”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ability to Recognize and Visualise Similes

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Emerging

The learner is able to recognize similes in sentences, but struggles with interpreting the meanings of similes. 
 

Developing

The learner is able to recognize similes in sentences and interpret the meanings of similes, but needs support to form sentences, which use similes. 

 

Proficient

The learner is able to recognize similes in sentences, interpret the meanings of similes, and form sentences using similes. 

 

Designing a Tagline using Similes

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Emerging

The learner is able to use similes to create effective taglines, but struggles with explaining the meaning of the similes used. 

 

Developing

The learner is able to use similes to create effective taglines and explain the meaning of their tagline with minor errors. 

 

Proficient

The learner is able to easily create a tagline using similes and is able to effectively explain its meaning. 

 

 

 

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