[Mhiag]

I am looking for a creative way to teach similes to my class.
We are 5th grade;Thanks!

[nanz]

I reinforce similes during my poetry unit. I have my class imagine what they would say to a blind friend who wanted to know what a certain color was like. The poems are four lines, one for each sense other than sight, and must contain a simile. For example:

Blue feels like the ocean breeze cooling my skin on a warm day
Blue sounds like ice clinking in the bottom of my glass
Blue smells like the sky after a rain
Blue tastes like snow in a snowball fight

OR

Red feels as hot as the noon day sun
Red smells as fragrant as a rose in bloom
Red tastes as spicy as Mom's homemade chili
Red sounds as alarming as sirens in the night

My students enjoy the creativity of this project and the final results make a beautiful bulletin board display.

[imalith]

I was looking at paint samples and realized that they all had cute names, like Tangarine orange, burnt sienna, firegold, etc. I borrowed () several of the samples. I pass these out to my students and they use them to write similes.

My friend's shirt was as orange as a tangarine.

My tea cup was as red as a burning ember.

The car glistened like flames from a fire.

Extending the activity, they get scenic pictures from magazines and then find the color that matches. The mountains were the color of lilacs in the spring.

[Tatum]

I love similes. We search for them in all the books we read all the time. The kids become obsessed and find them everywhere. ha ha. Have them go on a "hunt" through various books and then share.

BTW-"mountains were the color of lilacs..." is a metaphor. Not trying to nit-pick..sorry I just had to say that.

[Funnygirl]

MLK Jr.'s speech is completely filled with similes, but mostly metaphors. It is a brilliant and beautifully moving document, and using it would be a way to integrate writing with social studies.
I just bought an illustrated version of the speech put out by Scholastic Press with illustrations by Ashley Bryan, Jerry Pinkney, Pat Cummings and many more award winning artists.

[imalith]

You are correct. Thanks. I was just throwing out my idea a little too quickly.

[avidteach]

Oh my gosh...all of your ideas are great. I'm going to be stealing a few. Here is one I read about and used just last week, and it worked out really well, and the kids had fun.

Utilizing Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli, or Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell; read aloud pretty much any chapter and have the kids listen for similes. Maniac Magee is a great book, for 4th and 5th graders especially, and I love the way Spinelli used figurative language. This little mini lesson can then be used with a writing assignment. The kids indeed get really creative!

My students need some similes for a book called maniac magee. WE are 6th grade