The goal of this lesson is to examine the importance of imagery, both literal and figurative.

• Observing while students are writing their brief description of a storm will give you an indication of any immediate class-wide problems about figurative language so that you can review at this point. After listening to discussion of the descriptions and collecting them, you can examine them more closely for individual and class weaknesses.

• Observing the groups while they are analyzing “Barter” will allow you to watch them in the process of analyzing so that you can redirect their approach if necessary and note individuals who are having trouble.
• When students work individually on the excerpts from texts such as The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and A Wrinkle in Time, you can evaluate and help students who need additional opportunities for learning.

Focus Question: How does the use of imagery, both literal and figurative, affect the meaning of a text?

Part 1

Ask students to write two sentences describing a storm. Remind them to use imagery to create the scene. Say, “Think about how you want your reader to feel about the storm. Consider that as you are choosing images and words to include in your description.” Allow students five minutes to write their sentences. Say, “Read your description carefully and check to see if you have included any figurative language. If you have, turn over your paper and write out the part of the description that is figurative. Then identify the type of figurative language it is, such as simile or hyperbole, or whatever you have used. Think about the connotations of the words you have chosen.”

If students appear uncertain, you may need to take a few minutes to review figurative language and connotative meaning with specific examples for the entire class.

Ask students to write on the back of their papers one word that describes how they would like the reader to feel about the storm and then to circle it. Have partners turn their papers back to the two sentences and then exchange papers. Give students a minute to read the other person’s work, to think about how the description makes them feel about the storm, to ask themselves whether figurative language is used and, if so, what type, and then to turn the paper over and check to see if they agree with the author.

Repeat the process so that students have an opportunity to read at least five other descriptions. Then ask students to identify one image that they think is particularly striking and to explain why it is effective.

Select two or three examples to put on the board/interactive whiteboard for discussion. Ask students to identify effective imagery and the literal/figurative meanings, and then discuss why it works (strong verbs, concrete nouns, connotative meanings, details appealing to the senses, unexpected comparisons, use of language helping to visualize the scene more vividly). Reading these examples will show you individual strengths and weaknesses as well as a quick view of any class-wide misperceptions.

Part 2

Have students work in small groups. Ask them read to Sara Teasdale’s poem “Barter” (or other appropriate text), identify any imagery they find, and write a sentence explaining how they think the poet wants readers to feel after reading this poem. (Remind students that the imagery must be the evidence that supports their opinion.) Ask students to identify the images they think are most effective, to explain why, and to decide whether they are literal or figurative images. Have students examine the connotations of the words. Walk among the groups to observe as they are working. Then have one group present, followed by a discussion that includes points that other groups came up with that were not covered by the presenting group.

Say, “Now try this on your own. The first two readings I’m going to give you are taken from books that you might have read when you were younger. You won’t need long to read them.” Have students read an excerpt from one of the following books. (Teachers may substitute other texts to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.)

• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Ask students to underline the imagery as they read and then write a sentence explaining what it means. This should take no more than five minutes. Walk around and observe anyone who is having difficulty. Have two or three students identify imagery and share their thoughts about the excerpt.

Part 3

Have students read an example of literal text from a short story or an excerpt from a novel. Ask them to rewrite the piece, using examples of figurative language. Encourage students to include imagery, appeal to senses, metaphor, personification, or whatever is appropriate to the piece. Remind them to choose words with appropriate connotations. Then have students compare the versions and discuss similarities and differences. Have students examine how the literal and figurative language contributes to meaning.

Extension:

• If students are having trouble seeing the effect of imagery, try this activity. Give them a list of a dozen images (Examples: “The wind shrieked like someone in pain,” “Ribbons of moonlight fluttered across the garden”) and ask them to identify images they might use if they wanted to create a mysterious, romantic, or cheerful mood.
• Offer another excerpt from a book or story—such as the first three paragraphs of Chapter 7 from Brian’s Winter (which describes the sudden, ominous appearance of a bear) or any short clip whose imagery has a clear purpose—and go through the step-by-step process of identifying imagery, then drawing a conclusion about how it affects meaning. If you do this individually, you will be able to see whether the problem is identifying imagery (in which case, students will need additional review work in this area) or if it is being able to use clues such as connotation to analyze meaning. In this case, helping students recognize the emotional overtones of particular words and images will be necessary.