Developing Artistic Writing.pdf - Brevard Public Schools

Dare to Compare!
Objective: Students will identify similes within a text and incorporate similes into their personal
writing samples. This lesson may be broken up into two writing sessions.
Day 1
Anticipatory Set: Define similes (a comparison using “like” or “as”). Model several examples
of similes. Read the book, Nothing Ever Happens on 90 th Street by Roni Schotter. Students will
listen for similes in the story.
She tried to think of a new way to describe the look of Mr. Morley’s mousse- smooth and
dark as midnight.
The door to the building slammed and a gust of wind sent dead leaves soaring and
dipping like crazy kites.
Modeling: After identifying and discussing the similes in the book, note additional places to
insert other similes to enhance the story. Modeling and thinking aloud go through the pages and
help the students locate phrases that can be made into similes. For example, Out the door of
Eva’s building came Mr. Sims, the actor, carrying his enormous cat, Oliver. Pause after reading
this sentence and have students create a simile from the above sentence. For example, “Oliver
the cat was as bulky as a large box.”
Guided Practice: Continuing through the book, students find additional places where similes
could be added to enhance the text. While guiding students, be cognizant of the students’ grasp
of a simile fitting the text. For example, students would not want to say, “She danced like a
graceful dancer” (redundant), or “She danced like a newborn fawn” (if she were not clumsy).
“She danced like a graceful swan” would be more appropriate.
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