Creating Metaphors

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Creating Metaphors

• Classroom Instruction that Works
• Identifying Similarities and Differences

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Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat
struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then
is heard no more it is a taleTold by an idiot,
full of sound and fury,Signifying
nothing.Shakespeare, W. Macbeth, Act V Scene V
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Some that I like

• Thats so dial-up!
• The season for change
• Speech is silver, but silence is golden.
• Heart of the matter
• elbow grease
• a main artery of traffic

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Creating Metaphors

• Identifying a general or basic pattern in a
  specific topic and then finding another topic
  that seems quite different at the literal level
  but has the same general pattern. They are used
  to give readers a strong message.

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Creating Metaphors

• Metaphors help students create deeper meaning out
  of the content they are learning
• Creating Metaphors is a complex process that
  students need to practice

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Creating Metaphors

• Complete the reflection sheet on page 33 of your
  workbook
• Discuss with your group

Not Science
Science
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Creating Metaphors

• Students need to have the thinking process
  modeled for them
• Look at the example in the workbook on page 34
  My brother is a tyrant.
• Stating the relationship between my brother and
  tyrant in more general termscruel ruler who
  treats innocent and weaker people unfairly helps
  students understand the reasoning behind the
  metaphor

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Steps to Creating a Metaphor

• Identify the important or basic elements of the
  information or situation with which you are
  working
• Write that basic information as a general pattern
  by
• -replacing words for specific things with words
  for more general things
• -summarizing information whenever possible
• Find new information or a situation it which the
  general pattern applies

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Graphic Organizer for Metaphors
Element Literal Pattern Abstract Relationship Literal Pattern Element

Home Budget
Finite
Non-Renewable Energy
Finite
You need to learn to live with what you
have... Or find another source.
Practice with an example from your content area!
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Guiding Students

• Once students are familiar with the process, you
  can increase the rigor by presenting one element
  of the metaphor and asking students to provide
  the second element and a description of the
  abstract relationship.
• Disease is________________
• The brain is ______________
• Atoms are ______________
• The Earths Crust is ____________________
• To complete these metaphors, students must use
  what they know about the given element and make
  connections to similar things
• Some websites Brain, General, Games

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Ideas for Metaphor Games

• Taboo Game
• Or Pictionary Have the students create
  metaphors for specific vocabulary termsthese
  metaphors are the words they have to draw and
  then the students must figure out the vocabulary
  word.
• Brainstorm ideas or uses in your classroom?