{"id":2716,"date":"2020-05-03T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-03T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=2716"},"modified":"2022-08-02T10:22:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T15:22:23","slug":"how-to-host-a-figurative-language-tasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/how-to-host-a-figurative-language-tasting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Host A Figurative Language Tasting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If your experiences are at all like mine, you might have some students who just will not write creatively. They’ll create essays compliantly, but ask them to use their imagination and they freeze. In this post, I’ll teach you how to host a figurative language tasting activity–a lesson that gets kids writing every time!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pinterest<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Why Host a Figurative Language Tasting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know how creative writing electives work in your school, but here’s how they go in mine: kids need an elective, counselor sees a mostly empty creative writing class, the counselor signs the kid up for that class and assures them that it will be fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, students then show up to the first day of my creative writing class<\/a> with questions.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are we going to do in here? What IS creative writing? Wait, we’re going to have to write in here?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, my creative writing students show up not knowing that creative writing involves writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Really. I once had a student DROP MY CLASS because he assumed creative writing meant learning how to do graffiti<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when I say that getting students to actually write in creative writing can be difficult, I hope you understand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, no worries! There are solutions!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showing students how fun and engaging playing with words can be is an essential part of the solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why I do a figurative language tasting lesson early in every creative writing class I teach. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pinterest<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What is a figurative language tasting?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Cover<\/a>
If you’d like to grab the lesson plan and a student worksheet for FREE right now, click here<\/a>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Firstly, let me say that this is an idea I 100% stole from my instructional coach. The idea behind this tasting is to engage students. And what engages them more than food?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, ok, feeding them is a little bit of a cheap cop-out. I’ll admit: I do like the benefit of getting some “cool” or “fun” points early in the quarter. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a figurative language tasting activity, students are given small snacks or treats. Then, they are required to create figurative language descriptions around each food item.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating is such a sensory activity. It incorporates all the senses and provides kids a wealth of inspiration for creating a description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I break down how to plan this out for yourself, I want to let you know that I have a FREE worksheet and lesson plan for all of this in my TPT store<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Create a Figurative Language Activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This activity isn’t difficult to do, but it is certainly not prep-free. It’s also not free-free unless your school is willing to pitch in some snack money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n