Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 5th/Reading

Central Focus:
Comprehension: Figurative Language
Essential Literacy Strategy: infer meaning from evidence

Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
Date submitted:
Date taught:
text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
Daily Lesson Objective:
Students will be able to identify and highlight similes in sample poems. To be successful, students must identify 9/11
similes correctly.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary):
Language function: identify
Essential vocabulary: Simile
Syntax: like or as
Prior Knowledge:
RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant
characters found in mythology.
RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral
language.
RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases supply rhythm and meaning in a song, story, or poem,.
RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
RL.K..4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

Description of Activities and Setting

Youre currently in a unit on poetry. Poetry often uses different ways to add
expression, description and depth to the poetry. One of the most common
ways is by rhyming. Who can think of a few more creative ways that poetry
uses language?
Possible answers: rhyming, metaphors, concrete poetry
Today, we are going to learn about similes and how they are used in a text. By
the end of the day, you will be able to identify similes in a poem. Its
important to know what similes are because they are often used in text for
description.
While reading, particularly when reading poetry, we may come across similes.
Similes are a type of figurative languages that compares two things that are
alike in some way. Similes compare two things by using the word like or as.
To figure out if the author is using a simile, you look for the words like or as
being used to compare to things. Just because the word like is in a text doesnt
mean its a simile. Its important to look at the words around the our key
words like or as. Some similes we often hear are cute as a button, busy as a
bee, or fighting like cats and dogs, or she slept like a baby. Writers use
similes to enhance their writing and their descriptions. Similes enhance
writing by adding depth because similes make the reader think about the
comparison rather than the author just stating a description.
Im going to read a poem called Storm at Sea by Amar Qamar. You have a
copy of it in front of you.
Storm at Sea
CRASHING waves... SMASHING seas...
Bringing sailors to their knees.
As they struggle to save their lives

Time

4 mins

1 min
9 mins

Hoping and praying, help arrives.

The stormy seas as dark as coal,
Preventing the sailors from reaching their goal.
Battered and bruised, but still they fight...
Staring ahead, into the dead of night.
Rocking and rolling as they try to stand...
Hoping against hope, that they soon reach land.
Bleary eyed from lack of sleep.
Down in their cabins, huddled like sheep.
As they're rocking and rolling down beneath
Weary sailors above, resist with gritted teeth.
Hours later, as the storm starts to dissipate,
It leaves a calm tranquil sea in its wake.
The veteran sailors know the battle is over, and they have won...
As contemplate, other storms yet to come...
I know that similes compare two things that are alike in some way and they
compare the two using the words like or as. Im going to look at the
second stanza and see if I see a simile in there. The first line says stormy seas
as dark as coal. The author is comparing the sea to coal. At first, that didnt
make sense to me because when I think about the ocean, I think about it being
blue and sunny like when Im at the beach. But then I thought about how I
watched a movie called Castaway that showed a plane crash in the ocean in
the middle of a storm. The ocean looked black during that storm so now I see
why the author made that comparison. Using that simile really did help
improve how I visualized that. Saying stormy seas as dark as coal put a
much more vivid picture in my head than if the author would have said
stormy seas are black.

4. Guided Practice

This poem has another simile in it. Can anyone identify the other simile? Why
do you think the author used that?
Answer:
huddled like sheep

3 mins

5. Independent Practice

Theres another poem on your worksheet called Willow and Ginkgo. Those
are both two kinds of trees. Underline or highlight any similes you see in your
poem.

6. Assessment Methods of
all objectives/skills:

Using the answer key, check to see how many similes the students underlined. Students
needed to have gotten 9/11 similes correct to be at mastery.

7. Closure

Today in your poetry book, write down any similes you might see on a post it
note.

10 mins

5 mins

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:
Targeted Students Modifications/Accommodations:

Student/Small Group Modifications/Accommodations:

Student with IEP:
The poem will be magnified to size 30 font. The student will a
11 question multiple choice packet with lines from the poem.
One answer choice will have a simile from the poem and the
other chance will not. The student will point to the line he

thinks has the simile and Ms. Shana will circle the choice for
him.
Materials/Technology:
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/SmartBoard slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at the end of the lesson plan.)

10 copies of the worksheet

Post it note
Independent reading book
References:
http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/storm-at-sea#ixzz3UThr03Ys
Reflection on lesson: