SFUSD SLANT Inspired Lesson - The Metaphor Project




Lesson Summary

“Reframing My Middle School Experience”

•An eighth grade metaphor project

•Reformatting The Middle School Experience using a metaphor as a framing tool.

Learning Objectives

They complete journal entries, select a metaphor to use in a poster and later in a speech-writing project.  The speeches are submitted for consideration for their 8th grade graduation. 

California State Standards:

•Reading 1.1:  Analyze metaphors, to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases.

•Writing 1.1:  Create compositions that establish a controlling impression, have a coherent thesis, and end with a clear and well supported conclusion.

•Writing:  1.3:  Support theses … with analogies… comparisons, and similar devices.

•Listening and Speaking 1.3:  organize information to achieve particular purposes by matching the message, vocabulary, voice modulation, expression, and tone to the audience and purpose. And 1.4. Prepare a speech outline based upon a chosen pattern of organization…

Evidence of Learning

What evidence will show that students understand? Outline assessment tools here, include ongoing assessment, projects, quizzes, tests, academic prompts. 

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills


Given the targeted understandings and the identified assessment evidence:

  • What knowledge do students need before the lesson?
  • What skills do students need before the lesson? 

Standards Addressed

(Note: The standards addressed will also be entered in the "Describe" section on the next screen. Information entered on the Describe page allows other educators to search for your resource by Grade, Subject and Common Core State Standard.)

Lesson Content

Outline teaching and learning experiences, below, that will equip students to demonstrate the targeted understandings.

Anticipatory Set

DAY ONE: 
         1. SELECTED AN OBJECT FROM A TABLE
          2. WROTE A QUIET JOURNAL ENTRY ABOUT WHY THEY    
               SELECTED THIS OBJECT

•We discussed the definition of “resonate”

•From Electronics . to reinforce oscillations because the natural frequency of the device is the same as the frequency of the source.

•1. to echo or ring with sound, as a place.  

•2. to make an echoing sound, or sound loudly, as a metallic object: A gong resounded.

• We discussed what their object meant to them.

• They were encouraged to draw it

•Day Two:

  •Next, we had a class discussion on the word, METAPHOR, and how to use metaphor in writing.

•Showed modern metaphors & iconic symbols
Goal: for the students to think symbolically

•Homework:

•Each student to select a metaphor to use as a

    symbol for their middle school experience

•Homework: each student was tasked with selecting a metaphor to use as a symbol for their middle school experience. • •Students began to think about reformatting their middle school experience to fit the metaphor. •Story boards were handed out, so that students could begin to draw images and put words to images.  The story boards were completed as homework

•Day 4-7: Reframing The Middle School Experience • •Students took their ideas and their storyboards and began reframing their metaphor into poster size.  I handed out poster-sized paper. • •I showed them my own example
•On Day 7-8,Metaphor posters morphed into 8th grade graduation speeches
•Introduced the graduation speech requirement. •At Roosevelt, all 8th graders are responsible for writing speeches for the upcoming graduation. •Students read and considered sample speeches. Gave them a rubric for graduation speeches, and challenged them to use their metaphors in their speech. •Students began to work, drawing on their metaphor.

•Riding a wave as a surfer

•An egg maturing and hatching

•A raindrop rolling off the roof

•Fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together

•Learning and mastering a PacMan videogame

•Climbing a mountain

•A cup of coffee, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet

•A shoe, at first uncomfortable, then it fits, then it gets old and worn out

•And many more…


Reflection/Processing/Closure

This lesson required much time for drawing, for discussion and for reflection.  It cannot be rushed.

Materials and Resources

  • Supplies:  
  • Bag of objects for the "resonate" journal entries
  • Examples of modern metaphors, eg, computer icons
  • poster paper
  • drawing and art materials

  • List multi-media
  • List people

Vocabulary

  • Metaphor:  a comparison without using like or as
  • Resonate:  From Electronics . to reinforce oscillations because the natural frequency of the device is the same as the frequency of the source. •1. to echo or ring with sound, as a place.   •2. to make an echoing sound, or sound loudly, as a metallic object: A gong resounded


Power Point Presentation on this Lesson:


Download: Reformating My Middle School Experience.ppt


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