Similes Projects: Similes About Me and Mix-n-Match Similes

I have two simile projects to share with you that I have used in my class for years.   Both are fun and have inspired my kids to really understand similes on a deeper level. 

For both projects, we started with the book "Quick as a Cricket" by Audrey Wood.  It is a very simple book, in which she uses simple similes to compare the main character to various animals.  Then, after reading the book, for BOTH projects below, the students created a divided circle map in which they listed all the adjectives they could think of that described themselves, then all of the animate and inanimate objects that would also be fitting for a self-description. 

First up:  Similes All About Me

This project picks up with the students using their circle map to create comparisons between themselves and the objects, all relating to the traits that they input on the circle map.  They also matched those up with animals that would exhibit those traits.  They were thinking about themselves in relation to the character traits and animals to then write extended similes.

Once that was done, the students choose their favorites and began creating a Google Slide version of themselves as that animal.  Looking at the picture below, you can see the steps we took to draw ourselves as the animals.  For example, if it said, as quick as a cheetah running in the savannah, the students could draw spots on their legs to represent the cheetah running.

The kids LOVED doing this.   It gave them a chance to be creative while still writing similes.  Below is a video I made about the process.  Watch it and if you have any questions, please let me know!

Similes About Me Video

Next:  Mix-n-Match Similes and Metaphors

Have you ever seen those mix-n-match books, where you have the head, mid-section, and legs of one character, but you can flip on piece of it to make an entirely new combination of characters and story?  My daughter has one and it inspired me to get a little creative in my class! 

The next step was a tree map.  I had the students break their body up into 3 parts -- head, mid-section, and legs/feet.  They then used their circle map to create comparisons between themselves and the objects, all relating to that portion of their body.  For example, they could write "dark cave of thoughts" under head, or "fast cheetah" under legs.  The idea was to get them thinking about how different parts of their body could be compared to objects that were definitely not alike. 

Once the Tree Maps were complete, I asked the students to choose their four favorite comparisons from each section.  They needed to write as many simple similes and  metaphors from those comparisons.   Again, we used a divided Circle Map (can anyone tell I love using Thinking Maps???)

Finally, they chose the two favorites from each category and, on a separate piece of paper, they made those simple similes and metaphors complex.  For example, using the dark cave from above, a student may have written, "I am a dark cave of emotions after watching a scary movie."  or  "I am an active volcano ready to spurt out my knowledge during the trivia game."

Once these were done, the fun began.  The students were given a four pieces of paper with a person figure on each.  I had pre-drawn a line separating their head, from the midsection, and then the legs.  On each section, they put either a simile or metaphor.  They then drew a that part of the body to resemble the metaphor.   The students then cut the slips, so that you could mix and match the different parts...all of which came together to make the author (mimicking the last line of Quick as a Cricket).