Students build on their understandings from Lesson 1 by examining and discussing images from the readings. At the end of the lesson, students are able to:
- Name the story "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" (or a text similar to it) that contains literary devices of imagery, metaphor, and simile.
- Elucidate how meaning is supported by the use of metaphorical language and imagery.
- How does text interaction prompt thought and response?
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers?
- What is the true purpose of this text?
- Why acquire new vocabulary?
- What methods and tools do I employ to decipher unfamiliar vocabulary?
- How do students expand and improve their vocabulary?
- Connotation: The ideas or emotions associated with a word.
- Imagery: A word or group of words in a literary work that appeals to one or more of the senses.
- Metaphor: A comparison of two unlike things without using like or as.
- Figurative Language: Language that cannot be taken literally because it was written to create a special effect or feeling.
- Simile: A comparison of two unlike things, using like or as.
- “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” was chosen for its use of imagery and figurative language to create mood or otherwise affect the reader. Stories such as Ray Bradbury’s
- “All Summer in a Day” or “The Pedestrian” may be substituted. Teachers may substitute other texts to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- Ray Bradbury. (1966). “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”. Bantam Books, 1966.
- student examples of imagery from Lesson 1
- reading/language arts notebooks
- Lesson 2 Activity Assessment worksheet (L-7-2-2_Lesson 2 Activity Assessment)
- Students will have the skeleton of an effective imagery collection by the end of the lesson. Assess students' comprehension of imagery, metaphor, and simile, as well as how figurative language and imagery contribute to meaning, using the following checklist.
- Students have pointed out multiple instances of simile, metaphor, and imagery.
- Students exhibit comprehension of how to support meaning with figurative language.
- Give every student a copy of the Lesson 2 Activity Assessment worksheet (L-7-2-2_Lesson 2 Activity Assessment). Ask pupils to name instances of imagery. Analyze the outcomes to identify which students need more instruction, practice, or review. You can also determine how well students understand imagery by listening to the conversation and looking through the notebooks they have kept. For suggestions on how to reteach metaphor and imagery, see the Formative Assessment for Lesson 1.
Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: Assist students in analyzing writers' language use, concentrating on figurative language, gathering favorite examples, and creating original works that make use of figurative language.
H: Show students how to apply the lesson immediately by looking at samples of their own artwork.
E: Go over student examples of imagery before looking at Ray Bradbury's use of language in "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" to create effect.
R: Assign students to gather concrete instances of figurative language that effectively conveys a certain idea.
E: Let students debate which instances of figurative language work best and decide if they should reconsider their selections.
T: Give students the chance to collaborate both individually and with classmates on written and oral assignments.
O: The lesson helps students investigate figurative language by helping them recognize and evaluate examples based on their efficacy.
Main Question: How does figurative language affect meaning?
Have a round-robin discussion about the pictures that the students made in Lesson 1 by sitting in a circle and passing to the right. Distribution of the index cards gathered after Lesson 1 Ask students to remove their notebooks for language arts and reading. Say, "List the two or three imagery examples that you find particularly appealing as you read through the examples being passed around. You're starting to compile instances of metaphorical language." Give them enough time to read and compose their examples. Ask at least five or six students to give reasons for their favorite examples that they found enjoyable. Present the illustrations on the interactive whiteboard or board while they read. Indicate which examples contain similes or metaphors, then ask the students to elaborate. If required, go over the concepts again.
Instruct students to read Ray Bradbury's "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed." Speak: "As you read, keep an eye out for instances of figurative language, like metaphors, similes, and imagery. Make a note of their location so you can bring them up later on in the conversation." Before starting, quickly review the simile and metaphor, if needed.
Examples of imagery:
“the tissues of his body draw tight as though he were at the center of a vacuum”
“wind blew as if to flake away their identities”
“submerged in a chemical that could dissolve his intellect and burn away his past”
“the racing hiss of wind through the stiff grass”
Examples of similes:
“old cities, lost in their meadows, lying like children’s delicate bones among the blowing lakes of grass”
“‘I feel like a salt crystal,’ he said, ‘in a mountain stream, being washed away.’”
Examples of metaphors:
“A river of wind submerged the house”
“the rockets had spun a silver web across space”
Ask broad questions about the protagonist, the conflict, and the resolution before diving into a discussion of the language used in this story to ensure that students understand the overall storyline.
Once you determine that the students comprehend the story on a basic level, go back to the language issue. Ask, "Why do you think Bradbury used certain images and figurative language in the story? Do they have any other significance besides being ornamental?" Pupils should think of phrases like "to set the tone," "to arouse readers' anxiety," and "to get readers ready for the change that is approaching. Ask students to list the meanings associated with the words Bradbury uses and explain their significance. Jot down their thoughts on the interactive whiteboard or board.
Say, "If Bradbury is attempting to get readers ready for the notion that a significant shift is imminent, what leads you to believe that? Which linguistic examples best illustrate this point?" ( Examples include: "Earth people left to be baked like gingerbread shapes in Martian summers," "his wife "seemed almost to whirl away in smoke" upon arrival on the surface of Mars, and "this was the moment Mars had waited for. It would now consume them")
Encourage students to pick out examples of figurative language from the poems "First Snow" and "Eating Alone," as well as from "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed," to add to their notebooks.
Extension:
Remind students that similes are the comparison of two very different things with the use of the words like or as. If they need more practice with similes, ask students to identify the two items being compared (his smile and sunshine) and what they learned from the comparison (he has a blindingly bright smile), using a well-known example such as "His smile was as bright as sunshine." To finish the simile, "His smile was as bright as ___," ask students to think of a new comparison (such as the neon lights along Broadway or the polished chrome on his sports car). Tell them that the words' meanings in the analogies are instructive. Most likely, a smile like sunshine would be reassuring, cheery, and warm. A grin as glossy as the chrome on his sports vehicle exudes confidence, wealth, and well-maintainedness. A smile that could be switched on and off with ease would resemble the neon lights of Broadway.
When they are prepared to go beyond the requirements, students can start compiling a list of their favorite figurative language by choosing some examples from their peers' writing. Ask them to pick examples of powerful imagery from "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed," as well as from the poems "First Snow" and "Eating Alone," to add to their notebooks later in the lesson. While the lesson does not explicitly address the tone of "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed," students are building evidence in the pictures they gather that will assist them in determining the tone of the story in Lesson 3.
For discussion, use the following questions:
Why do some figurative language examples work better than others?
What role does figurative language play in a text's meaning?
