When teaching a work of literature, it is often helpful to refresh or introduce students with technical words. Terms like “metaphor", "alliteration", "personification", "imagery", "apostrophe", and "assonance" are a few important terms.
After you have read the story, ask your students to do a scavenger hunt using the storyboard creator. Give them the list again and have them create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element from “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird”. They will have an absolute blast and gain mastery of the words. Check out this example below:
| DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | A comparison using 'like' or 'as' | "Then Granddaddy’s other hand flies up like a sudden and gentle bird, slaps down fast on top of the camera and lifts off half like it was a calabash cut for sharing." |
| Anecdote | A very brief account of an incident or incident, typically a story or account of a past event | “I was on this bridge one time,’ she started off. ‘Was a crowd cause this man was goin to jump, you understand. And a minister was there and the police and some other folks. His woman was there, too.” |
| Imagery | The use of descriptive or figurative language to create vivid mental imagery that appeals to the senses | “The old ladle dripping rum into the Christmas tins, like it used to drip maple syrup into the pails when we lived in the Judson’s woods, like it poured cider into the vats when we were on the Cooper place, like it used to scoop buttermilk and soft cheese when we lived at the dairy.” |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Use This Assignment With My Students", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows five examples of literary elements in "Blues Ain't No Mocking Bird".
Grade Level 9-12
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Figurative Language
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identification of Literary Elements | All literary elements are correctly identified. | Most literary elements are correctly identified. | Few literary elements are correctly identified. |
| Illustration | Illustrations show attention to the details of the story and demonstrate connection to the literary elements. | Illustrations demonstrate connection to the literary elements. | Illustrations show little connection to the literary elements. |
| Description of Literary Elements | Descriptions clearly explain what the literary elements do to enhance the story. | Most descriptions tell what the literary elements do to enhance the story. | Descriptions are unrelated to the literary elements. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is very difficult to understand. |
