For an additional activity to combine history with ELA, students can create storyboards identifying figurative language in a story about the Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean. They can do this for the story they chose for the Literature Connections activity, or they can use a new one!
Encounter by Jane Yolen is the story of the Taíno people living on the island of San Salvador in 1492 when Columbus and the Spanish colonizers first arrived. It is told through the eyes of a young Taíno boy who tried to warn his people about these strange visitors. At the end, the boy is an old man reflecting on the devastating destruction of his people and a lost civilization. The book is full of striking illustrations and vivid figurative language, including personification, simile, and metaphor that allows the reader to see this "encounter" from the point of view of the Taíno people.
Simile: ". . . [I] stared at each of the strangers in turn. Even those with dark human eyes looked away, like dogs before they are driven from the fire."
Metaphor: "It was the serpent’s smile - no lips and all teeth."
Metaphor: "round pools to hold in the hand that gave a man back his face." (Mirror)
Metaphor: "darts that sprang from sticks with a sound like thunder that could kill a parrot many paces away." (hand cannon)
Personification: "our blood would cry out in the sand."
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Demonstrate your understanding of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification) by illustrating examples from the text.
Requirements: Must have 3 examples of figurative language, correct types of figurative language matched with the text and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding.
Encourage students to create original similes, metaphors, and personification based on Encounter’s themes. This helps deepen understanding and makes learning personal.
Demonstrate how to pull descriptive moments or feelings from Encounter. Show examples such as the Taíno boy’s fear or awe, then brainstorm sensory words together.
Prompt students to make similes and metaphors using 'like,' 'as,' or 'is' to compare story elements to nature, animals, or objects. Point out how strong comparisons make writing come alive.
Invite students to give human qualities to objects from the book (like the ocean or wind). This adds emotion and creativity to their writing.
Encourage students to read their new figurative language aloud. Highlight creative examples and discuss how each one connects to Encounter’s story and mood.
Encounter by Jane Yolen uses simile, metaphor, and personification. Examples include: simile – “voices like thunder,” metaphor – “the skin was moon to my sun,” and personification – “shells with tongues that sang chunga-chunga.”
Students can look for phrases where something is compared using like or as (simile), direct statements that something is something else (metaphor), or non-human things given human traits (personification). Quoting and illustrating these lines helps deepen understanding.
Figurative language in Encounter helps readers experience the story through the eyes of the Taíno people, making emotions and events more vivid and personal. It adds depth and helps students connect to historical perspectives.
A recommended activity is having students identify three examples of figurative language from the text, label the type (simile, metaphor, personification), and illustrate each one. This combines ELA skills with creative thinking.
Simile compares using ‘like’ or ‘as’ ("voices like thunder"); Metaphor says one thing is another ("skin was moon to my sun"); Personification gives objects human qualities ("shells with tongues that sang").