Most short stories and screenplays are rich in figurative language and literary elements. These are used to enhance the symbols, motifs, and themes within the plot. Monsters on Maple Street is no exception. The use of simile, metaphor, personification, and onomatopoeia is abundant.
A great activity for students to complete after reading the story is to go on a scavenger hunt! Give them a list of figurative language to find and have them create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element in the story! They will have an absolute blast and master the words by the end.
DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLE | |
---|---|---|
Metaphor | An implied comparison between two things | “Maple Street was bedlam. It was an outdoor asylum for the insane.” "A fever had taken hold now, a hot burning virus..." |
Simile | A comparison using 'like' or 'as' | "They blinked foolishly at the lights, and their mouths gaped like fishes" "Like a hippopotamus in a circus" |
Onomatopoeia | The spelling of a word mimics the sound it represents | "Everyone on the street looked up at the sound of the whoosh." |
Personification | Giving human-like characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas | "The dull, dumb, blind prejudice of the man" |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows different literary elements and use of figurative language in The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.
(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. |