When teaching poetry, it is often helpful to refresh or introduce students with technical words. Terms like metaphor, simile, stanza, alliteration, personification, rhyme scheme, and onomatopoeia are a few important terms.
In this activity, students can create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element that they can find in the poem. You may chose to focus on one element at a time, or if the students are advanced, you can focus on many.
Here is an example of six literary elements found in “Your World”:
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows five examples of literary elements in "Your World".
Engage students by dividing them into small groups and assigning each group a different literary element to explore. Collaborative activities encourage participation and help students learn from each other as they identify and discuss examples in the poem.
Ask each group to read the poem aloud and work together to find words or lines that represent their assigned element. This shared discovery builds confidence and deepens understanding.
Supply chart paper or digital tools for each group to create a visual storyboard. Let students illustrate and caption their chosen example, making the abstract concept more concrete for all learners.
Invite each group to share their storyboard with the class. Encourage students to explain how their example fits the literary element, promoting public speaking skills and peer-to-peer teaching.
Lead a brief discussion on which literary elements were easiest or hardest to find and why. This reflection helps students solidify their understanding and connect learning to future poetry studies.
The main literary elements in 'Your World' by Georgia Douglas Johnson include alliteration, assonance, metaphor, simile, imagery, and apostrophe. These elements enrich the poem and help students understand figurative language.
To teach literary elements with 'Your World', have students identify examples of each element in the poem, discuss their meaning, and create storyboards illustrating the elements. This hands-on approach makes abstract concepts more concrete for young learners.
An example of a metaphor in 'Your World' is: “My wings pressing close to my side.” Here, wings represent a person’s potential or ambitions, comparing a person to a bird without using 'like' or 'as'.
Engaging activities include creating storyboards that illustrate literary elements, group discussions to find examples, and filling out graphic organizers with definitions and examples from the poem. These strategies boost comprehension and creativity.
Teaching literary elements in early grades helps students develop strong reading comprehension, recognize figurative language, and appreciate poetry. It lays the foundation for advanced literary analysis and creative thinking.