METAPHORS IN MASS MEDIA

Name:_________________________________________ Date:___________________
Activity 1. WORD PLAY

PRACTICE. Here are items on word play. Each item has a question and four possible
answers. .
1. What is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning or
spelling?
a) Homonym b) Synonym c) Antonym d) Acronym

2. What is a word that is formed by rearranging the letters of another word?

a) Anagram b) Palindrome c) Pangram d) Acrostic

3. What is a word or phrase that means the opposite of what it says, often used for humorous
or sarcastic effect?
a) Irony b) Oxymoron c) Hyperbole d) Euphemism

4. What is a word or phrase that rhymes with another word or phrase, often used in poetry or
rap?
a) Alliteration b) Assonance c) Consonance d) Rhyme

5. What is a word or phrase that contains two or more meanings, often used to create humor
or confusion?
a) Pun b) Metaphor c) Simile d) Idiom

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PRODUCT

This Activity will engage and discuss the standard approaches to close reading of metaphor:

 Choose a short poem or a passage from a literary text that contains one or more
metaphors. For example, you could use “Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily
Dickinson or “All the world’s a stage” by William Shakespeare.

 Read the text carefully and identify the metaphors. A metaphor is a figure of speech
that compares two things that are not alike, usually using the words “is” or “as”. For
example, in “Hope is the thing with feathers”, hope is compared to a bird.

 Analyze how the metaphors work in the text. Consider the following questions:
o What are the literal and figurative meanings of the words used in the
metaphors?
o What are the similarities and differences between the things that are compared
in the metaphors?
o What are the effects or implications of using these metaphors? How do they
contribute to the tone, mood, theme, or message of the text?

 Share your findings and interpretations with the class. Support your claims with
evidence from the text and explain your reasoning. You should also listen to and
respond to other students’ views and questions.

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 Rubrics
Here are some possible rubrics for the activity:

 Identification of metaphors:
5 points: The student can correctly identify and label the metaphors in the text.
4 points: All metaphors are identified;
3 points: Most metaphors are identified;
2 points: Some metaphors are identified;
1 point: Few or no metaphors are identified

 Analysis of metaphors:
5 points: The student can explain how the metaphors work in the text, using the questions
provided as a guide.
4 points: The student provides clear and detailed analysis of the metaphors, using relevant
examples from the text;
3 points: The student provides adequate analysis of the metaphors, using some examples from
the text;
2 points: The student provides superficial or incomplete analysis of the metaphors, using few or
no examples from the text;
1 point: The student provides no or irrelevant analysis of the metaphors

 Participation in discussion:
5 points: The student can share their findings and interpretations with the class, using
evidence and reasoning to support their claims. The student can also listen to and
respond to other students’ views and questions.
4 points: The student actively and respectfully participates in the discussion, demonstrating
critical thinking and communication skills;
3 points: The student moderately participates in the discussion, demonstrating some critical
thinking and communication skills;
2 points: The student minimally participates in the discussion, demonstrating little or no
critical thinking or communication skills;
1 point: The student does not participate in the discussion or disrupts it.