Grade 4 – Reading and Writing

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to explain literal and figurative meaning of idioms through discussion and writing.

Content Standards:

 ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4.A - Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a

clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.B - Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and
proverbs.

Materials and preparation:

 Common Idioms worksheet

 A Figure of Speech worksheet
 Pencils

Key terms

 figurative language
 literal
 idiom

Introduction (5 minutes)

 This lesson will begin by gathering the students together and explain to them that they will be
working with figurative language.
 I will explain that figurative language is a word or phrase that does not have its normal everyday,
literal meaning.
I will express to the students that writers use figurative language to make comparisons, and to
help the reader create a more vivid picture of the text.
 Students will be asked to describe a time when someone used a word or saying to describe
something that was different from the word's literal, or normal, everyday, meaning. If they need
more support, I will give them a few examples of metaphors, similes, or idioms.
 I will continue by telling the students that today’s lesson will be a piece of cake!

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (15 minutes)

 I will write the phrase a piece of cake on the whiteboard. Then ask the students what "a piece of
cake" means.
 I will then display a picture of a piece of cake on the whiteboard. Then ask the students to
describe the experience of eating a piece of cake. I will guide them toward answers such as
enjoyable, easy, fun, delicious, etc. and record the answers on the board.
 I will then explain that when someone describes something as being "a piece of cake," they mean
that it is easy.
 I’ll proceed to tell the students that "a piece of cake" is an example of an idiom then define an
idiom as “a saying that has a meaning that's different than the literal meaning of the phrase.”
 The class will be given several other examples of idioms and their meanings. For example: sick
as a dog, get cold feet, be in the same boat, etc.
  I will then pass around copies of the Common Idioms worksheet to each student.
 I will review the literal and figurative pictures for the "under the weather" idiom.
 Afterwards we will discuss the meaning of "under the weather" together. Discussion questions
will include: What does under the weather mean? Why do you think someone would say that
about feeling sick?
 I will then write a sentence using "under the weather" correctly on the board.

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

 I will assign partners in the class for each student to work with.
 They will be instructed to choose two idioms from the list of common idioms on part 2 of the
Common Idioms worksheet.
 I will then ask them to complete part 3 of the worksheet where they will illustrate the literal and
figurative meaning of each of their chosen idioms. They must also write a sentence at the bottom
of each picture to explain the idiom.
 I will gather the students together so they can share their pictures and idioms.

Independent working time (10 minutes)

 Students will be instructed to complete part 4 of the Common Idioms worksheet where they will
choose the idioms to complete the sentences.

Differentiation:

 Students in need of a greater challenge will find and illustrate idioms from their independent
reading books.
 Students who need extra support will be placed into a small group and a few samples of
similes/metaphors will be shared with them. This will help them to grasp the concept of figurative
language. I will discuss how using metaphors can make writing and reading more interesting, and
that context clues can be used to figure out what unknown idioms can mean. I will show them
pictures of literal interpretations of idioms and figurative meanings side-by-side. I will
concentrate on having the students describe the relationship between the two meanings.

Assessment (10 minutes)

 A Figure of Speech worksheet to check to see if the class understands the concept of idioms.
 I will circulate the classroom as students work and question their conclusions about various
idioms. I will collect data on how students are managing/struggling with the assignment.

Reflection (10 minutes)

I will have students review the definition of idioms and how idioms help writers improve their
writing. Also share with me a favorite idiom they would like to use in a future piece of writing.
Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Commo
Idioms are
meaning from the
n common phrases that have a different
actual words used
Example: Under

Literal (Or real)

idioms meaning
the weather

Figurative meaning (idiom)

This is Mary. In this picture, Mary is sick in bed

In this picture, Mary is physically “under the weather” is an idiom that
positioned below the weather. means to be sick.

Part 1. On the line below, write a sentence that uses “under the weather” as an idiom.

Part 2. Review the list of common idioms below.

Common Idioms
A piece of cake Give me a hand
Bite off more than you can chew Under the weather
Crack someone up Break a leg
Drive someone up the wall You’re pulling my leg
Hit the nail on the head Pass the buck
Back on the drawing board On your high horse
Cat got your tongue Give the cold shoulder
Raining cats and dogs Talk a mile a minute
Wear your heart on your sleeve Elbow grease
You can’t judge a book by its cover Hold down the fort
I’m on top of the world Hit the ceiling
I’m in a pickle Spitting image
I’m feeling blue Tie the knot
In one ear and out the other Out of the blue
Let someone off the hook Pull the plug
 Name __________________________ Date _____________________

Commo
Part 3. Choose
from part 2.
n two idioms from the list of common idioms
For each one, draw both literal and figurative
meaning. Use
idioms them in sentences.

Idiom #1: _________________________________ Idiom #2: _______________________________

Literal:
Literal:

Figurative: Figurative:

Sentence #1: ___________________________________________________________________

Sentence #2: ___________________________________________________________________

Name ____________________________ Date ________________________

Commo
Part 4. Choose the n idioms that complete the sentences.

1. Are you
idioms guys going to tie the

_____________________ this year?

2. After disappointing sales, the company decided to pull the __________ on the new SUV.

3. This could never happen; are you pulling my _________________?

4. I just got a nice promotion at work, now I feel like I’m on top of the _______________!

5. After the unsuccessful test, we had to go back to the ___________________ board.

6. That test was a piece of _________________________.

7. These hyper dogs are driving me _______________________!

8. Can you get off your high ___________________ and give me a __________________?

9. With a little bit of elbow______________we can have this car up and running in no time.

10. It was like I was talking to a wall, in one ________________and out the ____________.
 A Figure of Speech

Write what you think each highlighted idiom means.

1. I knew every answer on the math test. It was a piece of cake.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Rita and Samantha both like to eat olives and read books. They’re like two peas in a pod.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. I used all of my savings to buy this new video game. It cost me an arm and a leg!

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. It was a secret until Jon spilled the beans. Now everyone knows.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

5. I hate mushrooms! I’ll like them when pigs fly.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
6. Wear a raincoat and use an umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________