Like a Simile: Simile and Metaphor Worksheet
- Grade band
- 4
- Duration
- 35 minutes
- Skill
- Similes and metaphors
- Standards
- L.4.5a — Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
- Materials
- Student worksheet (printable, included)
- Pencils
Learning objectives
- Students will be able to identify a simile or metaphor in a sentence.
- Students will be able to explain what a simple simile or metaphor means in context.
- Students will be able to write an original simile and metaphor.
Lesson procedure
- Warm-up (5 minutes) — I Do. Write "as busy as a bee" and "she was a bee, buzzing around the kitchen" on the board. Ask which uses "like/as" (simile) and which doesn't (metaphor), then ask what both are actually saying about the person.
- Sort and explain (12 minutes) — We Do. In pairs, students sort example phrases into simile and metaphor, then explain what each one means in their own words.
- Worksheet practice (13 minutes) — You Do. Students complete Part 1 (identify and explain) independently.
- Invent a creature (7 minutes) — You Do. Students draw or imagine a silly creature and write one simile and one metaphor describing it on Part 2.
- Share-out (3 minutes) — Closure. A few students share their creature's simile or metaphor aloud; the class guesses what it's describing.
Printable worksheet
Part 1: Identify and explain. Label each phrase simile or metaphor, then explain what it means.
1. "The classroom was a zoo." Type: _____________
Meaning: ________________________________________
2. "He runs as fast as lightning." Type: _____________
Meaning: ________________________________________
3. "Her smile was sunshine." Type: _____________
Meaning: ________________________________________
Part 2: Invent a creature. Describe an imaginary creature using one simile and one metaphor.
My creature is called: ________________________________________
Simile (use like or as): ________________________________________
Metaphor (no like or as): ________________________________________
Try it on your smartboard
Sort each phrase into Simile or Metaphor — works with touch, a stylus, or a mouse. Reload the page to reset.
Simile
Metaphor
Background for the teacher
A simile compares two things using "like" or "as" ("as brave as a lion"). A metaphor compares them directly, without "like" or "as" ("he was a lion out there"). Fourth graders usually pick up the mechanical difference (does it have "like" or "as"?) quickly — the harder skill, and the real point of this lesson, is explaining what the comparison actually means and why the writer chose it.
Watch for students who can correctly label something as a simile or metaphor but can't yet explain the meaning — that's a sign to slow down on the "why" question rather than move to the next example. "As pretty as a picture" only lands if a student understands both what makes a picture pretty and that the phrase is praising, not literally comparing someone to a physical photograph.
Differentiation
Support: Provide a bank of 6-8 familiar similes and metaphors ("busy as a bee," "a heart of gold") for Part 1, so students focus on explaining meaning rather than also identifying unfamiliar examples.
Extension: Challenge students to rewrite one of their Part 2 comparisons as the other type — turn their simile into a metaphor, or their metaphor into a simile — and notice what changes and what stays the same.
ELL support: Idiomatic comparisons rarely translate directly, so pair each example with a quick illustration or gesture showing the literal image before discussing the figurative meaning.
IEP/504 support: Reduce Part 1 to two examples instead of three, and allow the "meaning" explanation to be given verbally rather than written.
Answer key (for teachers)
Part 1 — Identify and explain. 1. Metaphor — the classroom was chaotic and loud, like a zoo. 2. Simile — he runs very fast. 3. Metaphor — her smile was warm and bright.
Part 2 — Invent a creature. Open-ended: accept any simile using like/as and any metaphor that makes a direct comparison without like/as.
Digital extension (optional)
To play with descriptive language in a sillier context, try a fill-in-the-blank story in Giggle Gaps, where kids build a story one labeled word at a time.