We can slowly feel the changes from Autumn to Winter embracing our towns. In Washington, the air has a little nip to it, the days end quicker, and even the frost is slowly making its way through the grass. The changing of seasons lends itself so well to figurative language, which makes it the perfect time to teach it! What’s better to poetically describe than what you see happening around you?

When thinking about creating a lesson plan around figurative language, I immediately thought of the diverse book, Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter, by Kenard Pak. I love this book so much and it is FULL of figurative language! It is so important that we incorporate diverse books in everything we do. Therefore, I created a free lesson plan and materials to teach (or review) figurative language to students in Grades 3-5. There are even differentiated worksheets and assessment criteria for you to really meet your students’ needs. Check it out below!

Featured Book

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter, by Kenard Park

The Spectrum for Multicultural Lit.: Representation

Age Range: 3-6 years old

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter follows kids around their town as the seasons are changing. They say “Hello!” to different elements of the changing season. Then, the elements say “Hello!” back and describe what they are doing to get ready for Winter. Every couple pages contain personification of the elements along with some similes and metaphors in the whole book.

Lesson Plan & Materials

In this lesson, students will be learning about figurative language. First, teachers will introduce or review figurative language and the three types the class will concentrate on: simile, metaphor, and personification. Then, the class will read Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak and analyze the figurative language in the book. At the end, students will be asked to come up with their own example of figurative language to write down (and analyze, depending on their grade level). 

We would love for you to use the resources here while also using your knowledge of your students/kids to meet their needs during this time. Feel free to change up the activities in our lesson plan/directions. Check out the following free resources we have created:

• Figurative Language – Grades 3-5 Lesson Plan
• Figurative Language Poster
• “My Figurative Language” Differentiated Worksheets
  • Each page corresponds with the levels detailed in the lesson plan’s Assessment Section. Pick which one is best for your learners!

I would LOVE to see any other photos of learning happening! Please tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using @ColorfulPagesOrg or email us your photos at colorfulpagesorg@gmail.com. It always warms my heart when I see people using our resources and furthering students’ access to diverse books!