A one-pager is a creative, visually appealing assessment tool that gives students a chance to share their ideas across two modes: imagery and text. They’re my favorite tool, and I’ve been experimenting with them for the last decade. So let me share what I’ve learned.
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Originally pioneered by AVID, one-pagers are a solid toolbox go-to for English teachers, but really, they’re easily adapted to any discipline.
Students create one-pagers to convey their key takeaways from something (a book, an article, a unit, a poem, a documentary, a podcast, an exploration of theme, a science experiment, etc.). One-pagers help express what they’ve learned in a single page. The project lets them work on communicating ideas through a combination of modes. This is a key skill in many workplaces today.
As students think critically about what’s important, they also improve their retention of information. Sketching the details into their one-pagers helps different parts of their brain work together. (Check out this interview with ed-tech consultant and educator Jen Giffen to dig deeper).
Helping Reluctant Artists
You might be thinking, what about my art-haters in fifth period? The ones who moan at the mention of a marker?
Mike Rohde, inventor of sketchnotes, which are like one-pagers created on the fly, famously says they’re “ideas, not art.” This is a good thing to reinforce with your students. The goal here is not to get their one-pagers featured at the Met, but to tap their critical thinking and illustrate their understanding in memorable, insightful ways.
One way to help scaffold the one-pager process for kids feeling wary is to create a template, mapping out areas of the page and connecting them to what you’d like students to include. This template becomes a roadmap that every student can follow, though students who feel ready can go off-template, designing from the blank page.
For example, you might ask students to start an ELA one-pager by putting a key theme for a novel in the center of their paper, then illustrating it with a quotation, and adding a visual and some analysis of their own.
You might guide students to illustrate a range of Spanish verbs related to sports across the top of their one-pager, including the words, their definitions, and illustrations for each, before laying out your requirements for the middle and the bottom of the page.
Maybe you’d have students focus on the traits of a historical figure on one part of the page, while exploring her relationships in another, influences on her in another, and crucial events happening in her world in a visual timeline across the bottom.
Let’s look at a few examples from my discipline, English, to provide inspiration for your next one-pager project. A quick #onepagers search over on Instagram will show you many more.
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These one-pagers, focused on novels, a play, and a short story, showcase the potential role of a template in providing creative constraint, dividing the page and making it easy for students to map their ideas in the spaces provided.
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These character analysis one-pagers provide a little visual twist on a basic template, inviting students to focus in on four key characters from a novel to showcase their growth and development. A one-pager project doesn’t have to be a broad look at an entire text or unit. You can drill down to an important element or concept.
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These one-pagers showcase multimedia takeaways, offering students a focus point as they watch a film or listen to a podcast. This use is very similar to sketchnotes but with a bit more guidance for students.
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If you and your students like hexagonal thinking, then hexagonal one-pagers, an advanced twist that combines the discussion strategy with the one-pager concept, can provide an even deeper level of conversation.
Students first create hexagonal one-pagers to represent complex ideas in your unit. The hexagons showcase themes, characters, connecting texts, and more from Nic Stone’s novel Dear Martin.
Students begin by connecting their hexagons and discussing how the ideas relate. As they rearrange the pieces, new insights emerge. Finally, each group presents its web of connections to the class or writes about the reasoning behind its choices.
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Hexagonal one-pagers are also a fun go-to for building community. For this activity, invite your students to fill out hexagons about themselves before connecting them to those of others in the class, eventually creating a visual display of all the things the group has in common.
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One of my favorite recent twists on the one-pager is an open-mind project. In this version, the template provides a silhouette for a character in a text. Students then fill in key relationships, ideas, quotations, and traits for the character inside their head, while showcasing outside influences and key relationships around the head. For example, you can see open-mind one-pagers for Will Holloman, the main character in Jason Reynolds’ verse novel Long Way Down.
This approach can easily be adapted for other subjects too. In a history class, for instance, you might provide the outline of a country in the center of a one-pager, inviting students to fill it with what’s happening inside during a particular time period. Then, ask them to fill the outside with the influences of neighboring countries, major events, or artistic movements that are shaping the world at that time.
In a language class, you might add a silhouette for a famous leader or creator speaking the language of study. Have students fill the inside with what they know about them. Next, students will create illustrations and information about their actions, influence, and/or creations on the outside.
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There are so many creative ways to use one-pagers, and it’s impossible to explore them all here! Just start experimenting, and see where it works with your class this year. Remember that a template with a clear set of expectations for what to put where is a great scaffold as students begin. And save time in class for a gallery walk and space on your walls for a bright display of one-pagers!
Responding to what you read is an important literacy skill. Reading about other people’s experiences and perspectives helps kids learn about the world. And although students don’t need to dive deeply into every single book they read, occasionally digging into characters, settings, and themes can help them learn to look beyond the prose. Here are 40 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful for kids.
1. Concrete poem
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This clever activity is basically a “shape poem” made from words, phrases, and whole sentences found in whatever the student is reading. The words are laid out to create an image that represents something from the story. For example, if a student is reading a fairy tale about a princess, they may create a found poem using words from the story in the shape of a castle.
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2. Graphic novel
Challenge your students to reimagine something they’re reading—a scene, a chapter, or a whole book—as a graphic novel. Provide a task list for the assignment. For instance, six scenes from the story, three characters, setting details, etc. And, of course, provide detailed illustrations.
3. BookSnaps
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BookSnaps are digital, visual representations of a reader’s reflection on and insight into a book or other text. Students simply take a photo or screenshot of a page or passage, then add annotations, comments, illustrations, or other reactions. They are a great way to share personal connections and spark discussion.
4. Journal entry
Ask your students to place themselves in the shoes of one of their book’s characters and write a first-person diary entry from their perspective. Ask them to choose a critical moment in the story with plenty of interaction and emotion to talk about.
If you’re looking for creative book report ideas that use upcycled materials, try this one using a pizza box. It works well for both nonfiction and fiction book reports. On the inside of the top lid, students draw their book’s cover. On the bottom, they draw a circle and divide it into pizza slices. On each wedge, they tell a part of the story.
6. Book jacket
Challenge your students to think like a book illustrator and create a new, different book jacket for the text they’re reading. Make sure the jacket has an enticing front cover and a summary inside the front fold. On the back fold, provide a short biography of the author and on the back cover a few book reviews.
7. Rewrite the ending
Challenge students to come up with an alternate ending to the book they are reading. Write a summary of the story up to the point of the new ending, then take the story in a different direction.
8. Fictional yearbook entries
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Have your students create a yearbook entry based on the characters and setting in their book. What do the characters look like? Cut out magazine pictures to serve as their school pictures. What kind of superlative might they get? Best-looking? Class clown? What clubs would they belong to or lead? What awards have they won? This fun assignment is a great opportunity for your students to dig deep into the characters’ personas.
How fun is this? Instead of a food tasting (or wine tasting for us adults), students can put on a book tasting. Set a lovely table, prepare the main dish (a book report from each student), and have students circulate and sample.
Students are obsessed with stickers! In this unique activity, students will design water bottle stickers that the main character of the book would love to have, along with a short description of their choices.
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11. Sandwich book report
Yum! You’ll notice a lot of creative book report ideas revolve around food. In this oldie but goodie, different-colored paper cut into appropriately sized shapes represent parts of a sandwich. For instance, tan for the bread, pink for ham, green for lettuce, red for tomato, etc. On each part of the sandwich, students will write about a different element of the book—characters, setting, conflict, etc.
12. Alphabet book
Have your students create their own alphabet book based on the book they read. After they find a word to represent each letter, have them write one sentence that explains where the word fits in.
Using cardboard lap books (or small science report boards), students display details about their book’s main characters, plot, setting, conflict, resolution, etc. Then, they add a head and arms created from card stock and attach them to the board from behind to make it look like the main character is peeking over this book report.
14. Act the part
Have students dress up as their favorite character from the book and present an oral book report. If their favorite character is not the main character, retell the story from their point of view.
15. T-shirt book report
Another fun and creative idea: Create a wearable book report using Sharpie pens and acrylic paint on a plain white T-shirt. Include all the pertinent book report elements and add colorful illustrations. Have all your students wear their T-shirt book reports on the same day and give them time to share with one another.
16. Bookmark
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Have students create a custom illustrated bookmark that includes drawings and words from either their favorite chapter or the entire book.
17. Rays of sunshine book report
This is great for biography research projects. Students cut out a photocopied image of their subject and glue it in the middle. Then, they draw lines from the image to the edges of the paper, like rays of sunshine, and fill in each section with information about the person. As a book report template, the center image could be a copy of the book cover, and each section would expand on key information such as character names, theme(s), conflict, resolution, etc.
18. Reading lists for characters
Ask your students to think about a character in their book. What kinds of books might that character like to read? Take them to the library to choose five books the character might have on their to-be-read list. Have them list the books and explain what each book might mean to the character. Post the to-be-read lists for others to see and choose from—there’s nothing like trying out a book character’s style when developing your own identity.
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19. Character to-do list
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This fun activity is an off-the-beaten-path way to dive deep into character analysis. Get inside the head of the main character in a book and create a to-do list that they might write. Use actual information from the text, but also make inferences into what that character may wish to accomplish.
20. Collage
Create a collage using pictures and words that represent different parts of the book. Use old magazines or print pictures from the internet. Glue the pictures onto a piece of poster board and add text. Display student collages around the classroom and do a gallery walk.
21. Book reports in a bag
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Looking for book report ideas that really encourage creative thinking? With book reports in a bag, students read a book and write a summary. Then, they decorate a paper grocery bag with a scene from the book, place five items that represent something from the book inside the bag, and present the bag to the class.
22. Timeline
Create a timeline using a long roll of butcher paper, a poster board, or index cards taped together. For each event on the timeline, write a brief description of what happens. Add pictures, clip art, word art, and symbols to make the timeline more lively and colorful.
23. File folder book report
Also called a lap book, this easy-to-make book report hits on all the major elements of a book study and gives students a chance to show what they know in a colorful way. Open a manila file folder flat, then fold each side into the center fold so that it looks like a French door. On each of the outside flaps and all of the inside area, have students create different boxes of information such as author, genre, setting, theme, etc. Students can use colored paper, markers, and crayons to make their report.
24. Map it
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Create a colorful illustration map of the book’s setting and label all the important locations. This is an especially fun activity for tracking the action in mystery books.
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25. Triorama book report
Who doesn’t love a multidimensional book report? A triorama is a three-dimensional triangular diorama, but you can also try an accordion-folded book report, a quadrama, or an info-sphere.
26. Character cards
Create trading cards (like baseball cards) for characters from the book. On the front side, draw an illustration of the character. On the back side, make a list of their character traits and include a quote or two. Give students time to share their cards with classmates or present them to the whole class.
27. Book report mobile
This creative project is easy to make with a wire clothes hanger, strings, and paper. Cover the body of the hanger with a paper illustration of the book cover. Then, fill out cards with key elements of the book like characters, setting, and summary, and attach them to the bottom wire of the hanger with string.
28. Top 10 fact sheet
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Have students create a list of 10 facts that they learned from reading the book. Have them write the facts in complete sentences, and be sure that each fact is something that they didn’t know before they read the book.
29. Create a sequel
Have you ever finished a great book and wished the story would go on? Or wondered what happened to the characters 10 or 20 years later? This fun book report idea challenges students to take up where the author left off and follow up on the action and characters on their next adventure.
30. Be a character therapist
Many book plots revolve around a character’s fear and the work it takes to overcome that fear. Ask students to make like a therapist and identify a character’s fears. Have them find two or three scenes that illustrate how this fear exists. Then have them write about ways the character overcame the fear (or didn’t) in the story. What might the character have done differently?
31. Comic strips
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If you’re looking for creative book report ideas for students who like graphic novels, try comic strip book reports. Include an illustrated cover with the title and author. The pages of the book should retell the story using dialogue and descriptions of the setting and characters. Of course, no comic book would be complete without copious illustrations and thought bubbles.
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32. Charm bracelet book report
What a “charming” way to write a book report! Have students trace their hand and forearm onto a piece of stiff paper and then cut it out and decorate it. Next, add a strip of paper around the wrist as a bracelet. Finally, create “charms” that capture a character, an event in the plot, setting, or other detail to dangle from the bracelet.
33. Letter to the author
Have kids write a letter to the author of the book. Tell them three things you really liked about the story. Ask three questions about the plot, characters, or anything else you’re curious about.
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34. Poems
Write a poem or song lyrics about the book. Be sure to include main themes, characters, and events that tell the story.
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35. Board games
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This is a great project to help your students develop deeper insight into what they’re reading. Check out our roundup of the best board games below and challenge students to adapt one to create an interactive book report using one of our free printable games boards.
Create a brochure advertising the book you are reading. Begin by folding an 8 x 11 piece of paper lengthwise. Illustrate all four panels with enticing information about the book to demonstrate understanding. Have students set up a library of the brochures for classmates to browse through on their next book hunt.
Food sometimes tells a story of its own, defining time, region, and history. Find or create a recipe related to the book’s setting, time period, or events, and explain its connection to the story.
38. Movie vs. book
If the book your students have read has been made into a movie, have them write a report about how the versions are alike and different. If the book has not been made into a movie, have them write a report telling how they would make it into a movie, using specific details from the book.
39. Wanted poster
Donna Paul for We Are Teachers
Make an old-timey Wanted poster for one of the book’s main characters. Indicate whether they are wanted dead or alive. Include an illustration of the character and a description of what the character is “wanted” for (with examples) as well a detailed account of where the character was last seen.
40. Wheaties box book report
Recycle a cereal box and create a book report to look like a classic Wheaties box that featured sports heroes. Include a main image on the front of the box. Decorate the sides of the box with information about the book’s characters, setting, plot, summary, etc.
Come share your own creative book report ideas in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
At least once a year, one of my freshmen would ask me why everything we read in 9th grade English was so depressing. A quick look at our curriculum revealed they did have a point. Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, and short stories like Lamb to the Slaughter and The Most Dangerous Game all tell tales of death and despair. While all are excellent, I began to wonder if I could find some different texts to add to the mix. It turns out, while scary short stories and dramatic short stories are easy to find, good funny short stories and witty short stories for middle and high school students are a bit trickier to track down.
With that in mind, here’s a list of funny short stories to use in your classroom when you want to bring a bit of humor to your lesson. Plus, fill out the form on this page to receive your own copy of a selection of the funny short stories below!
OK, this one might be a bit of a controversial addition to a list of funny short stories, but I’m including it anyway. There’s something darkly humorous in this little tale about a man who goes too far in a plot for revenge only to have it backfire on him in the worst possible way. Some of your students will feel bad for the protagonist while others will feel he deserves his fate. Regardless, your class will have a great discussion about it at the end.
In class: There are so many writing prompts you could use from this witty short story, I don’t know where to begin. It could be used as the springboard for an argumentative writing unit, with students discussing whether or not the main character was justified in his actions. It could also be perfect for a discussion on characterization by asking students what can we learn about the main character and his wife through their actions and statements.
I love introducing students to science fiction, especially in the form of funny short stories. We really don’t use sci-fi enough in our English classes. In this story, two aliens discuss the bizarre new life-form they’ve discovered and try to figure out how it thinks and lives. Your students will laugh out loud when they discover that the aliens are talking about humans, and they’ll love figuring out the everyday activities and items the aliens just can’t seem to make sense of.
In class: This is perfect for introducing a new genre to students. After reading, ask students to craft their own science-fiction short story. As a class, brainstorm a list of activities and events that take place all the time that we think are totally normal. Then, ask students to write their version of an alien race trying to figure out a birthday party, after-school detention, or lunch in the school cafeteria.
Written by the same woman who wrote the eerie short story The Lottery, this story is guaranteed to make students of all ages chuckle. The tale of the worst kindergarten student ever, as told by a classmate to his mother at the end of every school day, your students will love hearing all about Charles’ antics. The twist at the end of the tale will make students gasp and giggle.
In class: Perfect for lessons on irony, your students can debate whether Jackson’s funny short story demonstrates verbal, situational, or dramatic irony. I’ve also used this story to show students how an author can utilize dialogue as a method for developing characterization.
Like Charles, this is another classic, well-known story. An older woman takes a young man under her wing after he attempts to steal her purse. As they spend time together, she teaches him a valuable lesson about life. It’s perfect for upper-elementary and middle school students.
In class: This is one of those funny short stories that lends itself to lessons about dialogue, diction, theme, and characterization. It’s also a great text to use for practice discussions or Socratic seminars. Students could easily develop questions about the actions of the characters. They could consider how they would have responded in the same situation. And they could even reimagine the story as if it were written today.
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While many students will have read The Gift of the Magi, this short story by the same author is much less well known. Lord Oakhurst is dying, his wife is grieving (or is she?), and a doctor arrives to try to help. Your students will be shocked and amused by this quick read.
In class: Indirect characterization leaps to the foreground in this funny short story as students can debate whether Lord Oakhurst’s wife is truly as sad as she says she is throughout the story. The story also makes use of flashbacks, making it great for introducing or reviewing that concept.
Satire is a tough genre for so many students. The popular satirical online news magazine The Onion comes to the rescue here with a hysterical piece that, while not a short story exactly, certainly tells a tale students will guffaw over. In the article, students learn the plight of a young man who almost received severe consequences for driving while under the influence. Some satirical pieces are almost too serious for students to see as satire, but this one does a great job of taking a serious subject and turning it on its head to make a point.
In class: This piece is perfect for students who aren’t ready to grapple with some of the more complex satirical pieces they’re often given in school. If your group isn’t quite ready for Swift’s A Modest Proposal, this is a great place to start. As an introduction to satire, pairing this piece with actual news reports of cases where privileged young people have received shockingly light sentences for serious crimes will definitely keep your students engaged (and enraged?).
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This short story caper takes on the classic detective trope and mocks it mercilessly. Over-the-top costumes, mistaken identities, and a ridiculous reveal make this a truly funny short story to share with your students.
In class: I wish I still taught the mystery unit I taught for many years so that I could add this funny short story to the mix. This is a perfect piece to introduce satire. It mocks many of the most common elements of typical detective stories in a truly hilarious fashion.
Given her prominence in current popular culture attributed to The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood is an author our students should know. This short story about a fairy-tale writer receiving some “constructive criticism” on how to make their story more inclusive is sure to inspire reactions among your middle or high schoolers.
In class: This is a great short story to use when teaching the importance of how dialogue can impact tone. Additionally, it would be a great piece to bring to any discussion of whether or not students should read “old” stories that have language or ideas that are considered problematic today.
Definitely one for older students, this essay is a more complex text than many on this list. That being said, it’s a classic for a reason. Swift’s shocking and controversial (and highly satirical) suggestion that the plight of poor Irish peasants could be solved by having them sell their infants to rich British people to eat continues to resonate to this day. Give this to your high school students without any warning and get ready for some interesting reactions and responses.
In class: This piece is a staple in many high school lessons about satire, but I think it could also be used brilliantly in discussions about current political discourse. We struggle with recognizing satire in media today just as much as people did in Swift’s time. Additionally, the parallels between how the wealthy and elite in society look down at the less fortunate then and now could definitely make for some heavy, yet important, classroom discussions. Finally, it’s a perfect text for a lesson on tone—ask students to consider why Swift chose to write in a logical and emotionless voice about such a horrifying idea.
The main character in this funny short story becomes famous. He rushes home to tell his family. Your students will love the reactions of his stunned family. They’ll also have plenty to say about the protagonist’s glorious new stardom.
In class: Perfect for units covering tragic heroes or characters who fall from grace, Chekhov’s work is a pretty searing commentary on the ideas surrounding what it means to be famous. Your students will have a great time making comparisons between the protagonist and various YouTube or TikTok stars of today.
Time to throw a curveball into the game. Have you heard of The Moth? It’s an organization with the mission to “promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience.” They have open-mic storytelling nights in different cities around the country where people just stand up and tell stories based on a preset theme. You can find lots of them on The Moth’s website and on YouTube. This one is about a man who has his identity stolen by a Domino’s Pizza employee. His mission to get revenge will have you and your students laughing out loud.
In class: Many of the stories do include a swear word or deal with adult themes, so be sure to preview the story first. I love the idea of sharing verbal storytelling with students of all ages, especially in the context of a unit on funny short stories. It’s great for reluctant readers and could make an awesome alternative assessment option.
Written by the same author who wrote The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this story is also about an unhappy man who dreams of improving his life. The way he accomplishes this, however, is where the humor (and some shock!) comes in.
In class: Introducing students to more challenging text can always be a bit of a tough sell, so it’s nice to have a few short stories to warm students up to the idea. Students can practice transacting with text, asking questions about sections that confuse them, and working together to build comprehension.
Another curveball addition to this list of funny short stories! I love introducing my students to examples of real-life writing that is actually going on today. While many funny short stories on this list are from the early 1900s, this piece was written in 2020 and appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. The site features humorous pieces on a variety of timely topics. While many aren’t appropriate for school, others, like this one, are perfect examples of how people are still writing and creating today. In this piece, the personified “afternoon walk” explains to the person taking it that it can’t be everything the walker needs it to be.
In class: Best suited for older middle school and high school students, I would love to use this as a mentor text. Imagine the creative writing pieces students could come up with if asked to personify something in their lives.
Confession time: I hate ordering food by phone. It doesn’t matter if it’s healthy or not, or if I’m ordering for one person or twenty. I hate it. I get flustered and almost always end up messing something up. Hence why this story, about a man who gets nervous in banks, spoke to me. Leacock’s description of the main character fumbling his way through opening a bank account had me laughing out loud.
In class: Finding characters from the past that students can relate to is tricky. I like the idea of asking students to free-write or discuss what situations make them feel anxious or uncomfortable. They could write down feelings, descriptions, and images. After reading this story, they could create their own humorous (or serious) stories about their own scenario.
I’ll admit this one blew my mind a bit, which is why I love the idea of sharing it with students. This short story, about a young man who invents a device that gathers together all the stories and novels ever written and then, using a mathematical formula, uses them to churn out new stories at lightning-fast speeds, was written in 1954. That’s right, Roald Dahl predicted ChatGPT and AI-generated storiesdecades ago. Watch your students’ minds be blown as they read this one.
In class: While Dahl may not have meant this short story to be considered science fiction, it certainly could fit into that genre. This piece would be perfect to pair with nonfiction articles about how AI is affecting creative fields as well as an argumentative unit in which students discuss whether or not these stories are better or worse than those written by human authors.
Yes, it’s a poem. But it also tells a story, which makes it a great addition to this list of funny short stories. In this poem, we meet a grumpy old man who is always telling people to grow up. But one day, someone tells him to “grow down.” When he does, he discovers he likes it much more than growing up.
In class: This piece would be perfect for students who are struggling to grasp concepts like theme or characterization. There’s plenty of direct and indirect characterization throughout the poem, and the message is pretty obvious throughout. Additionally, Shel Silverstein’s voice is perfect for discussions about tone.
I chuckle, groan, and, yes, roll my eyes every time I reread this short story. It’s such an enjoyable little piece, about a man who discovers “proof” that aliens exist and are hiding among us even though they can do shocking things with their bodies. It was always particularly well received by my students who didn’t really love figurative language and wished authors would just “say what they mean.”
In class: This story would be great as an introduction to dramatic irony. Part of what makes it so great is how we, as readers, groan each time the protagonist finds “proof” of alien life that we recognize as just an author’s use of imagery, hyperbole, and nonliteral language.
Another poem, I know. But it’s longish, so that counts, right? Your students might pick up on the parallels in theme between this fast-paced poem and the character of Mike Teavee from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl was definitely not a fan of young people watching television instead of playing outside or reading books. One can only imagine what he would have thought about how much time our students spend looking at their phones today!
In class: I love the idea of asking students to write a modern version of this poem, substituting cell phones or TikTok in place of Dahl’s loathed television. It’s also a great piece for discussing tone, as Dahl’s feelings are made so abundantly clear throughout the text.
Jason Reynolds is a genius when it comes to creating characters who seem so real it feels like you’ve met them before. This short story about a young man getting ready for the first day of school will hit your students right in the feels. They’ll laugh, they’ll relate, and they’ll definitely identify with the struggles the protagonist experiences as he prepares to return to school.
In class: This short story would fit beautifully into any lesson about mood and point of view. The main character’s ability to express himself and his feelings is so enjoyable to read. It would also be a great study on how allusions can date a text. While our students will understand immediately why the character cares so much about his sneakers remaining perfectly white, will people in the future? It would be interesting to pair this piece with an older text and compare the allusions of each.
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We sometimes shy away from challenging texts when looking for new stories to share with our students, but Twain is an excellent author to turn to when you want to explore how to tackle tough reads. There’s definitely something to be said for slowing down and really focusing on how an author uses words to tell a story. This one, about a man listening to an incredibly long-winded tale about a frog-jumping contest gone wrong, will have your students chuckling by the end.
In class: This story would be ideal for introducing students to the tall-tale genre, a unique American storytelling tradition that celebrates colorful characters, improbable events, and hyperbole. It also would be a perfect mentor text when teaching regional dialects or how dialogue affects mood and tone.
We’re headed back to O. Henry for this one because he was just so good at funny short stories. Your students will get a kick out of seeing a humorous Western romance unfold between Joséfa, a brave and headstrong ranch owner, and Ripley Givens, a cowboy trying to impress her with his bravery. They’ll like it even more when they get to the part with the puma and O. Henry’s telltale surprise ending.
In class: Like many other witty short stories in this list, this is a perfect short story for a lesson on irony. I like it more, however, for how it turns themes like pride and our perception of others on their heads. Have your students do a pre-writing exercise sharing their background knowledge of Westerns, damsels in distress, and cowboys, and then have them compare their previous perceptions with the reality presented in the story for a fun and meaningful discussion.
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Author’s purpose is the term we use to describe why an author writes a particular piece. There are many reasons an author may write, of course, but we usually sum them up under a few major categories: persuade, inform, entertain, explain, and describe.
Recognizing the author’s purpose allows us to look at their writing more critically, analyzing its tone, content, and style. For instance, if we know an author is writing specifically to persuade us to their point of view on a topic, we can evaluate their statements with a more skeptical eye, looking for provable facts and potential bias. On the other hand, if an author is writing to entertain, we as readers don’t need to worry too much about whether they’re getting all the facts right or what they want us to believe about a particular topic.
Author’s purpose is a nuanced concept, as writers frequently have more than one purpose when writing. A fiction writer may want to entertain their audience but also inform them about a subject or persuade them to consider new points of view. As readers, we should consider all potential purposes to truly understand the text as we read.
Check out this video with a great explanation of author’s purpose from one of our teacher contributors:
Author’s Purpose Types and Examples
When we talk about author’s purpose, we use a few categories most frequently. Over the years, the initial three categories of “persuade, inform, and entertain” have been expanded to include “explain” and “describe.” Here’s a general definition of each, along with some examples.
Persuade
When writing to persuade a reader, an author attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular point of view. They may do this with facts and data, persuasive language, or a combination of both. When you read persuasive writing, you should always do so with a critical eye, looking for bias and misinterpretation of information. (Learn more about critical thinking skills here.) Examples include:
Inform
As the name implies, this type of writing provides information to an audience, usually with a neutral tone. The author wants to educate the reader on a topic, presenting facts, evidence, and examples in a straightforward manner. (The article you’re reading right now is an example of informative writing!) When reading an informative piece, readers should remember to consider the reliability of the sources when determining the quality of the information. Examples of informative pieces include:
Entertain
When we think of authors who set out to entertain, fiction writing usually springs to mind. But nonfiction can also be entertaining, so don’t immediately rule out this purpose when you encounter a piece of nonfiction. This is especially true for humorous writing, travel writing, documentaries, entertainment and sports news, and even nonfiction books.
On the other hand, while some fiction writing is meant as pure entertainment, fiction writers can also have other purposes in mind. That’s one reason why we evaluate so many fiction texts more deeply: to understand what the author is really trying to say. Common entertainment writing examples include:
Explain
This is similar to “inform,” but it usually means a deeper dive into a topic. For instance, an informative text might tell you about the most popular foods in Greece, while an author whose purpose is to explain will actually give you the recipes and walk you through how to make those dishes. An informative encyclopedia article will give you an overview of the War of the Roses, while a textbook or nonfiction book on the subject will explain much more about the events and people involved. Examples include:
Describe
Descriptive writing helps the reader visualize the subject of the text. Authors give specifics like measurements and colors, along with expressive language that describes sensory experiences like sounds, smells, and tastes. The author’s purpose is to bring a subject to life for the audience with lots of vivid details. Examples include:
Plus, check out our free author’s purpose worksheet bundle.
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Get our free worksheet bundle including three different author’s purpose activities.
Why did the dog run away? Because the owner left the gate open. Why did the boy cry? Because he fell off his bike. Cause and effect can be a challenging concept for kids especially when it requires them to use information from earlier in a novel or when it requires students to infer. But don’t worry, we’ve got you. Here are cause-and-effect lesson plans, starter ideas, and classroom activities that are simple but effective to help your students master this reading concept.
Scroll through these cause-and-effect lesson plans to get inspiration and grab some freebies too!
1. Use anchor charts
As you introduce cause-and-effect, an anchor chart can help reinforce the concept. They’re great to refer back to when reviewing and are helpful for kids to look at when working independently.
Use an anchor chart to emphasize is that the cause is why something happened. The cause always happens first, even if it isn’t mentioned first. The effect is what happened, and it occurs after the cause.
Students are causing effects all day long. Use real life examples, like dominos, light switches, toy cars on a ramp, and so on. As you (or, even better, a student) demonstrate these examples, ask your kids about the cause and the effect for each.
3. Play a board game
Create our own board game using our free templates. You can print the board and write on it to gamify your cause-and-effect lesson. Just grab some dice and you are ready to roll!
4. Discuss real life examples
Give your class real scenarios and ask what would happen. You might say, If I poke this balloon with a pencil, what would happen? Then have students determine the cause and effect.
Continue asking similar questions, using the same frame of if (the cause) and what (the effect). For example, if you ate too much candy at one time, what would happen? If you practiced playing the piano every day, what would happen? If you never brushed your teeth, what would happen? To add some fun, you might even make it silly. Maybe, If an elephant jumped into a tiny pool, what would happen? Or If you saw an alien, what would happen?
5. Use an interactive anchor chart
Interactive anchor charts are a fun way to get students involved by building the anchor chart together! As you teach the lesson, fill in the anchor chart with your students. They can even write their own sticky notes to add, or write on the chart itself.
6. Use role plays
Prepare slips of paper ahead of time with ideas for students to act out. Tell the kids that they may make sound effects but may not use words. You can call for volunteers right away or, better yet, put the actors into small groups and give them 5 to 10 minutes to practice before showing the class.
The situations you include could be: You’re playing baseball, and a window breaks. You’re blowing a big chewing gum bubble, and it pops on your face. A football team makes a touchdown and the crowd cheers. You jump on the bed and get scolded. You run fast and earn a trophy. And so on. After every scenario is performed, the class identifies the cause and the effect.
7. Use sentence strips
Write causes on sentence strips and matching effects on other sentence strips. Make sure there are enough for your whole class. Pass out a sentence strip to each child with either a cause or an effect.
When you say “go,” have the kids walk around until they find a match. When they’re done, they can quickly share out their answers. This cause-and-effect lesson is a great way to get kids moving.
8. Create a cause-and-effect chain
To link multiple causes and effects, create a chain. This is a great way to show the many causes and effects that occur during a novel or longer story. Use different colored papers to code cause-and-effect so students can see whether there is a balance of the two across a story.
9. Cause-and-Effect match
Cut 3-by-4-inch cards from two different colors of construction paper. Once kids are in pairs, give each child two cards of each color. One color is for the causes (write a “C” on the back of these to help kids remember), and the other color cards are for the effects (write an “E” on the back of these).
Next, the pairs work together to come up with four different cause-and-effect events to record on their cards. For example, on one cause card, it might say: The mother bird sat on her nest. The effect card that matches it might say: The baby birds hatched out of their eggs. Once the pair has finished their cards, they mix them up, place them in an envelope, and write their names on the front.
The next day, set the envelopes around the room, like you’re having a scavenger hunt. Have pairs travel around the room with their partners to open envelopes, match causes and effects, mix the cards back up, put them back in the envelope, and move to the next open set.
10. Make flip books
These little books can be used in cause-and-effect lesson plans and much more! You might want to prep them for little ones, but older kids can usually make their own. Fold a 9-by-12-inch paper lengthwise (hot dog–style). Keep it folded and use a ruler to mark off the 3-, 6-, and 9-inch spots near the top and bottom.
Draw a line from the top to the bottom at each marked spot. Unfold the page and cut on the three lines from the bottom to the fold. Once the flip-book is created, kids draw four causes on the front and then lift each flap and draw four effects underneath. Need enrichment for higher-level kids? Have them draw or write several effects for each cause.
11. Fill out Mad Libs
Use fill-in-the-blank worksheets where the blank spaces are either the cause or effect of an action. Students can make up their own story while determining the cause and effect of their creation.
Take 9 x 12 construction paper (landscape format) and have kids fold it in half and then unfold it. Write “Cause” at the top of the left side and “Effect” at the top of the right side. Kids use crayons, markers, Sharpies, or watercolors to create a picture that shows a cause-and-effect relationship, in this case, with Pete the Cat.
13. Create cause-an-effect cards
Similar to the above cause-and-effect lesson plan, but instead of unfolding the paper, just leave it folded like a greeting card. I actually like to make the cards fairly small, then they can be grouped together in a little cause-and-effect museum for a fun display. The cards just have to be big enough for the kids to draw or write on them.
14. Call on Mother Goose
Have students pick out cause-and-effect scenarios from nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes are short and have clear cause-and-effect to identify.
For more practice with cause-and-effect, have students rewrite the nursery rhyme to include a clearer or additional cause-and-effect using the same characters. For example, what might happen to the spider after Miss Muffet runs away? Or, what might Miss Muffet do next time she wants to eat her curds and whey?
15. Use photos
This cause-and-effect lesson plan could be done after kids have mastered the basics. Gather some interesting pictures from classroom magazines (Scholastic, Weekly Reader, etc.) and regular magazines, or find them online on free-to-use sites like Pixabay. Look for pictures that have a lot going on in them because kids are going to be looking for several causes and effects, not just one. I would suggest NOT letting the kids search for pictures. Not everything is classroom friendly, and even if it were, it could be a distraction.
Glue the picture to the top of a piece of construction paper (portrait format) or a piece of chart paper. Underneath the picture, divide the space in half and write “Cause” at the top of the left side and “Effect” at the top of the right side. Kids brainstorm and write down lots of different causes and effects for the same picture by looking at it in many ways.
Free Printable Paper/cause and effect via free-printable-paper.com
16. Use a graphic organizer
Graphic organizers are a fantastic tool for students to use to organize information, like cause-and-effect. Grab this free cause-and-effect graphic organizer template to get you started. It’s a great way to add extra practice and reinforce the topic.
17. Teach students to locate clues
Teach upper elementary students that certain words like because, since, due to, and if … then, or words that help sequence events like first and then, are signals that can help them find the cause or effect as they read.
Use this handout to help them and then have them practice by making up their own cause-and-effect sentences or by doing a version of the sentence-strips activity outlined above.
18. Play a game
Games are a great tool to use for cause-and-effect lesson plans. As an added bonus, games can be played independently. When a student finishes early or has some free time, have them test their mastery of cause-and-effect by having them play free online games that will both challenge them and reiterate what you taught. Ice cream lovers in your class?
Once students are familiar with cause-and-effect graphic organizers, switch it up a bit! Grab this free digital worksheet template to add a new way of teaching cause-and-effect. It’ll pair perfectly with whatever you have planned for your cause-and-effect lesson.
20. Use sticky notes
Printing on sticky notes is so fun! Check our our how-to video here. Your students will love using them to learn. Plus, they can easily be pasted into their notebooks or stay on desks as a reminder.
21. Use interactive notebooks
Make your students’ notebooks come to life! Interactive notebooks help students study and retain information with foldable flaps and more. You can get the template of the one pictured here.
22. Do a scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts make cause-and-effect lesson plans fun! The idea here is that student have to work together to find the cause of each clue. This will lead them to find the next scavenger hunt clue to keep going.
23. Create centers
Choose a handful of cause-and-effect lesson plans from this list and build centers. Students will enjoy learning the concept in a variety of ways. Plus, it ensures that there are multiple ways to learn and grasp this concept.
24. Experiment
Perhaps nothing exemplifies fun and exciting cause-and-effect lesson plans better than an experiment. Come up with a list of quick, simple experiments to do, such as putting lots of air in a balloon or putting pennies on the wings of a paper airplane. Then, as a class or in small groups, work together to come up with a simple hypothesis, using the words highlighted above. For example: The plant will grow because we watered it consistently. Or:If we mix the colors yellow and blue, then we will make green. Help students see that the setup of the experiment is the cause and what happens (the result) is the effect.
25. Use picture books
Picture books are great tools for cause-and-effect. The images on each page support students’ ability to infer details and connect one event to another.
While you’re reading, pause at each page turn to talk about what effect could happen next. And, have students identify the causes and effect that move a character through the story.
Amazon
26. Create an adventure
Either read books that have students choose the next step, like this four-set of Oregon Trail books, or write your own. At each point in the story, talk about what could happen based on what has happened, and what might happen next. You decided not to visit the trading post, what might happen as you enter the desert?
27. Create another type of cause and effect chain
Create another type of cause-and-effect chain to show how events connect and build off of one another. You can use this format to model real life cause-and-effect, or to work out the causes and effects in a story or novel.
28. Task box
For students who need additional practice, use this task box idea. Include pictures and phrases with clear a cause-and-effect, and have students match each one. A task box should be self-checking so include a way for students to check their work.
29. Tree diagram
As students advance from linking one cause to its effect, they’ll learn that sometimes causes build to create an overall effect. Use this tree diagram to show how that works in a story or informational text.
30. Cause-and-effect maze
Help students connect cause-and-effect, and see how an effect can become a cause, use a maze format. Write events in a story on a grid and create a path that students create by coloring in the causes and effects.
A growing chorus of education researchers, pundits and “science of reading” advocates are calling for young children to be taught more about the world around them. It’s an indirect way of teaching reading comprehension. The theory is that what we grasp from what we read depends on whether we can hook it to concepts and topics that we already know. Natalie Wexler’s 2019 best-selling book, The Knowledge Gap, championed knowledge-building curricula and more schools around the country, from Baltimore to Michigan to Colorado, are adopting these content-filled lesson plans to teach geography, astronomy and even art history.
Makers of knowledge-building curricula say their lessons are based on research, but the truth is that there is scant classroom evidence that building knowledge first increases future reading comprehension.
More importantly, the students at these charter schools were largely from middle and upper middle class families. And what we really want to know is whether knowledge building at school helps poorer children, who are less likely to be exposed to the world through travel, live performances, and other experiences that money can buy.
A new study, published online on Feb. 26, 2024, in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Psychology, now provides stronger causal evidence that building background knowledge can translate into higher reading achievement for low-income children. The study took place in an unnamed, large urban school district in North Carolinawhere most of the students are Black and Hispanic and 40 percent are from low-income families.
In 2019, a group of researchers, led by James Kim, a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, randomly selected 15 of the district’s 30 elementary schools to teach first graders special knowledge-building lessons for three years, through third grade. Kim, a reading specialist, and other researchers had developed two sets of multi-year lesson plans, one for science and one for social studies. Students were also given related books to read during the summer. (This research was funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is among the many funders of The Hechinger Report.)
The remaining 15 elementary schools in the district continued to teach their students as usual, still delivering some social studies and science instruction, but not these special lessons. Regular reading class was untouched in the experiment. All 30 schools were using the same reading curriculum, Expeditionary Learning, which follows science of reading principles and teaches phonics.
Covid hit in the middle of the experiment. When schools shut down in the spring of 2020, the researchers scrapped the planned social studies units for second graders. In 2021, students were still not attending school in person. The researchers revised their science curriculum and decided to give an abridged online version to all 30 schools instead of just half. In the end, children in the original 15 schools received one year of social studies lessons and three years of science lessons compared to only one year of science in the comparison group.
Still, approximately 1,000 students who had received the special science and social studies lessons in first and second grades outperformed the 1,000 students who got only the abbreviated online science in third grade. Their reading and math scores on the North Carolina state tests were higher not only in third grade, but also in fourth grade, more than a year after the knowledge-building experiment ended.
It wasn’t a huge boost to reading achievement, but it was significant and long-lasting. It cost about $400 per student in instructional materials and teacher training.
Timothy Shanahan, a literacy expert and a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago who was not involved in this research or the development of these science lessons, praised the study. “The study makes it very clear (as have a few others recently) that it is possible to combine reading with social studies and science curriculum in powerful ways that can improve both literacy and content knowledge,” he said by email.
Connecting background knowledge to reading comprehension is not a new idea. A famous 1987 experiment documented that children who were weaker readers but knowledgeable about baseball understood a reading passage about baseball better than children who were stronger readers but didn’t know much about the sport.
Obviously, it’s not realistic for schools to attempt to familiarize students with every topic they might encounter in a book. And there is disagreement among researchers about how general knowledge of the world translates into higher reading performance.
Kim thinks that a knowledge-building curriculum doesn’t need to teach many topics. Random facts, he says, are not important. He argues for depth instead of breadth. He says it’s important to construct a thoughtful sequence of lessons over the years, allowing students to see how the same patterns crop up in different ways. He calls these patterns “schemas.” In this experiment, for example, students learned about animal survival in first grade and dinosaur extinction in second grade. In third grade, that evolved into a more general understanding of how living systems function. By the end of third grade, many students were able to see how the idea of functioning systems can apply to inanimate objects, such as skyscrapers.
It’s the patterns that can be analogized to new circumstances, Kim explained. Once a student is familiar with the template, a new text on an unfamiliar topic can be easier to grasp.
Kim and his team also paired the science lessons with clusters of vocabulary words that were likely to come up again in the future – almost like wine pairings with a meal.
The full benefits of this kind of knowledge building didn’t materialize until after several years of coordinated instruction. In the first years, students were only able to transfer their ability to comprehend text on one topic to another if the topics were very similar. This study indicates that as their content knowledge deepened, their ability to generalize increased as well.
There’s a lot going on here: a spiraling curriculum that revisits and builds upon themes year after year; an explicit teaching of underlying patterns; new vocabulary words, and a progression from the simple to the complex.
There are many versions of knowledge-rich curricula and this one isn’t about exposing students to a classical canon. It remains unclear if all knowledge-building curricula work as well. Other programs sometimes replace the main reading class with knowledge-building lessons. This one didn’t tinker with regular reading class.
The biggest challenge with the approach used in the North Carolina experiment is that it requires schools to coordinate lessons across grades. That’s hard. Some teachers may want to keep their favorite units on, say, growing a bean plant, and may bristle at the idea of throwing away their old lesson plans.
It’s also worth noting that students’ math scores improved as much as their reading scores did in this North Carolina experiment. It might seem surprising that a literacy intervention would also boost math. But math also requires a lot of reading; the state’s math tests were full of word problems. Any successful effort to boost reading skills is also likely to have positive spillovers into math, researchers explained.
School leaders are under great pressure to boost test scores. To do that, they’ve often doubled time spent on reading and cut science and social studies classes. Studies like this one suggest that those cuts may have been costly, further undermining reading achievement instead of improving it. As researchers discover more about the science of reading, it may well turn out to be that more time on science itself is what kids need to become good readers.
This story about background knowledge was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Proof Points newsletter.
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Idioms are expressions that have a meaning that isn’t immediately obvious from the words themselves. Every language has them, and fluent speakers use them casually without even thinking about them. But for young students or those learning English as a second language, these phrases can be really confusing. Share these idiom examples with your students to deepen their understanding and use of American English idioms in no time flat!
We’ve put together a list of some of the most common English idioms, complete with meanings and examples. Try using them for Idiom of the Day lessons, posting them around the classroom, or creating an idiom examples bulletin board.
Get a free Google Slides deck of all 110 idioms to use with your students by filling out the form on this page.
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A fish out of water
Meaning: Someone in an uncomfortable position or situation
Example: It was Allison’s first day at her new school, and she felt like a fish out of water.
Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make things worse
Example: Celia added fuel to the fire by accusing the opposing team of cheating.
Add insult to injury
Meaning: Do something to make a bad situation worse
Example: Learning she failed her science test on the same day her best friend moved away added insult to injury.
All bark and no bite
Meaning: Full of big talk but not willing to take meaningful action
Example: Don’t be afraid of him when he gets mad. He’s all bark and no bite.
All ears
Meaning: Eager to listen to what someone has to say
Example: The class was all ears when Ms. Ali mentioned a way to earn extra credit on the test.
Ants in your pants
Meaning: Can’t sit still
Example: “Stop wriggling while I’m braiding your hair!” Kehlani’s mom said. “You have ants in your pants this morning.”
Anything but
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Meaning: Not at all
Example: When they heard about the pop quiz, the students were anything but excited.
Bad egg
Meaning: A person who causes trouble or is dishonest
Example: Most of the group were kind and honest, but a few bad eggs caused trouble for the rest.
Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To be looking for answers in the wrong place
Example: James thought Christopher was the one who broke the vase, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
Be a fly on the wall
Meaning: To watch something happen without anyone knowing you’re there
Example: Nico wished he could be a fly on the wall when his sister discovered the toad he’d left in her shoe!
Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid saying what you mean, often because it would be difficult or uncomfortable
Example: Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell me why you can’t come to my birthday party on Friday.
Beef up
Meaning: To make something stronger
Example: My teacher recommended I beef up my essay with stronger examples to support my main point.
Bend over backward
Meaning: To try very hard to do something, even if it causes you problems
Example: I’ve been bending over backward to plan this party at the last minute.
Bigger fish to fry
Meaning: More important things to do
Example: Don’t waste my time with silly little things today. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something that’s uncomfortable or not fun and get it over with
Example: After putting it off for several days, Alex decided to bite the bullet and start work on the history project.
Blessing in disguise
Meaning: An apparently bad thing that turns out to be good in some way
Example: Dashaun was disappointed he couldn’t go to the party, but after everyone who attended got food poisoning, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Bone to pick
Meaning: To be angry at someone about something and want to talk about it
Example: I’ve got a bone to pick with you! You need to stop leaving your junk all over my desk.
Bread and butter
Meaning: A person’s main source of income
Example: Khalil loves playing with his band on the weekends, but giving guitar and piano lessons is his bread and butter.
Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck! Often used in the theater before a play or performance.
Example: Is your piano recital tonight? Well, break a leg!
Break the ice
Meaning: To do or say something that will make people feel more comfortable
Example: OK, since none of us have met before, let’s introduce ourselves and break the ice by sharing our favorite ice cream flavor.
Burn your bridges
Meaning: To do something that makes it impossible to return to the way things were before
Example: If you insult your boss when you resign, you’ll burn your bridges with that company.
Butter up
Meaning: To flatter or praise someone to get their help or support
Example: Malik is being really nice to me all of a sudden. I think he’s trying to butter me up and get me to vote for him for class president.
Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working on something and plan to pick it up again later
Example: After working for three hours on her science fair project, Sofia decided to call it a day.
Change of heart
Meaning: To change your opinion about something
Example: Ms. Ramirez used to be opposed to allowing dogs at school, but she’s had a change of heart.
Cherry on top
Meaning: To make something that is already good even better
Example: We won free tickets to the concert, but the cherry on top was learning we’d also won backstage passes!
Chicken out
Meaning: To be too afraid to do something
Example: She stood on the high diving board for almost 10 minutes, but in the end Dionne chickened out and came back down the ladder instead of jumping.
Chip off the old block
Meaning: A person who is similar to a parent in some way
Example: Kayden loves to play chess as much as his dad does. He’s a real chip off the old block.
Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Calm and serene, often in a difficult situation
Example: While everyone else panicked about the pop quiz, Inez was cool as a cucumber.
Costs an arm and a leg
Meaning: To describe something that is very expensive
Example: A new PlayStation costs an arm and a leg, so you’d better start saving now if you want to buy one.
Crack a window
Meaning: Open a window slightly
Example: It’s so stuffy in here. Can someone please crack a window for some fresh air?
Cream of the crop
Meaning: The very best of a group
Example: Everyone knows that Harvard and Yale only accept the cream of the crop.
Cross your fingers
Meaning: To wish someone luck or hope for something to happen
Example: Headed to your audition? I’ll cross my fingers that you get the part you want!
Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To feel sorry over something that has already happened, even though it’s not helpful
Example: It’s too bad you broke your phone, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Cry wolf
Meaning: To lie about something to get attention or help
Example: If you keep crying wolf, no one will believe you when you’re really hurt.
Cut somebody some slack
Meaning: To ease up on someone, to allow them some leeway or another chance
Example: Even though Jake was late with his English essay, Ms. Davis decided to cut him some slack since she knew he’d had the stomach flu.
Cutting corners
Meaning: To do something quickly and badly in order to save time or money
Example: Liza cut corners on her math homework so she could watch TV and ended up getting most of the answers wrong.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t depend on something before it happens
Example: I know you’re sure you’re going to get the lead in the spring play, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Drag your feet
Meaning: To be reluctant to do something
Example: Rohan knew he needed to start his research paper, but he just kept dragging his feet.
Draw a blank
Meaning: To fail to remember something
Example: Keiko studied hard for the test, but when it came time to answer the question, she drew a blank.
Drop the ball
Meaning: To make a mistake
Example: Aisha said she’d make the poster for our project, but she forgot. She really dropped the ball on this one.
Eagle eye
Meaning: Close or careful watch on something
Example: Ever since I broke a glass, my parents keep an eagle eye on me when I’m washing dishes.
Ear to the ground
Meaning: To be well informed or try to learn more about events
Example: Keep your ear to the ground and see if you can learn more about their plan.
Every cloud has a silver lining
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Meaning: No matter how bad something seems, there’s usually a good side to it as well
Example: Jamal was disappointed that his soccer game was canceled, but it gave him time to go to the movies with his friends, and his mom pointed out that every cloud has a silver lining.
For the birds
Meaning: Worthless or no good
Example: Those cheap pens are for the birds; they barely work at all.
Get off my back
Meaning: Used to ask someone to stop bugging you about something
Example: I told you I’d mow the lawn this weekend—now get off my back!
Get out of hand
Meaning: To become difficult to control
Example: Ms. Rodriguez told her students they could chat while they worked, as long as the noise level didn’t get out of hand.
Get something out of your system
Meaning: Do the thing you’ve been wanting to do so you can move on
Example: Mr. Patel knew his students were eager to try out the new playground equipment, so he told them to go ahead and get it out of their system before they started class.
Get your act together
Meaning: Behave properly, or organize your thoughts so you can do something successfully
Example: After the third time he was late to class, Connor’s teacher told him he needed to get his act together and start showing up on time.
Get your ducks in a row
Meaning: To get things organized or make plans
Example: I have so many things to get done today! I need to get my ducks in a row before I get started.
Get your feet wet
Meaning: To take a small step in an effort to learn or do something new
Example: Before joining the cross-country team, Melanie got her feet wet by running a few local 5K races.
Give it a whirl
Meaning: To try something
Example: I’ve never made a cake from scratch, but I’m willing to give it a whirl.
Give someone the benefit of the doubt
Meaning: To trust what someone says, even if you’re not entirely sure what they’re saying is true
Example: Charlotte wasn’t sure Amelia was really late because she missed the bus, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone, usually because you’re upset or angry with them
Example: Will and Jessica were mad at Emma, so they decided to give her the cold shoulder until she apologized.
Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start something over again with a completely new idea
Example: When her science experiment failed completely, Hailey knew it was time to go back to the drawing board.
Go the extra mile
Meaning: To do more than you’re required to do
Example: Minh went the extra mile and really impressed the selection committee.
Gut feeling
Meaning: A reaction based on an emotional response instead of reason
Example: I want this project to work out, but I’ve got a gut feeling we’re doing things the wrong way.
Hang in there
Meaning: Don’t give up, keep on trying
Example: “I’m sorry you’re having a rough day,” Lucas told Olivia. “Hang in there. I’m sure things will be better tomorrow.”
Happy as a clam
Meaning: Very content with a situation
Example: Give her a book, some hot chocolate, and a warm blanket, and she’s happy as a clam.
Hit-or-miss
Meaning: Something that might be good sometimes and bad other times
Example: Anna was a bit hit-or-miss when it came to remembering to take out the trash on Thursdays.
Hit the sack/hit the hay
Meaning: To go to bed
Example: “Nine o’clock!” said Mia’s dad. “It’s time to turn off the TV and hit the sack.”
Hold your horses
Meaning: Slow down, stop and think about what you’re doing
Example: “Hold your horses!” their dad said. “You can’t go swimming until you put on sunscreen.”
Hook, line, and sinker
Meaning: Completely tricked or deceived
Example: I told my teacher the dog ate my homework, and she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
In the same boat
Meaning: To be in the same bad situation as other people
Example: We’re all in the same boat here; let’s help each other out and fix the problem.
It’s not rocket science
Meaning: Used to describe something that isn’t complicated or difficult
Example: All you have to do is put the books back on the right shelf. It’s not rocket science!
It’s raining cats and dogs
Meaning: To rain very hard
Example: I hope you brought your umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs out there!
Let someone off the hook
Meaning: To not hold someone responsible for something
Example: Logan was caught running in the hallway, but Ms. Walker let him off the hook because she knew he was late for the bus.
Miss the boat
Meaning: To be too late for something that’s already started or is over
Example: Sarah wanted to join the lacrosse team, but she was too late to sign up and missed the boat.
On cloud nine
We Are Teachers
Meaning: Extremely happy about something
Example: When Wyatt learned he’d gotten a perfect score on both his math and science tests, he was on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
On the ball
Meaning: To be quick and alert, dealing with things right away
Example: Alice got all her homework done and practiced her clarinet before dinner. She’s really on the ball today!
On the same page
Meaning: To agree with someone
Example: I think you and I are on the same page; we both agree that recycling is important.
On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky situation or position
Example: When Mrs. Chen had to ask Ava and Noah to stop talking for the fourth time that day, she warned them both that they were on thin ice.
Out of the blue
Meaning: Suddenly and without warning
Example: Everything was going fine when out of the blue, Joey said they were really mad about something.
Out on a limb
Meaning: To take a risk for someone or something
Example: I’m going to go out on a limb and give them the extra funding they’re asking for.
Piece of cake
Meaning: Extremely easy
Example: Putting the new desk together was a piece of cake.
Pig out
Meaning: To eat a whole lot all at once
Example: Come over for dinner and we’ll pig out on pizza and ice cream.
Play it by ear
Meaning: To figure things out as you go
Example: We didn’t get a schedule in advance, so we’ll just have to play it by ear as the day goes along.
Pleased as punch
Meaning: Extremely happy about something
Example: Tia is pleased as punch about going to Hawaii for spring break.
Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease someone or try to fool them
Example: No, the cafeteria isn’t really giving away free ice cream. I was just pulling your leg!
Pull yourself together
Meaning: To calm yourself down when you’re very upset
Example: I know you’re upset that your team lost the game, but you need to pull yourself together and go congratulate the winners.
Run in circles
Meaning: To try very hard but have little or no success
Example: We’re just running in circles here; we need a plan before we do any more work.
Second wind
Meaning: A fresh burst of energy
Example: Quinn thought she was too tired to go to the party after playing soccer all afternoon, but then she got a second wind.
See eye to eye
Meaning: Agree with someone about something
Example: No matter how long they argued, they couldn’t seem to see eye to eye about painting the room orange.
Sell like hotcakes
Meaning: To sell quickly and in large amounts
Example: The latest iPhone model is selling like hotcakes!
Sleep like a log
Meaning: Sleep very soundly without waking
Example: After a long day at the beach, Jayma slept like a log that night.
Slip your mind
Meaning: To forget something
Example: I meant to do the laundry, but it totally slipped my mind.
Spill the beans
Meaning: To give away a secret
Example: Isabella’s surprise party was ruined when Sarah spilled the beans a few days before.
Start off on the wrong foot
Meaning: To start a relationship or activity badly
Example: After starting off on the wrong foot, Robin and Hayden finally figured out how to work together.
Take a rain check
We Are Teachers
Meaning: To postpone a plan until another time
Example: I’d love to play basketball after school, but I’ve got to go home to mow the lawn. Can I take a rain check?
The ball is in your court
Meaning: The decision or next step is up to you
Example: Nick’s mom told him he could either join the basketball team or sign up for karate class, so he had to choose one. “The ball is in your court,” she said.
The early bird gets the worm
Meaning: Those who arrive first have the best chance for success or receive the best things
Example: Grayson and Jayden showed up to find the best seats in the room already taken. “The early bird gets the worm!” said Maya with a grin.
The elephant in the room
Meaning: A large, obvious issue or problem that people are avoiding mentioning or dealing with
Example: After waiting for Joseph to explain his bright-green hair all through dinner, his mom finally decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.
The icing on the cake
Meaning: Something that makes a good situation even better
Example: The band was excited to learn they’d earned a place in the regional competition. Finding out it would take place at Disney World was the icing on the cake.
The last straw
Meaning: The last in a series of events that causes someone to run out of patience
Example: “That’s the last straw!” said Elena after her little brother’s ball landed in her cereal bowl. “Go play outside!”
The whole nine yards
Meaning: Everything, all the way
Example: Grace and Nora went the whole nine yards to make sure Hannah’s birthday party was really special.
Think on your feet
Meaning: To react quickly in a tricky or fast-moving situation
Example: Dani excels at basketball because she’s so good at thinking on her feet.
Through thick and thin
Meaning: When things are good and also when they’re bad
Example: Sophie and Chloe had been best friends since first grade, sticking together through thick and thin.
Time flies when you’re having fun
Meaning: When you’re having a good time, you don’t notice how quickly the time is passing
Example: “Recess is over already?” said Ben. “I guess time flies when you’re having fun!”
To get bent out of shape
Meaning: To get upset about something
Example: I didn’t mean to step on your foot—there’s no need to get bent out of shape about it.
To make a long story short
Meaning: To give the basic facts about something instead of a long explanation
Example: To make a long story short, Liam tripped over his shoelace and that’s how he broke his wrist.
Under the table
Meaning: To do something secretly, often used to refer to working for pay unofficially (and illegally)
Example: Gabi knew she shouldn’t, but she took a job working under the table so she didn’t have to worry about paying taxes.
Under the weather
Meaning: To be sick
Example: Miguel won’t be at the Scout meeting today because he’s feeling a little under the weather.
Up in arms
We Are Teachers
Meaning: Very angry about something
Example: When they heard the plans to cut down the old oak tree, the townspeople were up in arms.
Up in the air
Meaning: Uncertain or unsettled
Example: Until we know if it’s going to rain or not, our weekend plans are up in the air.
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it
We Are Teachers
Meaning: If that problem comes up, we’ll deal with it then, not right now
Example: We might have a snow day on Monday, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will probably never happen
Example: Would I ever go sky-diving? When pigs fly!
Wild goose chase
Meaning: A senseless or hopeless attempt to do something
Example: They looked all over for a copy of the new video game, but in the end it turned out to be a wild goose chase.
Wrap your head around something
Meaning: To understand something complicated or surprising
Example: It’s hard to wrap your head around just how big the universe is.
You can say that again
Meaning: I completely agree with what you just said
Example: “This pizza is the best food I ever ate!” exclaimed Mateo. “You can say that again!” Dylan agreed.
Your guess is as good as mine
Meaning: When you have no idea what the answer is to a question or problem
Example: “Do you know how to solve number four in our math homework?” Maria asked. “Your guess is as good as mine,” David replied, shrugging his shoulders.
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Writers use figurative language like metaphors to bring their writing to life. But what exactly is a metaphor (and how is it different from a simile)? Learn more about this literary device, and get metaphor examples and teaching ideas for your students.
What is a metaphor?
A metaphor is a literary device that draws a comparison between two otherwise unrelated things. It’s used to make an idea more relatable to the reader, or to evoke an emotional response. Metaphors often use hyperbole, or exaggerated language, to paint a vivid picture.
Example: Today’s history exam was a total nightmare.
Metaphors are examples of figurative language, where the words are meaningful but not strictly true. In the above example, the speaker doesn’t mean that they fell asleep during their exam and had a nightmare. Instead, they’re drawing a comparison between the two to help the reader understand how terrible the experience was.
Metaphor vs. Analogy
Metaphors are similar to another literary device, the analogy. However, a metaphor is used to evoke feeling and emotion. A writer uses an analogy to help the reader draw a logical conclusion. If you’re trying to figure out if a phrase is a metaphor or an analogy, ask whether it’s meant to provoke an emotional reaction or help a reader understand something through logic.
Metaphor: Time is a remorseless river.
Analogy: Time is like a rapid river, flowing remorselessly onward. Trying to swim upstream is futile; you must simply go where the currents take you.
Metaphor vs. Simile
To add to the confusion, similes are another type of figurative language comparison used as a literary device. In a simile, though, the writer uses the words “like” or “as” rather than making a direct comparison.
Metaphor: The sound of her voice was music to their ears.
This is the most basic type of metaphor, in which the writer simply makes a stated comparison between two unrelated things.
Standard metaphor example: Racism is a fatal disease for our society.
The direct comparison here is between racism and a disease, bluntly stated and easy to identify.
Implied
Implied: In an implied metaphor, the writer is more subtle, using imagery to evoke the comparison between two things.
Implied metaphor example: It was time for Elijah to spread his wings and fly.
By using language about wings and flying, the author implies a metaphor between Elijah and a bird.
Visual
In a visual metaphor, an image replaces or reinforces the words. This classic public service announcement from the 1980s is an excellent visual metaphor example:
Extended
As the name implies, an extended metaphor is more than just one sentence. It can be a series of lines in poetry, or a theme carried through paragraphs (or an entire book) in prose. Analogies can seem like extended metaphors, but remember that analogies are meant to help the reader draw logical conclusions, while metaphors provoke an emotional response.
Extended metaphor example: “The dim attic was a forgotten lifetime. Cobwebs in the corners were shadowy memories, and rusty locked trunks held the passed years. A layer of soft dust lay over all, a blanket of lamented time gone by.”
Each sentence in this paragraph extends the metaphorical connection between the attic and a life lived long ago.
Dead
The term “dead metaphor” can be used in several ways, but it generally means a metaphorical expression that has lost its power over time. This might be because the original meaning of a word has changed or that it has fallen out of use. A dead metaphor can also be an overused cliche, one that we’ve all heard so often it no longer has much impact.
Dead metaphor example: That remark was really beyond the pale.
You’ve probably heard this phrase, but do you know what it actually means? Many years ago, “the pale” referred to a wooden stake used to mark a boundary line. To say something was “beyond the pale” meant that it crossed an accepted boundary. This phrase is still used today, though few know what it actually means, making it a dead metaphor.
Mixed Metaphors
What about the phrase “mixed metaphors”? Once again, the clue is in the name: A mixed metaphor is when the writer or speaker mixes two comparisons into one metaphor, making things more confusing instead of clearer. Mixed metaphors are often combinations of well-known phrases.
We’ll cross that bridge when the ball is in our court.
This sentence combines two common metaphors. The first, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” compares dealing with an issue or making a decision to crossing a bridge. The second, “The ball is in our court,” makes a connection between taking your turn in a ball game and dealing with an issue or a decision. Put together, the two frankly sound a little bit silly, so strong writers try to avoid mixing metaphors.
General Metaphor Examples
We Are Teachers / RitaE via Pixabay
Tom is the black sheep of his family.
The vast parking lot was a Sahara under the relentless sun.
As the children started to work, the classroom became a beehive of activity.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Time is a thief, stealing moments away before we know it.
Her smile was a lighthouse, guiding him safely across the crowded room.
Li’s anger was a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
Romance is the key to her heart.
Olivia’s words were sharp daggers, cutting Jordan down to size.
To Leslie, the vacant lot was a blank canvas, waiting to be turned into a beautiful park.
Your bedroom is a pigsty—clean it up!
A storm of emotions brewed deep inside, under Juan’s calm exterior.
Life is a journey, so enjoy each step along the way.
Her shrill laugh was nails on a chalkboard to me.
Love is a rose, with sweet fragrance and sharp thorns.
If I’m going to get all this work done on time, I’ll need to be a real machine today.
With our boss out of town for the week, this place is a real circus.
As she watched him sing, April’s face was an open book.
Assad’s eyes were deep pools, drawing him in.
Layla’s pride is her armor, protecting her from all attacks.
Metaphor Examples From Literature
We Are Teachers / aled7 via Pixabay
“I’m a riddle in nine syllables.” (“Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath)
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” (As You Like It by William Shakespeare)
Kids will love this creative activity where they write color metaphors on paint chip samples. Hang a bulletin board full of them, and you’ll have a vivid metaphor display for the classroom!
This one is great for middle or high school, since it can be a bit tough. Each student draws a slip of paper with a random word or phrase on it. Then they partner up and try to create a metaphor that links their two words together.
Grand Junction, CO, October 13, 2016 (Newswire.com)
– Tech & Learning magazine announced the winners of its 2016 Awards of Excellence on October 5, and the new, Education Edition of AceReader made the list. The winners were decided by a panel of Tech & Learning advisors that individually evaluated hundreds of products. They include “innovative applications that break new ground as well as those that added significant enhancements to proven education tools.”
“I am so pleased that AceReader has won this award from Tech & Learning,” commented AceReader co-founder Bernie Marasco. “It’s an honor to be in the company of other great innovators such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson, and Discovery Education, to name a few.”
We have been working very hard on our school edition of AceReader, and we are already hearing great things back from teachers and principals about the product, so it’s very gratifying to get this added recognition in support of our efforts.
Bernie Marasco, Co-Founder
This award comes on the heels of a multi-year retooling of the immensely successful AceReader line of software products, especially the one for the educational environment. AceReader is a reading efficiency product that helps users improve their reading rate, comprehension, and fluency. The new, cloud-based Education version is accessible from any computer, tablet, or mobile device that has a web browser and an internet connection, and it is already being widely used in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, learning centers, and military academies. Teachers and administrators are able to add students and classes at will, view test results and student progress, and even upload their own content into the program.
“We have been working very hard on our school edition of AceReader, and we are already hearing great things back from teachers and principals about the product, so it’s very gratifying to get this added recognition in support of our efforts,” Marasco continued.
AceReader is available by yearly subscription and also comes in Individual and Family Editions suitable for individual consumers. Schools enjoy lower cost-per-student pricing and should contact AceReader, Inc. to set up a demonstration and for pricing.
