Lesson for year 8 students who are studying Holes by Louis Sachar

1. SIMILES
&
METAPHORS

2. Figurative language is used when a writer describes something
using comparisons that go beyond literal meaning.
The words mean more than what they say superficially. This gives
the writing a fresh look at a common subject.
Figurative language is not meant to be interpreted in a word by
word sense. The objects that are being compared are different
enough ways so that their similarities, when pointed out, are
interesting, unique and/or surprising.
Figurative language is used in poetry and fiction, as well as in
everyday speech. It can add “colour” to the story.

3. WHAT IS A SIMILE?
A simile draws a resemblance
between two unlike things.
A simile uses words such as like or
as to make a direct comparison.

4. SIMILES
Examples
• He was as busy as a bee
• And it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the
wind. "Candle in the Wind," Elton John
• It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a
dog. “Hard day’s night” The Beatles
• My heart is like an open highway. “It’s my life” Jon Bon Jovi
• They were like two peas in a pod
• The snow was like a blanket
• The deer ran like the wind

5. SIMILES
Examples
• He was as busy as a bee
• And it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the
wind. "Candle in the Wind," Elton John
• It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog.
“Hard day’s night” The Beatles
• My heart is like an open highway. “It’s my life” Jon Bon Jovi
• They were like two peas in a pod
• The snow was like a blanket
• The deer ran like the wind

6. SIMILES
More Examples
• as hungry as a bear
• as nutty as a fruitcake
• as quick as lightning
• as slippery as an eel
• as solid as a rock
• as stubborn as a mule
• as sturdy as an oak

7. WHAT IS A METAPHOR
A metaphor is a figure of speech (word or
phrase) that makes a comparison between two
unlike things, objects, people, or even feelings.
It draws a verbal picture.
A metaphor states that one thing is another
thing. It is symbolic of something else.
The comparison is made without the use of like
or as.
A metaphor is more positive that an simile – it
says the object is something.

8. METAPHORS
Examples
1. Conscience is a man’s compass. (Vincent Van Gogh)
2. All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same
tree.(Albert Einstein)
3. Sport is war minus the shooting. (George Orwell)
4. It is raining cats and dogs.
5. You are what you eat.
6. A heart of stone (from Rebecca)
7. He has the heart of a lion.
8. You are the sun in my sky.
9. You are the light in my life.

9. METAPHORS
More Examples
• All work has dried up
• Life is a journey
• Love is a battlefield
• Drowning in a sea of …..
• Jumping for joy
• Rolling in dough
• Apple of my eye
• Homework is a breeze
• All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely
players. (William Shakespeare)
• Love is a lemon - either bitter or sweet. (Scott)
• Johnny was a raging tiger when he lost his lunch money.

10. TRY OUT YOUR
UNDERSTANDING
OF
SIMILES
AND
METAPHORS
Look at each of the next 10 slide and try to work out if the text
has a simile or uses a metaphor to add “colour” to the
sentence.
You don’t need to write these 10 examples down.

11. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
• The bus wasn't air conditioned, and the hot,
heavy air was almost as stifling as the handcuffs
(p6)
1

12. SIMILE OR METAPHOR
• The bus wasn't air conditioned, and the hot,
heavy air was almost as stifling as the handcuffs
(p6)
ANSWER: SIMILE

13. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“He's a mole," Zigzag had said. "I think he eats
dirt." p95
2

14. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“He's a mole," Zigzag had said. "I think he eats
dirt." p95 .
ANSWER: METAPHOR

15. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“One hundred and ten years ago, Green Lake was
the largest lake in Texas. It was full of clear cool
water, and it sparkled like a giant emerald in the
sun.” (page101).
3

16. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
One hundred and ten years ago, Green Lake was the
largest lake in Texas. It was full of clear cool water, and it
sparkled like a giant emerald in the sun (page101).
ANSWER: SIMILE

17. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“When they reached flat ground, Stanley looked
up to see the sun, a fiery ball balancing on top
of Big Thumb. God was twirling a
basketball” (p166)
4

18. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“When they reached flat ground, Stanley looked up to see
the sun, a fiery ball balancing on top of Big Thumb. God
was twirling a basketball” (p166)
Answer: Metaphor

19. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“Stanley smiled. “I’m a camel.” He said.” p193
5

20. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“Stanley smiled. “I’m a camel.” He said.” p193
Answer: Metaphor

21. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
His mouth was as dry and as parched as the
lake. (page 107)
6

22. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
His mouth was as dry and as parched as the lake.
(page 107)
ANSWER: SIMILE

23. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
He dug the hole into his memory. p71
7

24. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
• He dug the hole into his memory. p71
Answer: Metaphor

25. “It said that Green Lake was "heaven on earth" and
that Miss Katherine's spiced peaches were "food
for the angels".” p102
SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
8

26. SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
“It said that Green Lake was "heaven on earth" and that
Miss Katherine's spiced peaches were "food for the
angels".” p102
Answer: Metaphor

27. Zero’s face looked like a jack-o’-lantern that had
been left out too many days past Halloween. (Page
155)
SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
9

28. Zero’s face looked like a jack-o’-lantern that had been left
out too many days past Halloween. (Page 155)
SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
ANSWER: SIMILE

29. Myra's head is as empty as a flowerpot (p30)
SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
10

30. Myra's head is as empty as a flowerpot" (p30)
SIMILE OR METAPHOR?
ANSWER: SIMILE

31. SIMILES
OR
METAPHORS
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN
TO WORK OUT
WHICH SENTENCES
CONTAIN
You will write your answers in your OneNote folder.
Create a GRAMMAR Section
Then create a page with the Title – “Similes and Metaphors”

32. TASK 1
1. Write down a definition for both a simile and a metaphor
On the next 2 slides there are 12 questions. Read them
carefully. You have to determine if the sentence contains a
simile or metaphor.
2. Please copy all questions onto your page then beside each,
write down whether it is a simile or metaphor and identify,
by highlighting, which words you are describing.

33. SIMILE OR METAPHOR
1. "The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies." p39
2. “I know it’s hot, but I feel so very cold. ….. My heart is
cold.” p120
3. “It felt like heaven as it flowed over his dry mouth and
down his parched throat. p157
4. “The peak looked to him exactly like a giant fist, with a
thumb sticking straight up.” p128
5. Elya Yelnats' luck was poisoned meat that he passed
down for generations to his family.
6. “There she is!” Trout shouted. “The Devil Woman!” p112

34. SIMILE OR METAPHOR
7. “You want to run away? You’ll be buzzard food in three
days.” p15
8. “…the lightning was coming out of the thumb, as if it were
the thumb of God.” p129
9. The Warden's fingernails were deadly weapons after she
painted them with rattlesnake venom. (from ch9 p90-910).
10. “Her brain and heart had been spinning ever since Sam
kissed her”. p112
11. “Zero sat as still as a statue”. p205
12. His throat felt as if it was coated with sandpaper. p191.

35. MORE PRACTICE
Complete Task 2 by copying the song then
highlighting the Similes or Metaphors in it

36. It's not that easy bein' green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or
gold-
or something much more colorful like that.
It's not easy bein' green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy
sparkles in the water- or stars in the sky.
But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall
like a tree.
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder,
I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.
TASK: 2
Look at the words to “It’s not that easy being Green”
Find the Similes (Yellow) – Metaphors (green)

37. TASK: 3
Create a poster
(using whatever tool you prefer)
that explains
similes
and
metaphors

38. TASK: 4
Chose 5 of the following characters from ‘Holes’..
On you & write two sentences on each of them.
1. Stanley
2. Mr Sir
3. Katherine Barlow
4. Zero
5. Zig-Zag
6. Mr Pendanski
7. The Warden
8. X-Ray
9. Armpit
One of the sentences must contain a simile and the other a metaphor.
Example example:
a. Zero smelled like a skunk after days of not bathing. (Simile)
b. Zero was a mole as he dug his five-foot deep hole. (Metaphor)

39. On the next slide you will see that U2 had a song
in the late 80’s.
• Does the song use metaphors or similes?
• Which lines?
EXTENSION ACTIVITY

40. LISTEN TO
“HAWKMOON
269 ” BY U2.
HIGHLIGHT
SIMILES
IN YELLOW AND
METAPHORS IN
GREEN.
Like a desert needs rain
Like a town needs a name
I need your love
Like a drifter needs a room
Hawkmoon
I need your love [Repeat]
Like a rhythm unbroken
Like drums in the night
Like sweet soul music
Like sunlight
I need your love
Like coming home
And you don't know where you've
been
Like black coffee
Like nicotine
I need your love (I need your love)
[Repeat]
When the night has no end
And the day yet to begin
As the room spins around
I need your love (Repeat)
Like a Phoenix rising needs a holy tree
Like the sweet revenge of a bitter
enemy
I need your love
Like the hot needs the sun
Like honey on her tongue
Like the muzzle of a gun
Like oxygen
Like the hot needs the sun
Like honey on her tongue
Like the muzzle of a gun
Like oxygen
I need your love (I need your love)
(Repeat)
When the night has no end
And the day yet to begin
As the room spins around
I need your love
I need your love... [Repeat 9 times]
Like thunder needs rain
Like a preacher needs pain
Like tongues of flame
Like a sheet stained
I need your love [Repeat]
Like a needle in a vein
Like someone to blame
Like a thought unchained
Like a runaway train
I need your love
I need your love... [Repeat 7 times]
Like faith needs a doubt
Like a freeway out
I need your love
Like powder needs a spark
Like lies need the dark
I need your love
In the heart of the heat of the love
In the heart of the heat of the love...

41. I examined how the writer used figurative
language devices (similes and metaphors)
to engage the reader’s interest. To do this:
A. I identified some of the devices in the text .
B. I explained how most of the devices worked in the
Holes text and created some of my own similes
and metaphors for it.
C. I gave detailed explanations about how the
devices worked in the Holes text, creating my
own similes and metaphors for it and applied my
knowledge to other forms of writing.
LESSON
Reflection
Choose which
statement
applies to
you.
Briefly explain
your choice.
Put your
answer at the
bottom of the
lesson page