Activity Overview
Holling uses many instances of figurative language when recounting his story in The Wednesday Wars. Many of his exaggerated claims or dramatic comparisons lend humor to his tale. Storyboards can be a helpful way for students to explore these figurative meanings. Have students search for examples of metaphor, simile, personification, idiom, or hyperbole in the text. Next, ask them to depict each example and explain its meaning and significance below.
Examples of Figurative Language in The Wednesday Wars
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration or overstatement for humor or emphasis |
"Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun. Me." |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | A comparison using 'like' or 'as' | "She slashed through my answers with a broad swathe of bright red ink. It looked like my test was bleeding to death." |
| Metaphor | An implied comparison between two things | "I was to come to the Principal's office ... I headed off to Death Row." |
| Personification | Giving human-like characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas | "There were the demon rats ... their eyes filled with the Big M - Murder! ... The faster I ran, the more their yellow hatred grew..." |
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows three examples of figurative language in The Wednesday Wars.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify use of figurative language in the text.
- Put the type of figurative language (such as simile or metaphor) in the title box.
- Give an example from the text in the description box.
- Illustrate the example using using a combination of scenes, characters, and items.
Lesson Plan Reference
- CCSS: RL.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
- CCSS: RL.7.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama
- CCSS: RL.8.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples of Figurative Language | There are three examples of figurative language in the description boxes. | There are two correct examples of figurative language in the description boxes. | Only one of the examples of figurative language is correct. |
| Types of Figurative Language | All three examples are correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). | Two examples of figurative language are correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). | Only one example of figurative language is correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). |
| Illustrations | Illustrations show attention to the details of the story and demonstrate connection to the figurative language. | Illustrations demonstrate connection to the figurative language. | Illustrations do not make sense with the examples chosen. |
Activity Overview
Holling uses many instances of figurative language when recounting his story in The Wednesday Wars. Many of his exaggerated claims or dramatic comparisons lend humor to his tale. Storyboards can be a helpful way for students to explore these figurative meanings. Have students search for examples of metaphor, simile, personification, idiom, or hyperbole in the text. Next, ask them to depict each example and explain its meaning and significance below.
Examples of Figurative Language in The Wednesday Wars
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration or overstatement for humor or emphasis |
"Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun. Me." |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | A comparison using 'like' or 'as' | "She slashed through my answers with a broad swathe of bright red ink. It looked like my test was bleeding to death." |
| Metaphor | An implied comparison between two things | "I was to come to the Principal's office ... I headed off to Death Row." |
| Personification | Giving human-like characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas | "There were the demon rats ... their eyes filled with the Big M - Murder! ... The faster I ran, the more their yellow hatred grew..." |
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows three examples of figurative language in The Wednesday Wars.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify use of figurative language in the text.
- Put the type of figurative language (such as simile or metaphor) in the title box.
- Give an example from the text in the description box.
- Illustrate the example using using a combination of scenes, characters, and items.
Lesson Plan Reference
- CCSS: RL.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
- CCSS: RL.7.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama
- CCSS: RL.8.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples of Figurative Language | There are three examples of figurative language in the description boxes. | There are two correct examples of figurative language in the description boxes. | Only one of the examples of figurative language is correct. |
| Types of Figurative Language | All three examples are correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). | Two examples of figurative language are correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). | Only one example of figurative language is correctly identified as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or personification (or other). |
| Illustrations | Illustrations show attention to the details of the story and demonstrate connection to the figurative language. | Illustrations demonstrate connection to the figurative language. | Illustrations do not make sense with the examples chosen. |
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Wednesday Wars, The
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