Lesson Plan: Teaching Imagery

Objective:
By the end of the lesson, you will understand the concept of imagery in literary texts and be
able to identify and use metaphors, similes, and sensory language in their own writing.

Duration: 45 minutes

Lesson Outline

1. Warm-up Activity (10 minutes)

 Begin with a simple question: "Have you ever read a story that made you feel like you
were really there?"

 Show pictures of different settings (a beach, a forest, a snowy village) and ask pupils
to describe what they see, hear, smell, or feel.

 Write their responses on the board to introduce the idea of sensory language.

2. Explanation and Examples (10 minutes)

 Define imagery: "Imagery is language that helps create pictures in our minds and
other sensory experiences."

 Introduce key techniques:

o Visual Imagery (sight) - Descriptive language that creates a picture in the

reader’s mind.

 Example: "The golden sun set behind the towering mountains, painting
the sky in hues of pink and orange."

o Auditory Imagery (sound) - Words that describe what you can hear.

 Example: "The leaves rustled as the wind whispered through the trees."

o Olfactory Imagery (smell) - Language that describes scents.

 Example: "The kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked
cookies."

o Gustatory Imagery (taste) - Words that describe flavors.

 Example: "The juicy watermelon burst in my mouth, refreshing and

sweet."

o Tactile Imagery (touch) - Words that describe textures or physical sensations.

  Example: "The kitten’s fur was soft and silky under my fingertips."

 Introduce literary techniques that create imagery:

o Similes (e.g., "The sun was as bright as a golden coin.")

o Metaphors (e.g., "The sky was a blanket of stars.")

o Sensory language (words that describe what you can see, hear, taste, touch,
or smell)

 Provide simple, engaging examples and ask pupils to identify the technique.

3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

 Display short sentences without imagery and ask pupils to improve them using
similes, metaphors, or sensory language.

 Example: "The cake was tasty." → "The cake melted in my mouth like a sweet cloud."

 Work as a class, then have pupils create their own sentences in pairs.

4. Independent Practice (10 minutes)

 Give pupils a short picture prompt (e.g., a stormy sea, a sunny garden) and ask them
to write 3-5 sentences using imagery.

 Encourage creativity and use of different techniques.

5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)

 Have pupils share their sentences with the class.

 Reinforce the importance of imagery in making writing more vivid and engaging.

 End with a fun challenge: "Find an example of imagery in a book you read this week!"

Materials Needed:

 Pictures of different settings

 Whiteboard and markers

 Printed or projected example sentences

 Writing paper or notebooks

Assessment:

 Informal observation during activities.

 Review of students’ written sentences for use of imagery techniques.

Adaptations for Different Levels:

 For beginners: Provide sentence starters (e.g., "The sky is as...")

 For advanced learners: Encourage them to write a short paragraph instead of

sentences.

This lesson plan ensures an interactive and engaging way for foreign pupils to understand
and apply imagery in their writing!

Lesson Plan: Teaching Imagery

Objective:
By the end of the lesson, you will understand the concept of imagery in literary texts and be
able to identify and use metaphors, similes, and sensory language in their own writing.

Duration: 45 minutes

Lesson Outline

1. Warm-up Activity (10 minutes)

 Begin with a simple question: "Have you ever read a story that made you feel like you
were really there?"

 Show pictures of different settings (a beach, a forest, a snowy village) and ask pupils
to describe what they see, hear, smell, or feel.

 Write their responses on the board to introduce the idea of sensory language.

2. Explanation and Examples (10 minutes)

  Define imagery: "Imagery is language that helps create pictures in our minds and
other sensory experiences."

 Introduce key techniques:

o Visual Imagery (sight) - Descriptive language that creates a picture in the

reader’s mind.

 Example: "The golden sun set behind the towering mountains, painting
the sky in hues of pink and orange."

o Auditory Imagery (sound) - Words that describe what you can hear.

 Example: "The leaves rustled as the wind whispered through the trees."

o Olfactory Imagery (smell) - Language that describes scents.

 Example: "The kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked
cookies."

o Gustatory Imagery (taste) - Words that describe flavors.

 Example: "The juicy watermelon burst in my mouth, refreshing and

sweet."

o Tactile Imagery (touch) - Words that describe textures or physical sensations.

 Example: "The kitten’s fur was soft and silky under my fingertips."

 Introduce literary techniques that create imagery:

o Simile: A comparison using like or as.

 Example: "The snow was as soft as a fluffy blanket."

o Metaphor: A direct comparison without using like or as.

 Example: "The sky was a blanket of stars."

 Provide simple, engaging examples and ask pupils to identify the technique.

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

 Task 1: Identifying Imagery

o Display lines from You've Got a Friend by Carole King, such as:

 "If the sky above you grows dark and full of clouds"

 "Winter, spring, summer or fall"

o Ask students to identify which senses these phrases appeal to (sight, touch,
sound, etc.).
  Task 2: Finding Similes and Metaphors

o Provide sentences from the song and ask pupils to determine if they are
similes or metaphors.

o Example: "The sky was a blanket of stars" (Metaphor) vs. "The stars shone like
diamonds" (Simile).

 Task 3: Rewriting Sentences with Imagery

o Give pupils simple, dull sentences (e.g., "The wind was strong.") and ask them
to rewrite them using imagery.

o Example: "The howling wind rushed through the trees, shaking the branches
like a wild storm."

4. Independent Practice (10 minutes)

 Give pupils a short picture prompt (e.g., a stormy sea, a sunny garden) and ask them
to write 3-5 sentences using imagery, similes, and metaphors.

 Encourage creativity and use of different techniques.

5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)

 Have pupils share their sentences with the class.

 Reinforce the importance of imagery in making writing more vivid and engaging.

 End with a fun challenge: "Find an example of imagery in a book you read this week!"

Materials Needed:

 Pictures of different settings

 Whiteboard and markers

 Printed or projected example sentences

 Writing paper or notebooks

Assessment:

 Informal observation during activities.

 Review of students’ written sentences for use of imagery techniques.

 Completion of guided and independent tasks.

Adaptations for Different Levels:

 For beginners: Provide sentence starters (e.g., "The sky is as...")

  For advanced learners: Encourage them to write a short paragraph instead of
sentences.

This lesson plan ensures an interactive and engaging way for foreign pupils to understand
and apply imagery in their writing!

People like to talk about love. It is a recurring theme in songs, films, poetry and stories, it is in
our conversations: the love we feel for our family, our friends and our pets. We share our
experiences of romantic love, unanswered love, hopeless love and broken relationships.
What we know from this is that living is loving. But, sadly, it is also losing. Over a lifetime, we
lose friends, family members, opportunities and objects. Some people lose everything. So,
let’s talk about love and loss.