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Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs

A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on figurative language, idioms, adages and proverbs, and on antonyms and synonyms.

Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard L.4.5 — explain similes, metaphors, idioms, proverbs, antonyms and synonyms. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 4
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
L.4.5

Grade 4 · Language

L.4.5

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Objective

Students will be able to explain a simile or metaphor by naming the two things compared and the quality they share, and explain an idiom or proverb in plain words, saying what a proverb advises.

Students are successful when they can

  • For a comparison such as "Her voice was honey," names thing one (voice), thing two (honey) and the shared quality (sweet, smooth).
  • Turns a simile into a metaphor by removing "like" or "as" and keeps the meaning.
  • Explains an idiom like "under the weather" with what a speaker means, not the picture.
  • States what a proverb advises the listener to do.

What you need

  • Six warm-up sentence strips (listed in the Warm-up section)
  • Idiom cards: under the weather, piece of cake, spill the beans, cold feet
  • Proverb cards: Look before you leap; Many hands make light work
  • A three-box frame: Thing 1 / Thing 2 / Shared quality
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — simile or metaphor?

5 min
  1. Show six strips: "The snow was a white blanket." / "He ran like the wind." / "Her eyes were as bright as stars." / "The classroom was a beehive." / "The baby slept like a log." / "My brother is a night owl."
  2. Pairs sort them into two piles. Board note: "like or as = simile; says one thing IS another = metaphor." Key: similes are 2, 3, 5; metaphors are 1, 4, 6.
  3. Convert two similes into metaphors together: "He was the wind." "Her eyes were stars." Ask whether the meaning survived. It did, but the metaphor sounds more certain.

Teach — name the shared quality

13 min
  1. Write: "The classroom was a beehive." Fill the three-box frame aloud: Thing 1 = the classroom; Thing 2 = a beehive; Shared quality = busy, buzzing with noise, everyone doing something.
  2. Ask: "Does the writer mean the classroom had bees in it?" No. The comparison only claims the shared quality. That is why the third box matters most.
  3. Show a failed comparison: "The teacher was a pencil." Ask what they share. Students struggle (thin? pointed?). Say that when no one can name the shared quality, the comparison does not work.
  4. Idiom: write "I'm feeling under the weather." Ask what it would look like literally (standing under a cloud), then what the speaker means: "I feel a bit ill." Board note: "idiom = a phrase whose meaning you have to learn; the words don't add up to it."
  5. Proverb: write "Look before you leap." Plain words: think about what could happen before you do something. Ask: "What is it telling you to do?" Board note: "proverb = a short saying that gives advice."
  6. Contrast: "piece of cake" (idiom — it just means easy, no advice) versus "Many hands make light work" (proverb — advises you to share the job).
“Two things and one shared quality. Name all three or you have not explained it. And with a proverb, ask: what is it telling me to do?”

Guided practice — explain six

12 min
  1. Pairs use the three-box frame for three comparisons: "Her voice was honey." (voice / honey / sweet, smooth); "The road was a ribbon across the hills." (road / ribbon / long, thin, winding); "He was as stubborn as a mule." (he / mule / refuses to move or change).
  2. They explain two idioms in plain words: "spill the beans" (tell a secret), "get cold feet" (become too nervous to do something you planned).
  3. They explain one proverb: "Many hands make light work" — if everyone helps, the job is easier. What does it advise? Ask others to help.
  4. Last, they convert "The road was a ribbon" into a simile ("like a ribbon") and say which they prefer and why.
“If your partner only names two boxes, ask them: "What do those two things have in common?" That's the answer.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the figurative-language page, which mixes similes, metaphors, idioms and proverbs.
  2. They draw the three-box frame in the margin for every comparison item.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask: "My little sister is a tornado." Take the three boxes from one student.
  2. Target: sister / tornado / wild, fast, leaves a mess behind her.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Says a metaphor means the things are the same: "the classroom really was a beehive."

Why: A metaphor uses "is" or "was," and every other time they read "is" it means something is literally true. The grammar teaches them identity.

Fix: Ask: "Were there bees? Honey? Wax?" Then fill the frame and point at the third box. Say the sentence claims only that box. Practice with "Dad is a bear in the morning": grumpy, growly — not furry.

Explains an idiom by its picture: "spill the beans means knock over a can."

Why: The literal image is vivid and easy to describe, and if they have never heard the idiom used there is nothing else to go on.

Fix: Give it in a sentence: "Don't spill the beans about the surprise party!" Ask what the speaker is worried about. Someone telling the secret. Teach the question: "What does a person mean when they say it?"

Calls "piece of cake" a proverb, or "Look before you leap" an idiom.

Why: Both are fixed phrases that do not mean what the words say, so they look like the same kind of thing.

Fix: Sort four cards with one question: "Is it telling me to do something?" "Look before you leap" — yes, think first: proverb. "Piece of cake" — no, it just means easy: idiom.

If they are not there yet

  • Work with similes only, where "like" or "as" points to the two things being compared.
  • Give three shared-quality options for each comparison, e.g. for "The road was a ribbon": long and thin / shiny / tied in a bow, and students choose and justify.
  • Pair each idiom card with a picture of a person using it in a situation, e.g. a girl in bed with a tissue for "under the weather."

If they finish early

  • Explain a metaphor with two shared qualities: "The moon was a lantern hung in the sky" (gives light, hangs high and still).
  • Write a proverb of their own that would give the right advice to a character in a class story who rushed into trouble, and say which story event it fits.
  • Rewrite "The old house was a sleeping giant" as a plain statement ("The old house was big and quiet"), then write two sentences on what the plain version loses.

Exit ticket

"The classroom was a zoo." Name thing 1, thing 2 and what they share. Then say what this proverb advises: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

What to look for: classroom / zoo / loud, wild, chaotic; and "don't rely on something before it happens." Two things with no shared quality means teach the third box again. A literal chickens answer means they explain the picture, not the advice.

Printable practice for L.4.5

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs

How long does the Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5 — L.4.5, Language for Grade 4: “Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.” In plain terms, explain similes, metaphors, idioms, proverbs, antonyms and synonyms.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Six warm-up sentence strips (listed in the Warm-up section), idiom cards: under the weather, piece of cake, spill the beans, cold feet, proverb cards: Look before you leap; Many hands make light work, a three-box frame: Thing 1 / Thing 2 / Shared quality and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says a metaphor means the things are the same: "the classroom really was a beehive."; explains an idiom by its picture: "spill the beans means knock over a can." and calls "piece of cake" a proverb, or "Look before you leap" an idiom. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “"The classroom was a zoo." Name thing 1, thing 2 and what they share. Then say what this proverb advises: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch.".” classroom / zoo / loud, wild, chaotic; and "don't rely on something before it happens." Two things with no shared quality means teach the third box again. A literal chickens answer means they explain the picture, not the advice. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs?

Yes — 1 printable L.4.5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Similes, Metaphors, Idioms and Proverbs free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to L.4.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.