The lesson asks students to explain what Sophie means when she says, "I love it when people do things like that — take something decrepit and create something grand out of it!" (Question #1), requiring interpretation of nonliteral language. Discussion questions ask students to interpret Bompie's remark, "It's not where you're going that's important -- it's how you get there," and to reflect on Sophie calling the group "wanderers on an amazing journey," prompting consideration of figurative meaning in context. These prompts require students to explain the meaning of figurative or idiomatic expressions based on the chapters they read.

Students are given explicit definitions of simile and personification and are asked to identify examples in context from chapters of the novel. In Option 1 students label quoted lines from the book as simile or personification and record what is being personified and which human characteristics are attributed (or the two things being compared for similes). The answer key and activities require students to explain why a line is a simile or personification and to create their own similes and personifications about the ocean or a favorite natural place. The unit also directs students to review these devices and look for them in other texts.

Students are asked to explain Sophie's line: "I feel as if there were things inside me... But it feels as if the boards were blown off by The Wave and things are floating away and I don't know where to put them," asking, "What do you think Sophie meant when she wrote...". Discussion prompts ask students to consider how the environment changes people's emotions and to retell the Bompie story, which can lead students to discuss figurative descriptions of feelings. The reading questions require students to explain how the storm and The Wave changed Cody and how relationships changed, encouraging interpretation of descriptive language in context.

Students are prompted to review examples of personification and similes as part of test preparation. The test includes explicit items asking students to "Use personification to describe a tornado" and to "In a sentence, use personification to describe the ocean," requiring students to produce figurative language. The Preparing for the Test section tells students to "Look over your vocabulary words and make sure you can use them correctly in a sentence," paired with the personification review, which reinforces practice with figures of speech.

Students are asked to use sentence and surrounding context to determine meanings and record "Clues in Context" for vocabulary words. The answer key explicitly points out the simile "fury spread...like a fire" and explains how that figurative comparison describes intensity. The activities require students to explain what in the book's context helped them understand word meanings or choose synonyms.

The Eye Bouquet activity asks students to create vivid verbal descriptions of objects without naming them and to read the descriptions aloud so listeners try to guess the object, which requires interpreting descriptive, figurative language in context. The lesson gives concrete examples of figurative descriptions from the story (e.g., "that shimmery color, halfway between purple and silver," "heart-shaped," "the green of horses munching"). Question #3 asks why an "eye bouquet" is thoughtful for Miss Benson, prompting students to explain the meaning and function of the descriptive language in context.

Students read the short story Zlateh the Goat and answer comprehension questions based on the text. Question #3 asks students to interpret the line, "Zlateh's language consisted of only one word, but it meant many things," and students must explain what that statement means. The reading plus the question requires students to interpret a figurative expression in the story's context.

The Parent Plan includes a discussion prompt asking, "What do you think the man meant when he said 'Every secessionists' swaddling clothes are woven in Massachusetts...'?" with an explanatory note in parentheses interpreting the figurative meaning. Students are also asked to summarize accounts and explain characters' perspectives, which could involve discussing language choices in context.

Students read a passage that includes the line, "Man is the deadliest of God's creatures," and answer Question #2 asking, "What do you think the doctor meant when he said... ?" This question asks students to interpret the meaning of that figurative utterance in context, prompting them to explain its implication and evaluate its truth.

Students are asked to interpret Dr. William Rye's remark, "A victory? Indeed it was for death upon his pale horse," in Question #3 and to explain its meaning. The provided answer explicitly connects the figurative phrase to heavy loss of life, showing interpretation of the figurative language in context. The task requires students to read the passage and explain the figurative meaning in a written response.

Students are asked to interpret a figurative comparison in QUESTION #1: they explain why Einstein thought scientists should work as "lighthouse keepers," answering that it would let them be undisturbed and able to think. A discussion prompt asks students to explain what Einstein meant by the quotation "Imagination is more important than knowledge," prompting them to interpret a nonliteral statement in context. The unit also refers to Einstein as a "giant of science," which requires students to recognize and understand a metaphorical description.

Students are directly asked to interpret the saying "Knowledge is power" in the Wrapping Up section through prompts: "What do you think this might mean? How does knowledge give power? How can that power be used for good? How can it be used in harmful ways?" The Ideas to Think About and Questions to Discuss repeat and prompt student explanation of how knowledge functions as power. These prompts require students to explain the meaning of a figurative expression in context.

Students are asked directly to interpret a figurative phrase in QUESTION #2, where they explain what Einstein meant by calling himself a "lone traveler," with a provided possible answer about weak personal attachments. Students also encounter multiple quotable lines that use figurative language (e.g., the "hot stove" example of relativity and other aphorisms) in the Einstein Quotes activity, giving them exposure to figurative expressions in context.

Students are asked to interpret a figurative phrase in a discussion question: "What do you think the boy means when he says that all of Denmark is the king's bodyguard?" The lesson then provides the expected interpretation ("Everyone would die to protect him because he is so well loved."), which requires students to use context to infer the nonliteral meaning.

The Skills section explicitly lists "Recognize the effectiveness of figurative language within a text," which asks students to attend to figurative language. Question #4 asks students to "Record a phrase or sentence from the book where she uses words to paint a picture in the reader's mind," prompting students to find imagery. Multiple activities ask students to underline descriptive sentences and to illustrate or map the setting using quoted descriptive phrases, which requires identifying evocative language.

The lesson defines personification and provides multiple guided activities in context: students underline the object being personified and circle the human-like characteristic(s) in five quoted sentences from the text. Students are asked to write new sentences that personify the same objects in different ways, and Option 1 asks students to assign human traits to given objects and compose personifying sentences. Parent prompts ask students to explain how the author uses personification to shape the reader's feelings or perspective about the object.

The lesson defines similes and metaphors and provides examples (e.g., "The sidewalk was a frying pan," "The sprinter ran like a bolt of lightning"). Several student pages direct students to record the two things being compared for multiple examples from the book and to write their own similes and metaphors. The Skills section lists "Explain how figurative language contributes to text," and the wrap-up instructs review of similes and metaphors.

The lesson includes Question #1 asking students to interpret the line that Winnie's family "sensed that she was different now... As if some part of her had slipped away," which requires interpreting a figurative expression in context. The answer guidance lists interpretive possibilities (e.g., more grown up, no longer innocent), showing students are expected to explain the figurative meaning. The initial vocabulary activity asks students to use words orally, which could support figurative language use though no specific figurative terms are listed.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to select an object as a symbol for each main character and "describe your symbol in a simile," with an explicit example comparing Winnie to a butterfly. In Activity 3 students choose a meaningful quote of at least ten words and "draw or paint a picture that represents the quote in a realistic or metaphorical way," which asks them to represent quoted language visually and think about its meaning.

The lesson asks students to write a poem and explicitly asks, "How will you use similes or metaphors, descriptive language, irony, etc.?" The parent plan instructs parents to ask the student after completion, "how did she use similes and descriptive language to convey an idea?" The skills list includes recognizing how techniques influence emotions and explaining messages using evidence from text, which connects to using figurative language devices.

Students are given a Student Activity Page that lists euphemisms (e.g., Nurturer, Release, Discipline wand) and are instructed to record or predict the actual meanings beside each euphemism. The activities direct students to find euphemisms in the novel and to write the literal meanings, and the Answer Key models literal interpretations for those euphemisms. The Parent Plan also lists the skill 'Recognize exaggerated, contradictory, or misleading statements in text,' which points to attention to nonliteral language.

The Parent Plan lists evaluating the impact of "figurative language" and describing the function and effect of literary devices such as symbolism and imagery, which signals attention to nonliteral language. Students are asked to reread the sled description and select descriptive words and phrases, organizing them by the five senses, and to evaluate how sensory language creates imagery. Activity 2 has students generate descriptive writing using sensory details, reinforcing attention to word choice and nuance.

The lesson includes a discussion question that asks students to interpret Papa's line, "the land is alive," and to explain what he means by "you can feel it breathe" and "its heart beating." Students are asked to read chapters and take the role of a Cultural Commentator, recording textual details, which includes reflecting on character language in the Questions to Discuss. The Questions to Discuss explicitly prompts students to explain figurative language in context by asking what Papa's metaphoric/personifying statement means.

Students read a poem and prose about the phoenix that contains figurative language (e.g., comparisons of flight to flashing light, descriptions of the bird forming a glory around an infant's head) and are instructed to "pay close attention to what the author tells us about the phoenix." Students are asked in Option 1 to describe how the phoenix might serve as a symbol for Esperanza, requiring them to draw a figurative connection between the myth and the character's situation. The Wordsmith activity asks students to identify and read aloud passages that are "interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important," which directs students to notice notable language choices in context.

The Skills section explicitly lists "Discuss and analyze the effects on texts of such literary devices as figurative language and dialogue," indicating a planned focus on figurative language. The discussion questions ask about what knitting symbolized in the story and about the significance of the name Esperanza, prompting students to interpret symbolic meaning. Parent/teacher prompts instruct discussion of what a reader can learn about character through dialogue, which supports talking about how language choices affect meaning.

The lesson includes a Poetry Terminology reference that defines personification explicitly as "a figure of speech giving human qualities to non-human things." The Skills section states students should "recognize how tone or meaning is conveyed in poetry through word choice, figurative language..." Students are instructed to read poems slowly, consider images formed by language, and use the terminology page as a reference while analyzing poems.

The lesson defines personification and metaphor and asks students to check their understanding, providing explicit terminology. The 'Personification & Metaphor' activity asks students to find and describe metaphors from the poems and to record words and phrases that poets attribute to objects (matching objects to human traits). The parent answer key and prompts ask students to locate multiple examples in context and to write their own poem including at least one personification and one metaphor.

Students read a set of poems in the "Prehistoric Praise" selection and answer comprehension questions about them. Question #2 explicitly asks students to "Explain how the author uses personification in 'Dinosaur Bone,'" and an answer is provided that identifies the bone as being described as "alone, keeping a secret." The lesson also lists personification (and metaphor) in the "Things to Review" poetry vocabulary, reinforcing the term for students.

Students are asked to identify and interpret a metaphor in Question #3 ("What metaphor does the author include in 'The Dandelion'?" with the answer that the dandelion is compared to a king). Students are directed to read a set of poems and "consider how the poets address not only the physical aspects of plants but also their important role," which prompts analysis of poetic language in context. The shape-poem activity references a noted "parallel between the thoughtful analysis of a leaf and the invention and attentiveness required to be a poet," inviting students to notice figurative parallels.

The lesson explicitly tells students to watch for personification while reading the poems and asks students to record specific figures of speech (Question #2 asks students to record a simile; Question #3 asks students to record metaphors). The Parent Plan lists a skill to "define how tone or meaning is conveyed in poetry through ... figurative language" and includes discussion prompts asking which words or phrases bring about an emotion and how language made the reader feel.

Students are asked to read and analyze poems and to record an example of alliteration from "The Spider," which addresses recognition of sound-based figurative language. Students are also asked to "Record a line...that creates a vivid image" and to "Describe the words the author uses," which requires them to interpret imagery and word choice in context. The skills list explicitly includes "Read, analyze, and interpret poetry," and students write and reflect on haiku and narrative poems, providing opportunities to consider figurative language and poetic effect.

Students are asked to identify examples of poetic devices (Question 2 on the Analyzing a Poem page lists metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, alliteration, etc.). A specific reading question asks students to interpret D.H. Lawrence's line about the hummingbird, requiring them to explain the figurative meaning in context. Other Analyzing-a-Poem prompts ask students to cite words/phrases that convey tone and imagery and to explain how rhythm and rhyme affect meaning, which requires interpreting language beyond literal meaning.

The parent plan skills state students will "Explain how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative language," linking to figurative-language interpretation. Question #3 asks students to identify positive attributes Whitman gives to animals (e.g., placid, don't whine, don't have guilt), which requires interpreting humanlike descriptions of animals. Activity 1 asks students to note poet's observations/feelings and to apply devices including metaphor, alliteration, imagery, and personification when writing their own lyric poem.

Students are asked to reread "Earth's Bondman" and "look for the poetic devices and figurative language" and to "describe how they convey tone and meaning," which directs them to interpret figurative language in context. Activity 1 explicitly asks for examples of figurative language (personification, simile, metaphor) and the provided sample answers identify personification in context (e.g., "Nor any wind sings"). The "Things to Review" section asks students to describe personification and give an example, and the Student Activity Pages include a dedicated category for Personification, prompting students to record and analyze instances from poems they read.

The poetry test includes multiple-choice items that ask students to identify figurative language terms (e.g., Q2 asks "Applying human qualities to non-human things" with personification as an option; Q4 asks about metaphor). The lapbook rubric asks whether poems "show evidence of figurative language," prompting students to include such devices in their writing. The unit also directs students to study poetry vocabulary and review "Things to Know," which supports recognition of figurative language terms.

The vocabulary activity presents sentences in context that use figurative language (e.g., "Cusi had not been before because he had not thought that the twisted trees were sentinels to a secret trail," and "Temples to the Moon and Stars, the Thunder and Lightning Rain…"). The crossword instructions require students to look up words and use context clues to choose the correct definition for words used in those sentences. Students are asked to review vocabulary definitions and keep the crossword handy while reading, exposing them to words used in potentially figurative ways in the text.

Students answer a comprehension question that asks them to identify the figurative device when Cusi says, "It sounds like wind over water," and the answer key labels this as a simile. The Parent Plan lists the skill "Analyze how authors create meaning through figurative language," indicating figurative language is a target. Option 2 and the writing activity explicitly ask students to "remember to use figurative language (similes/metaphors/personification/imagery)" when composing lyric poems, and students are directed to reread the minstrel's songs before the activity.

Students are asked to reread Chuto's description of the truck ("It has wheels instead of feet...") and to personify animals and non-living things, drawing and writing complete-sentence descriptions that ascribe human traits. The activity prompts students to identify the words and phrases that personify animals and objects and to discuss whether those descriptions help Cusi understand them. A discussion question asks students to interpret Cusi's observation that the oxen "seem to say, 'We've been conquered...'" and explain what he means.

Students are asked to interpret a figurative line in the "Questions to Discuss" parent section: they are prompted to explain what the old Indian meant by "The rivers of Cuzco lie hidden beneath the cobblestones of its streets...". In Option 2 students must write a poem about the Incan conquest that includes at least three examples of figurative language (personification, similes, metaphors, imagery), which requires them to produce and identify such devices. The parent plan also directs adults to check the poem for examples of figurative language, reinforcing attention to figures of speech.

The Parent Plan discussion prompts students to explain what the old man meant when he said that Cusi had "learned to read his own heart," which asks students to interpret a figurative expression in context. The Wrapping Up section repeats this phrasing and frames it as a question for discussion, giving students an explicit opportunity to explain the nonliteral meaning of that phrase.