Figurative Language in Winter/Holiday Songs Question Trail: Engaging Activity

Practice identifying examples of figurative language in winter/holiday songs with this engaging question trail activity that gets your students up and moving around the room. All songs are winter/secular holiday songs that do not mention Christmas or other specific holidays, so this activity is inclusive and appropriate for all students.

A question trail is an activity comprised of different multiple choice “stations” or “spots.” These questions are posted throughout the classroom. At each station, students answer a multiple choice question. Each answer (a, b, c, or d) will send the students to a different station. If students answer each question correctly, they will travel to each station and complete a full circuit. If students answer a question incorrectly, they will eventually find themselves at a station they’ve already completed, which tells them that they need to backtrack. This gives you clear, immediate feedback. You will quickly see who is getting it ("on the trail") vs. who is not ("off the trail").

This includes the following in an editable PowerPoint file:

-Teaching Suggestions

-Figurative Language Handout (with definitions)

-Question Trail (12 fun but challenging questions)

-Student Half-Sheet w/ Exit Ticket (to track answers/reflect on understanding)

-Answer Key

-Extra Template (if you want to add questions)

Terms covered: Simile, metaphor, personification, imagery, hyperbole, alliteration, and onomatopoeia

ENJOY! :) This is one of my favorite lessons, because it's so student-directed that I can just float around the room and watch the magic happen (helping students when needed, of course).