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Year 10
AQA

Considering and emulating the use of similes in non-fiction writing

I can identify and analyse the use of similes in a non-fiction text and then emulate the writer's craft.

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Year 10
AQA

Considering and emulating the use of similes in non-fiction writing

I can identify and analyse the use of similes in a non-fiction text and then emulate the writer's craft.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A simile might be useful in non-fiction writing to explain an idea to the reader.
  2. Reedy's use of similes highlights the level of scrutiny and unwanted attention she endures.
  3. To create a simile, we might start with deciding on what idea we want to communicate.
  4. Then we might decide on a comparative image which has connotations that match our idea.
  5. Finally, we might add extra details to enhance the reader’s understanding.

Keywords

  • Simile - a figure of speech that involves comparing two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as'

  • Connotations - a feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning

  • Paparazzi - a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities to get photographs of them

  • Scrutiny - if a person or thing is under scrutiny, they are being studied or observed very carefully

  • Justification - the action of showing something to be right or reasonable

Common misconception

Figurative language such as similes belongs in fictional writing rather than non-fiction.

Non-fiction writing is all about informing, persuading or educating the reader and therefore similes can be a very useful device to explain ideas to the reader.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Considering and emulating the use of similes in non-fiction writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful for pupils to share their initial discussions about Task B so that they can generate some ideas before they begin writing.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to Reedy's 'My life as a little person' which is available in the additional materials.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'A figure of speech that involves comparing two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as'.' is the definition of a ...
Correct Answer: simile
Q2.
Which of the following quotations contain a simile?
Correct answer: "I wandered lonely as a cloud."
Correct answer: "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks".
"Juliet is the sun."
Q3.
'A feeling or idea that is suggested by a word in addition to its basic meaning' is the definition of which word beginning with 'c'?
Correct Answer: connotation, connotations, a connotation
Q4.
Which of the following might we say are connotations of the word 'celebrity'?
Correct answer: attention
Correct answer: fame
invisibility
obscurity
Q5.
'The action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work' is the definition of which of the following?
exposure
explanation
Correct answer: exploitation
generosity
Q6.
A spectacle can mean which of the following things?
Correct answer: a public display or performance
Correct answer: an object of curiosity or contempt
a largely ignored object
a subtle, minimal performance

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is being described here: 'the words, ideas, feelings or concepts we associate with a word or symbol.'?
Correct answer: connotations
colloquialisms
conclusions
clarifications
Q2.
'If a person or thing is under scrutiny, they are being studied or observed very carefully' is the definition of which word beginning with 's'?
Correct Answer: scrutiny
Q3.
'The action of showing something to be right or reasonable' is the definition of which word beginning with 'j'?
Correct Answer: justification, justify, justified, justifying
Q4.
Which of the following does Reedy compare her life to in 'My life as a little person'?
playground
Correct answer: circus
fairground
merri-go-round
Q5.
In 'My life as a little person', Reedy compares her life to a 'circus' - what does this suggest about how Reedy feels?
Correct answer: that she is a spectacle
Correct answer: that others see her as entertainment
that she is able to pass unobserved for the most part
that she feels lonely in her day to day life
Q6.
Starting with the first, put the steps to creating an effective simile in chronological order.
1 - decide on the idea you want to communicate to the audience
2 - decide on a comparative image
3 - consider what extra details you can add to extend your comparison

Additional material

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