Activity 4: Figuratively Speaking...   "It was as dark as a skunk's insides on that porch." (p. 32) "The roaring had started somewhere to the east, then came bearing down on us like a hundred frieght trains." (p. 54) "'Pickup sticks,' Arthur said quietly." (p. 62) Task Authors use figurative language to make their writing more interesting and vivid for their readers. Figurative language uses similes and metaphors to compare two things. You are to locate figuative language from Night of the Twisters. Determine what two things Ivy Ruckman is comparing. Then write the sentence at the top of a blank piece of paper. Divide the bottom of the paper in half. On the left side of the paper, draw what the figurative language is literally saying. On the right side of the paper, draw what the figurative language really meant. Example: "The roaring had started somewhere to the east, then came bearing down on us like a hundred frieght trains." (p. 54) The left side of the paper would have a picture of a lot of trains roaring toward the boys. The right side of the paper would show the boys hearing a load noise. Project Guidelines Use the following guidelines for completing your project: Make sure the sentence you select is really figuative language. You can tell it is if two or more things are being compared in an unusual way. In the example above, the roaring wasn't really a hundred freight trains. It just sounded like a lot of trains. Conclusion Your paper with the sentence of figurative language and two illustrations will be compiled in a class book.     Teacher Resources Student Resources Developed by Robin Olson