Host a Photography Contest to Reinforce Figurative Language & Imagery

I have written in the past about the activities and texts I use when teaching figurative language, but also wanted to share an activity I used this past year to specifically reinforce imagery and personification.

I needed a quick activity for practicing these concepts that would keep students engaged before winter break, so I came up with the idea of a winter themed "photography contest."

Students had to select a picture the captured some element of winter and write a description for their image using imagery and personification.

I pushed the assignment out to students on Google Classroom using Google Slides. The first slide had the directions, the second had an example, and the third was a blank template for their photo, description, and title.

I looked through them as students were working just to make sure there were no repeat images and then printed them out when students were finished. After hanging them, students voted for best photograph, best description, and best overall.

The activity could easily work for any season (or any theme really) and the use of other types of figurative language could be required. With a little more advance planning, I would also love to have students actually take their own photographs for it.