Similes and Figurative Language

Literal vs. not: "as fast as a cheetah," "raining cats and dogs".

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 50

Literal words mean exactly what they say. The fox ran fast.
Figurative language paints a picture, but doesn't really happen. The fox ran as fast as a cheetah. The fox isn't a cheetah, but now you know it was very fast!
A simile compares two things using like or as: as quiet as a mouse, the snow was like a blanket.
Some sayings don't mean what the words say. It's raining cats and dogs means it's raining very hard. No pets fall from the sky!
When words sound silly or impossible, ask: what does it really mean?

Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards:

2.T.SS.2.a — Identify the difference between literal and nonliteral or figurative language in texts.