Similes, Metaphors, and Idioms

As quiet as a mouse, the classroom was a zoo, break a leg: what it really means, and pick one that fits.

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

What children learn in Level 26

Writers don't always mean exactly what their words say. That's figurative language, and it helps you picture things.
A simile compares two things using like or as: Mia was as quiet as a mouse. The baby slept like a log.
A metaphor compares by saying one thing is another: The classroom was a zoo! It wasn't really a zoo. It was wild and noisy, like one.
An idiom is a saying with a hidden meaning. It's raining cats and dogs means it's raining very hard. No pets are falling!
When something doesn't make sense word for word, ask: what is the writer really saying?

Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards:

3.T.SS.2.a — Identify and describe the use of figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and idioms in a wide variety of texts. (I)
3.T.SS.2.b — Use figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, and idioms, to show relationships between ideas and information. (C)