SIMILE SAFARI! 
SIMILE SAFARI!
A Language Arts WebQuest
by
David W. Burks
Connersville Middle School
Connersville, Indiana
Introduction
Welcome to Simile Safari! Have you ever heard that people resemble their pets? Well, it's true! In this WebQuest, you and a partner will search out photographs of animals around the world. Then you will use similes and rhyming couplets in a PowerPoint presentation to compare your animals to photographs of people! Here are the WebQuest requirements:
The Task
Using the links on this page, you and a partner will search the Internet for photographs of animals, copy them to PowerPoint, and then find photographs of people who look like or are doing things like your animals! When you have copied five pairs of animals and people, your team will combine them in a five-slide PowerPoint presentation using two-line, rhyming similes (called couplets) to state the comparisons. Finally, you will present your slideshow to the class! Remember, similes use the words "like" or "as" to make comparisons. An example might be:
 |
Meerkats at play |
| Are like kids on a bay! |
|
Your PowerPoint presentation will include the following:
A title slide with an appropriate title and your team member names
Five additional slides, with an animal photograph and a people photograph on each slide
An original, rhyming couplet simile for each slide which compares the appearance or actions of the animals shown with the people shown
A musical background that is appropriate to your presentation
The Process
You and your partner will divide up responsibility for creating your slideshow in the following manner:
Both members will search the following links and agree upon photographs to select and save in a PowerPoint show.
Animal Links:
Wildlife Webpage http://www.wildlifesearch.com
Safari West http://www.safariwest.com/?goto=photo_tour&id=
Geekphilosopher: http://www.geekphilosopher.com/MainPage/photos.htm
People Links:
Geekphilosopher: http://www.geekphilosopher.com/MainPage/photos.htm
Classroomclipart: http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi
Both members will agree upon and select from the music choices an appropriate musical background for your presentation.
Music Links:
Free Midi Zone: http://www.free-midi.org/free-midi-files-11.htm
Sunncity: http://www.sunncity.com/music/
One member will be the Poet, who will be responsible for writing appropriate rhyming couplet similes for each pair of photographs.
One member will be the Computer Graphics person, who will be responsible for assembling the PowerPoint slides with photographs your team selects, the poems written by the Poet, and the chosen musical background.
Evaluation
| Simile Safari! Performance Objectives Rubric |
Exemplary 10pts. |
Accomplished 8pts. |
Developing 6pts. |
Beginning 4pts. |
Total Score (30 pts. poss.) |
| Team Photograph Selection | Photographs selected are paired and of animals and people with clear similarities in appearance or activity. | Photographs selected mostly have clear similarities. | Photographs selected have some clear similarities. | Photographs selected have few clear similarities | |
| Team Music Selection | Music selected is appropriate to mood and appearance of presentation. | Music selected is mostly appropriate. | Music selected is somewhat appropriate. | Music selected is inappropriate. | |
| Poet | Writes poetry which consists of a two-line, rhyming couplet simile making a clear comparison between the photographs on each slide. | Writes poetry which is mostly rhyming couplet similes with mostly clear comparisons. | Writes poetry which is somewhat made up of rhyming couplet similes making some comparisons. | Writes poetry which is rarely made up of rhyming couplet similes and makes few clear comparisons. | |
| Computer Graphics Person | Assembles photographs, music and poetry into a five-slide PowerPoint presentation that is attractive, entertaining, and informative. | Assembles a presentation which is mostly attractive, entertaining, and informative. | Assembles a presentation which is somewhat attractive, entertaining, and informative. | Assembles a presentation which is marginally attractive, entertaining, and informative. |
Indiana State Standards Met:
1.1 Analyze comparisons, such as metaphors and similes, to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases
3.1 Determine and articulate the relationship between the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry: couplet
4.1 Create compositions that have a clear message, a coherent thesis, and end with a clear and well-supported conclusion
4.2 Use a computer to create documents by using word processing skills and publishing programs
4.3 Evaluation and revision
5.7 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person, adjusting tone or style as necessary
Conclusion
Congratulations! You and your partner are poets! Show off to your friends and family your new talent at making comparisons using similes and rhyming couplets . Remember, the best use of similes is to make the invisible become visible, or the unfamiliar become familiar. What else can you make into a simile? Just look around...your world is full of things to compare! Happy writing!
Website Created by David W. Burks, Connersville Middle School, Connersville, Indiana. The school Website is Here. My e-mail is Here. Page last updated 09/24/08.
