Writing to Learn: Creative Comparisons

This activity encourages metaphorical thinking and allows students to use what they already know in order to approach and understand the unfamiliar.

Grade Level:

College, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12

Subject Area:

English, Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Activity Type:

Engagement Activity

Begin by inviting students to observe a work of art. Before sharing any information about the object, ask students:

What do you see in the artwork?

Next, choose a category from the list below or identify one of your own. Ask students:

Imagine the artwork was a kind of (your choice of category) . What would it be?

Explain three ways that it compares.

Sample categories:

Adapted fromArtful Thinking by Project Zero , Harvard University. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0.