1. ETS: Metaphors and Analogies
Teaching is a Work of Art

2. Expected Outcomes
By the end of this presentation participants will be able to:
Define “metaphor” and indicate rationale for using this strategy.
Know the process for having students use metaphors as a learning tool.
Understand a process for teaching “analogy-type thinking” to students
Create analogies for classroom use.

3. Research and Rationale
Identifying similarities and differences in the classroom
Tasks that involve:
comparisons,
classifications and
metaphors and analogies

4. Metaphors and Analogies
Create mental images of similarities and differences in an abstract way
Involve highly robust activities that enhance students’ understanding of and their ability to use knowledge

5. Metaphor Vs Analogy
Your Task: Read the two examples below and answer the question. Which example is a metaphor and which is an analogy? Discuss your decision with a friend.
Example #1: Bone is to skeleton as word is to sentence.
Example#2: Love is a rose.

6. Answer
Example #1 is the metaphor
Example #2 is the analogy

7. Let’s Examine Why… What are metaphors and how can we construct them?
Metaphors: Creating a metaphor involves the process of identifying a general or basic pattern in a specific topic and then finding another topic that appears to be quite different but has the same general pattern.

8. Love is a Rose
Literal Interpretation: ROSE – blossom, sweet to smell, pleasant to look at, but has thorns that can stick you and hurt you.
Abstract: LOVE/ROSE – both are something wonderful, but if you get too close you might get hurt.
Literal Interpretation: LOVE – makes you feel happy, but the person you love can end up hurting you

9. Conclusions… Abstract level – Love and Rose appear related; therefore,
Instructional strategies address abstract relationships

10. Metaphor Graphic Organizer
Life is a box of chocolates.
Element#1 Literal Pattern Abstract Literal Pattern Element#2
One never
Knows what
one gets in
Life
Can be
Surprising
unexpected
A journey
Surprising
Unexpected
Turn of events
Varieties
Sweet
Unexpected
Turn of
events
Life
Box of
chocolates

11. What Are Analogies and How can We Construct Them?
Analogies involve the process of identifying the relationship between pairs of concepts – in other words, identifying the relationship between relationships
Typically take the form:
A is to B as C is to D
- Hot is to cold as night is to day. (opposites)
-Carpenter is to hammer as painter is to brush.
3. Complex format for identifying similarities and differences. (relationships between relationships)

12. Analogy Thought Process
Fin is to fish as Beak is to _______.
receipt b. wing c. bird d. eel
A fin is part of a fish.
A fish is an animal.
Receipt and wing are not animals.
Eels are animals but don’t have wings.
So, correct answer is BIRD.

13. Analogy Graphic Organizer
thermometer
temperature
is to
Relationship__________________________
odometer
is to

14. Answer Thermometer is to temperature as odometer is to distance.
1. A thermometer is an instrument that measures incremental changes in something.
2. A thermometer measures changes in temperature.
3. An odometer is an instrument that measures incremental changes in something.
4. An odometer measures changes in distance.
So, the correct answer is distance.

15. How does the organizer help?
Helps students understand the nature of analogies, and
Helps them see what relationships exist between two elements

16. Final Thought
Like metaphors, analogies help us see how seemingly dissimilar things are similar, which in turn increases our students’ understandings of new information.

17. Questions and Comments