CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5

ELA3rd GradeVocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Language Standards

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain what phrases mean when words are used literally or in an imaginative way. They connect words to familiar experiences and compare similar words by strength or tone.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain that “the classroom was a zoo” means it was noisy or chaotic, not filled with animals. The student can order words such as whispered, spoke, and shouted, then explain the differences.
Common Misconceptions: Students may interpret every phrase literally or assume any comparison has a hidden meaning. They often treat synonyms as interchangeable and miss differences in strength, tone, or context.
How to Assess It: Use a three-part exit ticket: explain “Maya’s feet were glued to the floor,” describe a time someone stumbled, and order warm, hot, and scorching.

Lesson moves

Give pairs phrase cards and picture cards to match literal and figurative meanings, then have them explain one match.
Ask, “How are annoyed and furious alike and different?” Students write two sentences, then compare answers with a partner.
Play a synonym ladder game where teams arrange whisper, speak, shout, and scream from quietest to loudest.
Study weather headlines for phrases such as “blanketed in snow,” then rewrite each headline using literal words.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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