Liberia - Grade 7 - English - Identifying Elements of Literature and Literary Terms

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Subject: English

Semester: 1

Period: 1

Week: 4

School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Language
Grade Level: Grade 7
Date:
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 4, Period 1
Topic: Identifying Elements of Literature and Literary Terms
Sub-topic: Definition, Elements, and Key Literary Terms

Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Define literature and explain its importance.
Identify and describe the elements of literature: characters, setting, plot, and theme.
Recognize and define basic literary terms such as prose, poetry, drama, simile, metaphor, and personification.

Previous Knowledge
Students already know:
• How to construct effective sentences.
• How to write short passages such as friendly letters.

Instructional Materials
• Textbook: English Language textbooks for Grade 7
• Teaching aids: Short story excerpt, flash cards of literary terms, chalkboard/marker board
• Students’ notebooks and writing materials

Lesson Development – ABC Model

A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Activity: The teacher will ask the class:
• Do you enjoy reading stories, poems, or watching plays? Why?
• Can you name a character from a story or folktale you know?
The teacher will write responses on the board.
Teacher’s Role: Lead discussion to connect students’ reading experiences to literature.
Learner’s Role:
• Share their experiences of stories and poems.
• Respond to questions and listen actively.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

Teacher’s Role (Expanded)

Define Literature

Literature is written or spoken works that express ideas, emotions, or stories.
It is a mirror of life because it reflects human experiences, culture, and values.
Literature can teach lessons, entertain, or inspire.

Examples of Literature in real life:

Folk tales told by grandparents.
Poems sung at cultural festivals.
Plays performed in schools.
Novels like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

Teach the Elements of Literature
a) Characters – The people, animals, or figures in a story.

Example: In Cinderella, the characters are Cinderella, the stepmother, the fairy godmother, and the prince.
Example: In a Liberian folk tale, the tortoise and the hare are characters.

b) Setting – The time and place where the story happens.

Example: In the forest at night (folk tale).
Example: A busy city market in Monrovia during the day.

c) Plot – The sequence of events or actions in the story.

Example: In The Tortoise and the Hare:

Tortoise challenges Hare to a race.
Hare runs fast and decides to sleep.
Tortoise keeps moving slowly.
Tortoise wins the race.
d) Theme – The central idea or lesson in the story.

Example: The theme of The Tortoise and the Hare is “slow and steady wins the race”.
Example: The theme of Cinderella is “kindness is rewarded, and evil is punished”.

Introduce Literary Terms
a) Prose – Ordinary writing in sentences and paragraphs.

Example: Short stories, novels, essays.

b) Poetry – Writing in lines and stanzas, often with rhythm or rhyme.

Example:
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.”

c) Drama – A story written for performance by actors.

Example: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
Example: A school play about Independence Day.

d) Simile – Comparing two things using like or as.

Examples:

Her smile is as bright as the sun.
He runs like a cheetah.

e) Metaphor – A direct comparison without like or as.

Examples:

Time is money.
The classroom was a zoo.

f) Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Examples:

The sun smiled on the children.
The wind whispered through the trees.
The stars danced in the night sky.

Provide Example Passage and Guide Analysis

Example Passage:
“The sun smiled down on the children as they played happily in the field. Tortoise watched from the edge of the forest, planning his next trick. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and the rain began to fall.”

Analysis:

Characters: The children, Tortoise.
Setting: The field and the edge of the forest.
Plot (events): Children playing → Tortoise watching → Rain starting.
Theme: Childhood joy, nature, and mischief.
Literary Terms:

Personification: “The sun smiled.”
Imagery: “dark clouds gathered.”

Learners’ Activities (Expanded)

Listen attentively and write notes on the meaning of literature, elements, and terms.
Read aloud the example passage or a short folk tale provided by the teacher.
In groups, identify characters, setting, plot, and theme in the passage.
Match given literary terms with correct examples (e.g., “Her eyes are like stars” → simile).
Work in groups to analyze a different short passage (teacher provides another text).
Share group findings with the class.

Assessment Checks

Oral Questioning:

“What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?”
“Which element of literature tells us the lesson of the story?” (Theme)
“What is prose? Give one example.”

Teacher writes sentences on the board; students identify literary devices:

“The moon was a silver lamp.” (Metaphor)
“He is as strong as a lion.” (Simile)
“The trees clapped their hands in the wind.” (Personification)

Teacher gives a short passage for learners to identify characters and setting.

Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

Literature = a mirror of life in written or spoken form.
Elements of Literature:

Characters – actors in the story (human/animal/imaginary).
Setting – where and when the story takes place.
Plot – the order of events/actions.
Theme – the main idea, lesson, or message.

Literary Terms:

Prose – ordinary writing (novels, stories).
Poetry – writing in lines/stanzas (songs, poems).
Drama – plays written to be performed.
Simile – comparison with like/as (Her eyes are like stars.)
Metaphor – direct comparison (The classroom is a zoo.)
Personification – human qualities to non-human things (The wind sang.)

Extra Examples for Practice:

Declarative: “The village square was full of people.” (Prose)
Poem: “The river flows gently / Carrying secrets of the land.” (Poetry)
Drama: A scene where two friends quarrel on stage.
Simile: “He is as busy as a bee.”
Metaphor: “Books are keys to wisdom.”
Personification: “The night embraced the lonely traveler.”

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Summary:
• Teacher will ask students to recall: definition of literature, its elements, and at least three literary terms.
Evaluation Method (Expanded):
• Exit slip/quiz: Students will answer:

Define literature.
Name two elements of literature.
Match each example to the correct literary term:
“The girl is as fast as a cheetah.”
b. “Time is a thief.”
c. “The wind whispered in the trees.”
• Teacher reviews answers and provides oral feedback.
Assignment (Expanded):
• Read a short story from your textbook. Identify its characters, setting, plot, and theme. Write down two examples of literary terms found in it.

Follow-up Activity:
• Students bring their favorite story, poem, or proverb to the next class for literary analysis.

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies
• Struggling Learners: Provide simplified passages with clear examples of elements.
• Advanced Learners: Challenge them to identify themes and figurative language in more complex texts.
• Students with Disabilities: Use audio stories or group support for inclusion.

Teacher’s Reflection (After Class)
• What worked well? ______________________________________________________
• What needs improvement? _________________________________________________
• Students’ engagement level: □ High □ Medium □ Low