Lesson 14: Look Both Ways, Vignette 6, Part 1

Think-Pair-Share

Have students take out their homework from the previous lesson and their copies of Look Both Ways.

• Students were instructed to read “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake” and to note in their Homework Journals how the structure of this vignette helps shape it.

Say these Directions: Discuss the ideas you noted in your Journal with partners. Then discuss your responses to the following prompt.

• Ask: If you were to walk home with either Simeon or Kenzi, what is the first question you would ask?

  • I would want to ask Kenzi if he’s proud of his brother for going to jail to protect his friend or if he wishes he hadn’t.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: We are going to read “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake,” closely focusing on how the author uses figurative language to develop the two characters, their relationship, and their backstories.

Language Study

Review the definitions of some major types of figurative language.

Say these Directions: Today, we are going to examine types of figurative language, particularly similes and metaphors. Similes and metaphors both make nonliteral comparisons to characters, places, or things, but similes use like or as in their comparisons, and metaphors do not.

Display the following sentence from “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake” where all students can see it. Remind students that this is a description of Simeon.

• “A walking anvil with a happy gappy smile that lit every doorway he darkened.”

Read the whole sentence aloud, modeling fluency. Then read the following pieces of the sentence, pausing to discuss their meaning with students.

• Ask: “A walking anvil . . .” What does the author mean by comparing Simeon to an anvil? What type of figurative language is this?

  • He means that Simeon is big—not just tall or fat but wide and dense, big in every way. This is a metaphor because it compares Simeon to something else but doesn’t use like or as.

• Ask: “. . . with a happy gappy smile that lit every doorway he darkened.” What does this tell us about Simeon? What is the effect of using the words lit and darkened together in this way?

  • This shows that Simeon is a kind, happy person whose smile makes others feel happy, too. Lit and darkened are opposites, so the contrast helps create meaning as well.

Display another sentence from “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake” where all students can see it.

• “After everyone else had gone, Simeon walked over to Mr. Davanzo, and they slapped the backs of their hands together, knuckles knocking like tiny pool balls. Their secret handshake.”

Read the whole sentence aloud, modeling fluency. Then read the following piece of the sentence, pausing to discuss its meaning with students.

• Ask: “. . . knuckles knocking like tiny pools balls . . .” What does the author mean by comparing their knuckles to pool balls? What type of figurative language is this? What other techniques does the author use here?

  • The author means that the handshake makes a nice, satisfying sound, like pool balls hitting each other. This suggests that they know the handshake well and that it looks really cool when they do it. It’s a simile because it uses like to compare the knuckles to pool balls. Another technique the author uses is alliteration, because knuckles and knocking both start with the same sound.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’re going to dive deeper into how this author uses metaphor, simile, and other types of figurative language to develop characters, stories, and ideas.

Part A: Figurative Language and Developing Ideas: Look Both Ways, Vignette 6 (RL.6.2, L.6.5) (15 minutes)

In this part, you will read a section of “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake” out loud while students listen for examples of metaphor, simile, and other types of figurative language. Then you will discuss how this language helps the author make comparisons, express feelings, and add details to the story that support its central ideas.

Teach: Read Aloud

Say these Directions: As you listen to a section of “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake,” follow along with your own copy and raise your hand when you hear an example of figurative language.

• Say: I am going to read aloud the part of this story that describes Simeon and Kenzi’s neighborhood, beginning halfway through section 3, “Getting to the Neighborhood,” with the line “Catch you tomorrow.” I want everyone to follow along with me and raise your hand when you hear an example of figurative language.

Read the rest of section 3, “Getting to the Neighborhood,” aloud.

Pause when a student raises their hand to point out a piece of figurative language:

• Ask: What is the phrase you noticed? What kind of figurative language is it? What does it compare? What impact does this have on you as the reader?

  • The phrase I noticed was “So the path was clear, laid out for Simeon the Grand and Kenzi the Great, like a runway to their kingdom.” This uses an allusion because it refers to a leader like Alexander the Great. This helps me realize that Kenzi is important in this neighborhood. It also uses a simile, comparing the road to a runway using like. This shows how special the neighborhood is to these two boys, even if other kids might be afraid to be there.

• Say: Think about your own neighborhood or a place that’s important to you. If you were describing it to someone who’d never been there, would you describe it the way most people see it or the way you see it? Keep that in mind as we look at how the author describes Simeon and Kenzi’s neighborhood through their eyes.

Discussion

Lead a class discussion on how the author’s use of metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language adds detail to the story and develops the characters and their relationships. Use any or all of the following prompts as time allows.

Say these Directions: Think about how Jason Reynolds’s use of metaphors, similes, and other figurative language impacts the story and how you understand the characters, both individually and in relation to each other.

• Ask: What is your impression of the neighborhood where Simeon and Kenzi live? How does the language the author uses to describe it help develop your idea of it?

  • On the one hand, the neighborhood sounds kind of noisy and dirty. The author describes a “mix of exhaust and exhaustion” in the air. It literally smells like exhaust, but also figuratively smells like exhaustion, which helps us understand the feeling in the neighborhood. On the other hand, the author also describes the neighborhood as “a paradise” and “a kingdom,” which shows that it’s special to Simeon and Kenzi. To them, “light poles are like palm trees, bus stop benches like hammocks.” These similes show that they have a very different view of the neighborhood. They feel free and at home there, and it’s a place they share together.

• Ask: How does the author contrast Kenzi and Simeon’s voices with the other noises in the neighborhood? What type of language does he use to make that contrast?

  • The author describes the “shrill and chill” and “scream and whisper” of the sound in the neighborhood, making it feel vibrant yet noisy and chaotic. In contrast, Kenzi and Simeon’s voices are “still young, still sweet like flutes cutting through.” He uses a simile to compare them to flutes, which cut through other instruments because they have a high pitch. They might literally have high voices because they’re still young, but more importantly, it means they still have some innocence that stands out against their surroundings.

• Ask: What is one way in which the author shows that Simeon and Kenzi have a unique perspective on their neighborhood? What type of language shows that?

  • The author writes, “Most people tighten up when they walk down Chestnut. Tuck tails and tuck chains.” The “tuck chains” would be literal if they were hiding their jewelry so they wouldn’t get robbed, but “tuck tails” is figurative because people don’t really have tails. It shows that most people are at least a little scared or nervous in this neighborhood. On the other hand, he writes, “But for Kenzi and Simeon, this was where they could let loose.” He continues the image of people being “tight” when they’re nervous and “loose” when they feel free and relaxed in order to show how Simeon and Kenzi feel about the neighborhood as opposed to how most people seem to feel about it.

• Say: Now let’s pull it all together. Based on the figurative language we just discussed, what is one central idea the author is developing about belonging or identity? Write one sentence that states the central idea, and name two examples of figurative language from our discussion that help develop it.

  • One central idea is that belonging means seeing a place through your own eyes instead of through everyone else’s. The similes comparing light poles to palm trees and bus stop benches to hammocks show that Simeon and Kenzi see their neighborhood as a paradise, and the contrast between people who “tighten up” and the boys who “let loose” shows that their sense of belonging changes how they experience the exact same place.

Part B: Close Reading for Figurative Language (RL.6.4, L.6.5) (15 minutes)

In this part, students will buddy-read a small section of “Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon’s and Kenzi’s Secret Handshake” with partners to find examples of similes and metaphors that they can add to a graphic organizer to share with another pair.

Graffiti / Table Talk

Organize students into pairs, and hand out copies of the 3 Column Chart graphic organizer to each group.

Label the three columns “Example and Type of Figurative Language,” “Meaning,” and “Effect.” Then model how to add information to the organizer.

• Say: I could add “the path was clear . . . like a runway to their kingdom” in the first column. I will note that it’s a simile. In the second column, I could write, “This compares the path leading to their neighborhood to a runway.” In the third column, I could write, “This shows that they think coming home is a big deal because they really like where they live.”

Tell students that they are going to buddy-read section 4, “Picking the Perfect Snack from Fredo’s Corner Store,” with their partners, completing their graphic organizers as they read. Guide students toward similes and metaphors in column 1, but encourage them to find other examples as well.

Participation Options: Partners may read aloud together, take turns reading paragraphs, or read silently side by side, pausing to discuss when either notices figurative language.

Say these Directions: Take a few minutes to buddy-read section 4, “Picking the Perfect Snack from Fredo’s Corner Store,” with your partner. Whenever you notice figurative language, stop and record it in your graphic organizer.

Once students have had a chance to read the section, instruct them to turn to the other pair in their group and share at least one example of figurative language they found in their reading.

• Say: Work with another pair sitting near you, and each share one example of figurative language that you found. Explain what you learned from the other pair and how it helped you understand the section.

  • We shared the simile comparing Fredo to a judge, and the other pair shared the simile “cakes that tasted like bricks.” Together, they helped me understand that this isn’t the nicest store in the world, and that things aren’t always entirely friendly between the boys and Fredo, but it’s still a very special place to them and part of their community.

This portion of the lesson supports students in identifying and interpreting figurative language to develop ideas about character, relationship, and setting (RL.6.2, L.6.5). Students often notice the literal meaning of phrases but may miss how metaphors, similes, and contrasts reveal perspective and belonging. Explicitly guide students to connect the type of figurative language to what it represents and its effect on the story. Structured sentence frames (e.g., “This compares ___ to ___, which suggests ___”) help students produce precise, evidence-based explanations. This work bridges language analysis to understanding theme by showing how figurative language shapes character perspective and story meaning.

Arrange the graphic organizers produced by each group so the columns line up. If time allows, create a single combined graphic organizer for the entire group that eliminates duplicates and shows everyone’s ideas in one place.

Quick Write

This reflection routine supports students in synthesizing understanding of figurative language (RL.6.2, L.6.5a). Students will be prompted to explain not just what the language says, but how it affects their interpretation of the story. Encourage linking examples to character, relationship, or setting, and to use precise academic verbs (represents, suggests, compares). This reflection is designed to reinforced that figurative language is a tool authors use to communicate perspective, identity, and belonging, strengthening both comprehension and analytical writing.

Say these Directions: Reflect on your work today by writing a short response to the following prompt.

• Ask: How did the author’s use of figurative language affect your experience of the story as a reader?

  • The author’s use of figurative language helped me understand more clearly who these boys are, what their relationship is, and how they view their neighborhood and the people and places in it. For example, when the author uses a simile to describe their neighborhood as their kingdom, it helps me see how special it is to them, especially because it’s a place they share together.

Instruct students to update the charts they created in Lesson 3 in their Journal to include information on Simeon and Kenzi. Instruct them to pay close attention to the dialogue that reveals each boy’s personality and goals.