Metaphors and analogies; fuel and fire

Read time is 4 minutes. 

This second week of December seems the perfect time to look at the most complex strategy for identifying similarities and differences--Metaphors and analogies.

 With a winter break looming, this is the time to challenge yourself to try a complex and sometimes difficult strategy. You know you only have a short time before break, so challenge yourself to try something complex in the short time.

A metaphor is a direct comparison of two unlike things. For instance, a book is food for thought. Books and food are not alike, but yet both can feed thoughts. An analogy is a comparison of one set of two things with another set of two other things.  An example of an analogy is the sun is to day what the moon is to night.  More information on the difference can be found at the Difference Between website.

Remember, any age learner can engage in constructing metaphors andanalogies. The learner builds upon what s/he knows to make the unknown understandable. Metaphors and analogies connect concrete knowledge to concepts. The first step is identifying metaphors and analogies. Creating a metaphor or analogy becomes a second step and forces the learner to think clearly about information, concepts, and his or her own current knowledge. Later take the next step by explaining the similarities within the metaphor or analogy.  The final step is explaining where the similarities may break down.

Metaphors and analogies can be used in any discipline.

One example is the often used science analogy of comparing a water system to electricity. Challenge yourself to take that metaphor one step further and explain how the water system and electricity are alike and how they are not alike. Come up with another metaphor or analogy that helps make electricity understandable for yourself. 

Writing and all language arts topics are full of metaphors and analogies. Beginning writers can start by identifying metaphors and analogies and later learn to use them in their own writing.

To become aware of metaphors and analogies, think about them in categories: 

Body Vocabulary 

• the heart of the city 
• the foot of the mountains/bed/stairs 
• to give a hand 
• to break somebody’s heart 

Weather Vocabulary

• a warm welcome
• to freeze somebody out 
• to be snowed under 
• to storm out 
• a hail of abuse 

See more starters for learners at Teaching English.  Spaghetti Box Kids even suggests competitions.

Metaphors and analogies also make math clearer. The operation of unpacking the terms in parenthesis is a metaphor. Unpacking and solving do not at first seem alike, yet taking the symbols out of the parenthesis just as you would unpack a box—one item at a time before  going on to the next is a metaphor. Look at other math operations to see how they are like real world tasks.

Social studies constantly shows comparisons within history and geography and students make sense of their world. For instance, metaphors can show the comparison of trade agreements with building a house.

Anthony Vecchioni sums up the importance of incorporating metaphors and analogies into learning. “Using metaphors pushes the speaker to sift through experience and memory in search of a fitting comparison. What is it like to start your day without coffee, for example? There is no right answer, but the process of finding the right comparison promotes robust reflection.”

While I was writing this post, I was reflecting on an analogy for learning and teaching. “A learner is to fuel what a teacher is to a fire.” How are the two sets alike? Where does the analogy break down?  What other analogy or metaphor describes learning or teaching for you?

In the next post, we will talk more about the importance of personal reflection on learning and teaching.