I'd be willing to bet the analogy examples you have seen were all
in test-preparation materials.
If that is the case, you are missing out on a teaching tool that
could improve student understanding of your major class concepts
and help you meet several of your annual course objectives. Besides
all that, this tool can be a lot of fun.
Definition of analogy
An analogy is a comparison in which elements in one half of the
comparison bear the same relationship to one another as the elements
on the other half of the comparison.
Word analogies are set up like equations in which each side
is expressed as if it were a fraction:
The analogy must be solved by finding a word that logically fits
in the Word 4 position. That means finding some word that has the
same relationship to Word 3 as Word 2 has to Word 1.
Did you notice the comparison of an analogy to an equation is itself
an analogy? Analogies are often
better than examples for explaining unfamiliar concepts in
terms of something the learner already knows.
Analogies depend on definitions
Like all comparisons, analogy examples depend on the recipient
of the message defining and using the comparison
terms in precisely the same way that the originator
of the message did.
Confusion results when the message sender and message recipient
don't agree on how words are used. If they use words in
different ways without being aware they they don't agree on
their definitions, the confusion may become serious miscommunication.
Teaching potential in confusion
This semantic confusion provides an ideal situation for teaching
students the importance of vocabulary choices, particularly
when the vocabulary refers to concepts or activities that
cannot be physically observed.
Students are unlikely to have strong feelings about English class
terminology. Thus ELA terms make good analogy examples in which
students can learn about the ramifications of vocabulary choices
before you introduce them to topics such as media use, persuasion
and argument, and the role of language in political and civic life.
ELA analogies examples list
Below is a list of word problems requiring students to find the
relationship between two items on one side of the analogy examples
in order to solve for the missing item on the other side of the
comparison.
In each set, both sides of the comparison use vocabulary drawn
from the English language arts curriculum. The problems force students
to think deeply about the meaning of the terms to identify words
that could be used to complete the puzzle.
short story : novel :: topic sentence
: ???
fiction : nonfiction :: poetry : ???
persuasion : opinion :: sonnet : ???
chapter : novel :: paragraph : ???
vocabulary : communication :: novel
: ???
homophone : misspelling :: oral : ???
novel : fiction :: poem : ???
nonfiction : expository:: fiction :
outline : plan :: anecdote : ???
haiku : sonnet :: email : ???
drama : oral history :: sitcom : ???
revise : edit :: book : ???
verbal : oral :: nonverbal : ???
topic : writing :: subject : ???
analogy : metaphor :: introduction :
???
I don't have an answer list for these analogy examples. The point
of working with the analogy examples is for students to come up
with as many sensible solutions as possible. There is no one correct
answer. The students' options for solving the word problems are
limited by their vocabulary at the time they attempt the analogy
examples.
How to use analogy examples
You could ask students to:
Problems such as these are useful for team activities in
preparation for writing prompts or to activate knowledge
in preparation for a new study topic. They also make good prompts
for presentations and impromptu speeches.
The value of ELA analogies
Discussion of the issues will help students to understand the ELA
concepts. More important, however, they will learn how word choices
impact people's abilities to discuss and solve problems collaboratively
in school, work, and civic life.
By grappling with a few of these word problems problems, students
will develop some appreciation for the difficulties of written communication.
