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Idioms and Clichés

From BrainPOP

Idioms and Clichés
4th5thReading & Writing (ELA)
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Summary

Why take things literally, when you can take them figuratively? In this BrainPOP movie, Tim and Moby reveal all the hidden secrets of idioms. Learn how to look beyond the words in these fascinating expressions to find their true meanings. Discover the three characteristics common to every idiom, and why idioms translated into other languages hardly ever make sense. You’ll learn the difference between an idiom and a cliché, and you’ll sample just a few of the thousands of idioms floating around in our cultural consciousness. So shake a leg--you might even find out where that idiom comes from in the process!

Viewer safety

Ages 7+

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Teaching resources

Discussion questions

A few questions to talk through after watching Idioms and Clichés:

  1. What is one new thing you learned about idioms and clichés?
  2. Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
  3. Where might you see this in the real world?
  4. What is one question you still have?

Quick work-a-long

Try it:

  • Write one sentence explaining idioms and clichés.
  • Draw or give one example of your own.