Story Pirates University: Show, Don't Tell: Similes
3 min3rd4th5thReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
A short 'show, don't tell' writing lesson from Story Pirates University, the storytelling program run by the Story Pirates comedy troupe. This lesson uses similes — comparisons with 'like' or 'as' — to show a picture instead of flatly telling the reader. A Story Pirates professor models the difference, then students revise a sentence of their own.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
'Show, don't tell' lets readers feel a story instead of just being told about it.
- What's the difference between telling ('she was scared') and showing ('her hands shook')?
- Which detail in the example did the most work?
- How could you show a feeling without naming it?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: show don't tell, sensory detail, simile, character trait.
Try it: Rewrite a 'telling' sentence so it shows instead. Read both versions to a partner and see which they prefer.