Day 24: Literary Device Review With a Taskmaster-Style Classroom Challenge
Turn review day into the highlight of the unit. In Day 24 of the Grade 9 English course, students engage in a literary device review modeled after the hit show Taskmaster. By competing in 15 rapid-fire creative challenges—ranging from teacher-themed similes to superhero onomatopoeia—students prove their mastery of figurative language in a high-stakes, hilarious classroom arena.
75 Minutes | Key Concepts: Literary Device Review, Figurative Language, Cooperative Learning, Student Engagement
Learning Goals and Standards
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Identify common literary devices across multiple short stories
- Distinguish between similar devices such as simile, metaphor, and symbolism
- Explain how literary devices shape tone, imagery, and meaning
- Support interpretations using textual evidence
- Apply literary terminology accurately in discussion and written responses
- Demonstrate readiness for the short-story unit test
Aligned Global Competencies / Standards / ELA Curriculum
This lesson supports international secondary English expectations such as:
Ontario Curriculum Alignment (ENL1W)
Strand C: Comprehension Strategies
Use comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to understand complex texts (C1.1)
Identify key ideas and supporting details in literary texts (C1.2)
Make inferences using textual evidence (C1.3)
Interpret explicit and implicit meaning in texts (C1.4)
Analyze how figurative language and literary devices contribute to meaning (C1.5)
Strand B: Foundations of Language
Demonstrate understanding of specialized terminology and figurative language used to interpret texts (B2.1)
Interpret how stylistic elements contribute to meaning and effectiveness (B2.2)
Strand A: Literacy Connections and Applications
Apply knowledge of literary elements and devices to interpret texts (A1.2)
Common Core (Grades 9–10 Reading Literature)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases including figurative and connotative meanings (RL.9–10.4)
Analyze how authors’ structural choices create meaning (RL.9–10.5)
IB Language & Literature (ATL Skills)
Develop analytical vocabulary for interpreting figurative language and stylistic techniques
Cambridge IGCSE English Literature
Recognize writers’ methods and explain how language creates effects
OECD Global Competence Framework
Interpret communication across texts using discipline-specific vocabulary
UNESCO Literacy Framework
Strengthen interpretive reading through understanding figurative language
Resources
Whiteboard and markers
Envelopes or cards with each literary device written inside
Props (simple classroom objects like paper, markers, random items for creative tasks)
Scoring sheet
Optional: silly hat, wig, or crown for the “Taskmaster”
- Prizes (Perhaps?)
Bell Ringer
“Name the Device” (5 minutes)
Write this sentence on the board:
The forest swallowed them whole.
Ask students:
- Is this literal or figurative?
- What literary device is being used?
- What feeling does the sentence create?
Students typically identify personification, reinforcing how literary devices affect tone and imagery rather than just decorating language.
Lesson Flow for the Literary Device Review
1. Silent Reading – 15 minutes
Calm before the storm. Give students 15 minutes to read silently. Afterward, let them know they’re entering the “Literary Device Arena.”
2. Introduce the Taskmaster Game (5 minutes)
Explain that today’s class is a Taskmaster Literary Device Review. Students will be placed into groups of about five. Each group will compete in quick, creative, and hilarious challenges tied to specific literary devices. Points will be awarded for creativity, accuracy, and effort. The group with the most points wins “The Golden Grammar Trophy” (or whatever you choose to call it — bonus points if it’s ridiculous).
3. The Literary Device Challenges (45 minutes)
Each round focuses on one device. You read the literary device and give the challenge. Allow 2–4 minutes per task, then award points.
Round 1: Simile
Task: Create the funniest simile comparing your teacher to an inanimate object.
Example: “Mr. Callens is like a broken pencil—pointless before his morning coffee.”
Round 2: Hyperbole
Task: Write one wildly exaggerated excuse for not doing your homework. Perform it dramatically.
Round 3: Alliteration
Task: Write a tongue-twister about your group’s favorite food using alliteration. Perform it three times fast!
Round 4: Metaphor
Task: Write a metaphor describing your group’s mood right now. Bonus points if it’s surprisingly poetic.
Round 5: Personification
Task: Pick an object in the room and act out how it would behave if it came to life for one minute.
Round 6: Oxymoron
Task: Create a two-line poem that includes an oxymoron.
Example: “Alone together, we whispered in silence.”
Round 7: Onomatopoeia
Task: Perform a mini-skit of a superhero battle using at least five sound words. (“Bam!” “Crash!” “Whoosh!”)
Round 8: Allusion
Task: Write a sentence that cleverly references a myth, movie, or book character.
Example: “He strutted into class like he’d just snapped half the homework away—Thanos-style.”
Round 9: Anaphora
Task: Deliver a short (20-second) “speech” that repeats one phrase at the beginning of each line.
Example: “We will win this game. We will not give up. We will remember our commas.”
Round 10: Cacophony
Task: Write and perform the ugliest-sounding sentence possible.
Example: “Crackling croaks clattered through the cluttered classroom.”
Round 11: Cliché
Task: Write the cheesiest love line ever, using at least one cliché. Perform it as a soap opera scene.
Round 12: Imagery
Task: Describe a pizza so vividly that everyone in the room becomes instantly hungry.
Round 13: Paradox
Task: Create a short statement that seems impossible but somehow makes sense.
Example: “The faster we go, the more behind we become.”
Round 14: Pun
Task: Create a short, original pun about English class. Bonus points if it’s groan-worthy.
Example: “We’re just past our prime—our prime meridian of grammar.”
Round 15: Symbolism
Task: Choose an object from the classroom and explain what it symbolizes in your group’s “journey.”
Example: “This whiteboard marker symbolizes our fleeting hope—it starts strong, then fades quickly.”
4. Scoring (5 minutes)
Award points after each round (1–5). For added drama, use a whiteboard scoreboard and exaggerated announcer voice.
At the end, declare the winning team, play celebratory music, and hand out a symbolic trophy—or perhaps a golden stapler.
5. Closure (5 minutes)
Wrap up with a quick class reflection:
Which literary device was hardest to remember?
Which was easiest to spot in stories we’ve read?
How can we use these devices to make our writing stronger?
First-Hand Suggestions
When reviewing literary devices before a test, I’ve found students benefit most from seeing devices in context rather than as isolated definitions. Looking back at examples from stories they already know helps them recognize how authors actually use imagery, symbolism, and irony to shape meaning instead of treating devices as vocabulary to memorize.
Differentiation for the Literary Device Review
For Students with IEPs
- Provide a literary device reference chart
- Limit the number of devices per review section if needed
- Use matching activities (device → example)
- Allow oral explanations instead of written responses
- Review one device together before independent practice
For English Language Learners
Pre-teach vocabulary:
| Term | Student-Friendly Meaning |
|---|---|
| simile | comparison using “like” or “as” |
| metaphor | comparison without “like” or “as” |
| imagery | language that creates pictures in the mind |
| symbolism | object representing a larger idea |
| irony | opposite of what we expect |
Support strategies:
- Provide side-by-side literal vs figurative examples
- Use visuals for imagery and symbolism
- Offer sentence frames:
- “This example shows ___ because…”
- Allow partner discussion before writing responses
Literary Device Review FAQ
How does the Taskmaster game help with a literary device review? The game forces students to use the devices creatively rather than just defining them. By creating their own puns, similes, and paradoxes under a time limit, they build deeper neural pathways and better retention for the unit test.
What materials do I need for this classroom review game? You only need basic classroom supplies: a whiteboard, markers, envelopes with the device names, and a few random props for the ‘Personification’ and ‘Imagery’ rounds.
Can I adapt this for a smaller class? Yes! For smaller groups, you can have students compete individually or in pairs. The key is to keep the energy high and the judging ‘arbitrarily fair’ to maintain the Taskmaster spirit.
