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TREADMILL = PARTY?
Seeing Metaphors from Different Perspectives
An Individual Assignment

What is a metaphor? And why should we care? In this exercise, you will learn what a metaphor is, become aware of the metaphors all around you, and experiment with using them yourself..
  1. 1. Watch “Here it Goes Again—The Treadmill Video” again at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA .
  2. 2. Write in your journal how you feel about the images in this video. What other metaphors can you think of (brainstorm about these and be as wild and creative as you want to be).
  3. 3. Choose one of the metaphors that you have listed. See if you can discover another completely different meaning for the item that you are comparing. Ex. The treadmill usually can be a metaphor for drudgery and hard work. But this video makes a treadmill
look like fun, so perhaps the new metaphor you could come up with would be “A
treadmill is a party,” or “A treadmill is a ball.”
4. You will present your metaphor in ONE of the
following ways:
  • A 1-2 page, (double-spaced, no larger than 12 point font) persuasive paper that seeks to convince the class of why your perspective is valid. Must include a photo or some kind of image of the item.
  • A PowerPoint presentation (no more than 3 minutes long) that seeks to outline the same information listed in the above option.
  • A poem (at least 3 stanzas) that uses the metaphor from one of the perspectives, perhaps including your own feelings about this.

Timeline:
1. Friday, May 1: Brainstorm in your journal. Choose idea and your method of presentation.
2. Tuesday, May 4: Bring draft to class to workshop.
3. Thursday, May 6: Paper, presentation, or poem is due.

Evaluation: This will be one of your weekly grades and will be evaluated on the
following qualities:
  • Appropriate identification of your metaphor
  • Draft for workshop and final presentation on time
  • Creative approach
  • Interest to the class

Helpful Resources: Online: Wikipedia.org; knowgramming.com
Books: Textbook for this class;
I Never Met a Metaphor I Didn't Like by Mardy Grothe
Metaphors We Live By by Lakoff & Johnson
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFgRj-5d5Ac

A Peek Into Our Brains--A Rationale

We designed this assignment for 9th-12th grade students. It would be particularly useful when discussing metaphors in literature or for students to use in their writing. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, a gun is a metaphor for cowardly bravado. For some people, a gun can mean something quite different--for example, courage or defense of your family. In Shakespeare's play, As You Like It, the phrase "all the world's a stage" is an example of a metaphor.The world is not literally a stage, but Shakespeare makes the comparison saying that it is, meaning that we are all putting on a play in our lives as we go through the different phases of it. Poets use metaphors, too. "Life is a broken-winged bird," from "Dreams" by Langston Hughes, is a use of metaphor in poetry.

Initially, we picked this video clip because it is original, engaging, and combines upbeat music with interesting visuals. We asked several adolescents for their opinions; all said it was "awesome." In analyzing it, we realized that both the lyrics to the song "Here it goes again" and the image of the treadmill suggest drudgery and meaningless work; yet, the upbeat music and the clever visuals send just the opposite message. We decided to center our focus on discussing metaphors, specifically focusing on how an image can represent more than one thought, idea, or feeling. Our goal is for students to understand what a metaphor is, know the difference between metaphors and similies, be able to recognize metaphors in readings, and use them creatively in their own writing.

By understanding metaphors in the context of the video and selected readings, the students can see just how powerful metaphors can be in expressing thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Essential questions that can be answered by the assignment and the discussion leading up to it are: Why have authors used metaphors since the beginning of written language? and How can students improve their own writing by using metaphors? The intellectual outcome will be that students will have better comprehension of the literature they read, both inside and outside the classroom. Also, this assignment addresses the Georgia Professional Standards (ELA10RLI) concerning identifying and analyzing figurative language. If a student chooses to write the persuasive paper or create the power-point, she is learning to choose a position and make a case for its validity. This approach will cause the student to be more invested in the project because she is taking a position which should result in a better product. If a student chooses to write a poem, she will be focusing on another important form of writing. Either way, the students will have hands on experience considering and using metaphors. Beyond the classroom, we hope for students to be lifelong readers and writers. Their knowledge of metaphors will help them in these endeavors throughout their lives.


Ideas for Class Discussion: Questions & Examples
  1. What do you think of when you see this picture? (Show them a simple treadmill and write their responses on the board).
  2. Why do you think of these words? (Probe them to get them to think about the ideas they connect to this item).
  3. Where do you think these ideas come from? Be as specific as you can.
  4. Now watch the video.
  5. Why do you think they chose a treadmill for this music video? (If they don't mention the lyrics, show them the words to the chorus).
  6. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:
Just when you think that you're in control,
just when you think that you've got a hold,
just when you get on a roll,
here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again.
Oh, here it goes again.
I should have known,
should have known,
should have known again,
but here it goes again.
Oh, here it goes again.
  1. What do music videos try to illustrate?
  2. Is it easier to understand a song when you have seen the music video?
  3. Why?
  4. Are there any different words that come to mind after viewing this video? (Write these responses on the board).
  5. Explain why you think of these particular words. (Hopefully, they will be more positive ones).
  6. Show them pictures of a few items (a pothole, a motorcycle, a wedding veil) and ask what comes to mind when they see those items. Then ask questions 2 and 3 about these items.
  7. What you have been describing in a rough way are metaphors. (Explain that they probably already know many concepts in literature, but they may not know the technical term for them).
  8. From what we have done so far, what do you think is the definition for a metaphor?
  9. What is the difference between a metaphor and simply describing something? Why use it?
  10. "She's pretty" can become "She's hot." Why?
  11. Are there any songs that come to mind that use metaphors?
  12. We've been reading Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo says, "Juliet is the sun," he's using a metaphor. What about this statement makes it a metaphor?
  13. Explain here that a metaphor is a hidden comparison. Something "is" something else. "He's a bear." "She's a brain." A metaphor compares two seemingly unlike subjects. It shows how two things that are very different from each other in most ways are alike in one significant way. Example: "drowning in work." What common metaphors can you think of?
  14. (Assuming they have computer access in class), pair up and go to http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/metaphor and look at the various definitions of metaphor. (If only the teacher has a computer, pull it up on the Smartboard).
  15. The play we just read, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde has many metaphors. Can you think of any?
  16. What about this? (Show a picture of a wedding ring). What does this image represent to you? (some will be positive and negative)
  17. Do you see how the same item can be a metaphor for one thing or for something totally different?
  18. What are some other metaphors you can think of?
  19. What's the purpose of a metaphor? (Helps us describe our ideas, thoughts, feelings).
  20. In your pair group, use your computer to find examples of metaphors. Be sure to tell us what website you got it from.
  21. Discuss these with the class.
  22. Now, let's watch the video again.
  23. Write out a metaphor that this brings to mind.
  24. Introduce assignment (hand out assignment sheet).

Challenges
  1. Students may have seen the video before and be bored with it.
  2. Students may confuse metaphors with similes, so this would have to be clarified.
  3. Students may discuss inappropriate subjects.
  4. Some students still may not understand the concept well enough to complete the assignment, particularly those who may be intellectually impaired.
  5. There could be technology problems that would make it difficult to show the video.
  6. Students could be absent on one or more days of the timeline making it difficult for them to follow the flow of the assignment.





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