I am an Oxymoron and I like to eat Jumbo Shrimp

As a student-teacher, I am the very definition of an oxymoron: it is a phrase where the two words actually contradict each other. Another example would be "jumbo-shrimp" because jumbo refers to something that is extraordinarily large, and shrimp can mean very tiny. It is one of those play on words which can add humour to your writing, or is just fun to point out.

As a grade 8 student, you are expected to be able to identify and use different elements of style to improve your writing. These include metaphors, irony, analogies, and symbolism. But these words and definitions can be quite confusing. You can feel as if you are lost in the ocean, paddling in circles and gaining no ground. But I can help! There is an interactive game you can play online called: Name That Literary Element! which allows you to match the definition and the word in a way that is much more fun than filling out a simple worksheet! And don't fret if you do not know all of the definitions when you first play this game, it allows for multiple wrong answers without making you lose the game!

A Head's Up for Parents!
This game is very educational and connects right into the curriculum. In the Langauge Arts Curriculum, according to Reading 2.4, the student must be able to "identify a range of elements of style - including symbolism, irony, analogy, metaphor, and other rhetorical devices - and explain how they help communicate meaning and enhance the effectiveness of a text". While this game does not make them explain how the elements of the text help enhance its effectiveness, it does allow them to grasp the definitions better, which will allow this knowledge to happen in the future. This is a great quick study tool for tests, or to even just give them a recap on the definitions if they forget what literary element they want to use.