Question

While reading a short passage from a realistic fiction story aloud to the class, a student reads the following sentence.

"I didn't think what I had done was so bad, but my mother sure knows how to make a mountain out of a molehill."
The teacher focuses the students' attention on the author's use of the phrase "to make a mountain out of a molehill" as an example of figurative language. Which of the following teacher actions is the most appropriate next step in helping students understand the phrase?
A. Having students recall other texts in which an author has used other unique linguistic structures
B. Asking students to decide whether the literal meaning of the phrase is the author's intended message
C. Adding the phrase to a student-created poster of author's tools used to convey meaning by using language in interesting ways
D. Requiring that students write explanations of their personal reactions to the author's purpose for selecting the phrase to convey meaning

Answer 1

The most appropriate next step is to ask students whether the literal meaning of "to make a mountain out of a molehill" is the author's intended message, which encourages them to analyze the author's use of figurative language.

Step-by-step explanation:

To help students understand the phrase "to make a mountain out of a molehill," the most appropriate next step is B. Asking students to decide whether the literal meaning of the phrase is the author's intended message. This encourages students to engage with the text and make inferences about the author's use of figurative language, promoting a deeper understanding of how such language can add specificity and layers of meaning to a narrative. It exemplifies the technique of showing rather than telling in writing, where the author uses language to create vibrant and engaging imagery for the reader.