English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of both written and spoken English.

Think…

Raining cats and dogs

Back to the drawing board

Pulling someone’s leg

Because idioms don't always make sense literally, I thought it would be a fun project to try to illustrate them. I introduced students to 100 idioms, listed from popular idioms to those to not usually used in everyday conversation. First I read off idioms and asked students to tell me what they meant. Their explanations of what the expressions mean were all over the board. From accurate to wildly imaginative. Perfect!

Then I handed out the writing list of expressions and let students pick two or three that appealed to them most. I asked that they come up with two or three sketched ideas for each expression since our first response is usually quite literal and cliché. After they had sketched several versions of the idioms, they picked their favorite and turned it into a final drawing.

I had a lot of fun watching their interpretations evolve and more importantly, everyone loved this project. I’ve decided to offer it throughout the year ahead and then compile it into a collection of illustrated idioms.

Here is a sneak peek into what I’ve collected so far.