Poetry is a language art that uses figurative language extensively, but if your students are beginners it may be too ambitious to start them on literary poetry. A teacher can use modern song lyrics to introduce students to figurative language. Students can paraphrase song lyrics from figurative language into conversational English. Students that are more advanced can decipher folk songs or politically veiled song lyrics as part of history or social studies lessons.
All literary fiction uses figurative language, and there are many selections you can choose from for your fourth grade figurative language project. Options range from Shakespearean plays to modern works like Harry Potter, so you can find almost anything for every skill level or group dynamic. Students can focus on a simile, metaphor or other example of figurative language, chosen by themselves or the teacher, and build a project around that symbol. Projects can be visual, such as art compositions that depict a visual interpretation of figurative language. More advanced students can write expository essays or answer oral questions about the importance of figurative language to the story.
After they have learned about figurative language and how it is used, students can try to emulate the techniques of the writers and poets they have studied by using the same methods themselves. Students can be given a subject by the teacher and a list of metaphors to use, and depending on their level and abilities they can also work in groups and write shorter compositions, like paragraphs or simple forms of poetry, like haikus.
Even if the prospect of using software to compose and display a lesson might intimidate a teacher, it's likely that the average eighth grade student will be excited by the opportunity to use these techniques for a school project. Beginners or more remedial students can do power point projects on the definitions and characteristics of figurative language. Students that are more advanced in both academic and software knowledge can make music videos or edit existing videos to use as examples of how figurative language can be used.