Analogies that make a topic stick

Show both paths

Ideas for using them

• A starter. Read the opening line and ask the class what the comparison gets right.
• Where the analogy breaks down. Every relatable ends with a line on where its comparison stops working. Ask pupils to find other places it fails. It is a good way to teach what an analogy, a model or a simplification really is.
• Compare the versions. Show the Serious and Like I’m five versions of the same relatable side by side and talk about what changes and what stays the same.
• Put one on your own site. Every relatable has an “Embed this on your own site” box with code you can paste into your school website or learning platform.
• Make one live. Choose a topic from your lesson and something the class knows, and make a new relatable in front of them. This needs a free account.

Before you teach with it

• Check it against your specification. Relatables are written by an AI and checked by a person, but they can still be wrong, and an analogy always simplifies. They are a way in to a topic, not a replacement for your course materials. If you spot a mistake, use the “Flag this relatable” button and we will look at it.
• Younger pupils. Reading and browsing need no account. Accounts, quizzes and making relatables are for people aged 13 and over, so with primary classes it works best read together on the whiteboard. See our privacy policy for details.
• The funny versions. They are written for teenagers and adults, so read one first before showing it to a younger class.
• The built-in quiz. Many relatables have a three-question quiz. It needs a free account with a confirmed email address, so it suits older pupils and your own use.