Curated OER
Parody Hilarity
Upper grade and middle school writers study the art of parody. In this language arts instructional activity, learners study the work of Lewis Carroll, read and discuss parodies from the book, Alice in Wonderland, and construct their own...
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Silly Song Parody
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and it's a great way to learn about poetic structure! Young poets use familiar tunes to write a song parody based on straightforward guidelines.
PBS
Satire, Parody, and Humor in Catch-22
Laughter is the heart of dark comedy. It makes the unbearable bearable. Joseph Heller crafted his dark comedy Catch-22 to enable readers to laugh at the painful realities and underscore the absurdities of a war where people you don't...
Curated OER
Marketing to Teens: Parody Ads
High schoolers deconstruct advertising messages by analyzing parody ads and exploring the purpose of satire. Then they create their own parodies based on real ads discussed in class. A creative activity to extend any study of media,...
K20 LEARN
Writing Wrongs Mini Lesson: Peer Editing And Revising
High schoolers draft a paragraph about their stance on the issue of school uniforms and share their work with a peer for editing. After watching a parody video about peer editing and revising, class members generate a "Top 10 list" of...
Curated OER
Parodies of Shakespeare
Students view a video clip about parodies. They identify the characteristics of a parody in Mark Twain's work as well. They practice writing Shakepeare like verses.
Curated OER
How Can We Write A Story Using Dr. Seuss' Writing and Illustration Style?
Students write a story. In this writing style and illustration lesson, students review elements of Dr. Seuss' writing and illustration style and read a few more books written by him, examining the writing style. Students work in...
Curated OER
Impersonating Great Poets Using "Science Verse" by Jon Scieszka
A great way to bring poetry and parody into your language arts classroom, this lesson mimics famous poems based on Jon Scieszka's Science Verse. The activity not only allows the class to see examples of poem parodies, but to create their...
Curated OER
My Blackberry Isn't Working
This worksheet starts out on a strong note by using a humorous video called "My Blackberry Is Not Working" from BBC One to teach parody. While they watch the short video, viewers fill out a chart about the electronic brands, noting any...
Orlando Shakes
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!): Study Guide
What do Ebenezer Scrooge, the Grinch, and Frosty the Snowman have in common? They're all characters from beloved holiday movies that viewers revisit in the play Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!). Scholars conduct research...
Curated OER
Funny Business
Students discuss how much they understand of satire and parody. They read an article about an Iraq news parody show. They create and act out their own parody skit. They write an essay about using humor in grave situations.
Curated OER
Satire in Fiction
Twelfth graders identify satire in various fictional texts. In this language arts lesson, 12th graders will learn to define satire, parody, and caricature. Students will identify different forms of satire in historical and modern-day...
Curated OER
Humor, Rhetoric, and Prose Styles
A handful of quotes are presented in these slides referencing writing and rewriting. Learners will be encouraged by well-known writers to practice, grow and refrain from perfectionism. Quotes also reference how to write for your audience...
Curated OER
Frog Principal Lesson Plan
Students read the fractured fairy tale, The Frog Principal by Stephanie Calmenson and compare it to the original version in order to gain deeper understanding of the fairy tale genre. In this fairy tale lesson, students identify and...
Curated OER
The Rest Cure: Gender in Medicine and Literature
Read and discuss "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and the gender issues that the story brings up. Use articles from the time period to analyze, complete with specific discussion questions. After two days, scholars write an essay based on topics...
Curated OER
Advertising and Healthy Decisions
Students analyze alcohol and tobacco ads and create parodies of them. The eight lessons in this unit include discussions about why teens smoke or drink, the psychology behind the advertising, and writing persuasive letters to agencies,...
Curated OER
Name That Tune
In this holiday worksheet, students choose the tune to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Row Your Boat" and write a new holiday song. Students perform their creations.
Curated OER
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
Students read a chapter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and define new words for their dictionaries. In this vocabulary lesson students choose two or three assignment from a list of projects and complete it using the text in the...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: 2012 Mid-Term Elections
Use a political cartoon to help scholars grasp the significant turnover in Congress following the 2012 mid-term election. A Mike Keefe cartoon uses symbols and current political lingo to convey perspective on the issue, and background...
Curated OER
Fractured Fairy Tales
Students use familiar characters, plots, and settings from traditional fairy tales to create "fractured" versions, while experimenting with satire, irony and parody. A fractured fairy tale is designed to be humorous by changing the story...
Curated OER
Designing the Careers Show
Learners write a song. For this career lesson, students form groups based on occupational interests. Student groups write song lyrics about their chosen career. Learners present their songs to the class.
Curated OER
Errors vs. Rhetorical Devices
Is there a difference between writing errors and employing rhetorical devices? This presentation argues that there is a difference, but it might be a finer point than one would think. Addressing double entendre, oxymorons, and parody,...
Curated OER
Leaks and Gossip: Examining WikiLeaks Through Political Cartoons
Use political cartoons to spice up a discussion on national security! Two cartoons, one by Normal Rockwell in 1948, the other a parody of Rockwell's by Chuck Asay in 2010, depict the dangers of leaking information. Background information...
Curated OER
Deciphering the Mechanics of Poetry
Eighth graders analyze a variety of poems to develop the ability to recognize and explain a variety pf poetic devises.