A Not-So-Funny Sense of Humor: Medieval Period

Conduct an in-depth analysis of political cartoons from the early twentieth century with your middle schoolers. Small groups complete a gallery walk and fill out a detailed graphic organizer in order to analyze four of the eight provided...

Students explore how a dream to build a medieval castle came to reality. In this lesson, students read an article about a knight's castle that is being built in France, then complete numerous activities such as a quiz, a debate, a class...

No time period is more intriguing than the Middle Ages. Even more intriguing, is the life of a medieval knight. Give your class an understanding of the armor, weaponry, trials, and values that shaped the life of the knights engaged in...

Comparing and contrasting Capitalism and Socialism, this lecture outlines many nuances between the two economic systems, including the ideas of meritocracy and "fairness." A discussion about the effects of either system gone "unchecked"...

Nothing's better than a really funny poem! Help young writers craft their funny poems with a lesson on one of the most challenging parts of writing: picking what to write about.

You've got your topic—now how do you make your poem funny? Explore ways to make a poem humorous, including puns, exaggeration, silly words, and surprising endings, with a helpful poetry lesson.

Funny poems don't have to rhyme—but it helps! Learn how to use rhyming words to add humor to funny, clever, or just plain silly poems.

Budding poets choose a topic for a sensory-filled poem. Authors describe that topic using detailed language based on the five senses. Then, switch the senses to create a fanciful poem intended to add a touch of fun to the objective. 

What can happen if you eat too much cafeteria food? Or wear dirty clothes every day? Or talk back to your mother? Use a lesson on humorous poems as a way for students to practice silly rhymes as fictional epitaphs.

Have you ever noticed that babies in paintings from the Middle Ages look a little...strange? Find out why with an informative and amusing video about the moment artists decided to make babies look cute again.