Introduction
Task
Process Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Evaluation
Resources
A WebQuest Exploring Satire
Created by Ms. Ozello
For Literature of Human Experience
Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell, Seinfeld, Wanda Sykes, Modern Family
What do all these have in common? They are considered humorous by many
people today .Humor can be found in movies, TV shows, and books. But what
makes something humorous? How and why do author's create humor?
Humor often requires some background knowledge of some kind. One has to
understand the type of humor as well as what is being made fun of in order for
it to be humorous. Today you will exploring one type of humor in order to more
fully understand and appreciate it.
There are many different kinds of humor, but one of the most common, but
often misunderstood, is Satire. The book we will be reading, Cat’s Cradle,
combines this, along with Dark Comedy and science fiction to create an
intriguing novel.
In order for you to more fully understand the novel, you will be exploring
satire. identifying components of it in various examples and then creating
your own commercials or short scenes demonstrating what you have learned
AS A
GROUP IN CLASS:
1. Go to the following sites to discover definitions for Satire
SATIRE @ DICTIONARY.COM
ABOUT.COM
BROOKLYN CUNY
CRAMSTER
2.
Go to the following sites to view a few examples of satire. In your group discuss what makes these
examples satire. Write out a one sentence summary
 World According to Americans
Alaska
Satire in the Simpsons
Video Mix (give this a few seconds to buffer – can skip the ad)
3. WRITE a solid definition for Satire (to be typed and turned in through
GoogleDocs, but needs to be checked by teacher before proceeding).
Tell what it is and also what it is not.
What needs to be present in the humor to make it satire?
INDIVIDUALLY FOR HOMEWORK :
Watch the following satirical video. Explain why it is satire
and list several details which prove it.
What is the ‘change’ the creators want in the world?
What is the meaning of the title of the video?
Teenage Affluenza
Take a look at these satirical cartoons. Explain what makes each
satirical and what the message is.
Lincoln
Uncle Sam
Type up your answers to be turned in tomorrow.
AS A GROUP:
Get back with your group to review your findings and discuss. See where you agree or disagree
and get clarification from each other and the teacher.
Now
you are going to create your own Satire. You will be creating a commercial for one that
must be performed live taped and shown it to the class.
1. Brainstorm what concepts you can be satirical about by listing political or
social issues that you feel need to be “changed.”
2. Discuss how you can “make fun” of them (in fairly good taste) and then
formulate your ideas in creating the commercial or advertisement
3. Practice and create - these will be due in two days so you will need to
complete this on your own time. (We may have additional class time to do
this)
Your presentation will be graded based on the following:
GROUP RUBRIC
INDIVIDUAL RUBRIC


Now that you have researched, identified and created your own satire, you
should have a clearer understanding of the concept. As we read Cat’s Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut, be sure to identify the aspects of satire that are used in
this book. Be prepared to discuss it through the novel study, and to make
connections to what you found and created in this WebQuest.
Remember, Satire is not just humor for humor’s sake. It is making of fun of
something in order to criticize it (or indicate one’s opinion of the topic) in
order to encourage change of some kind. As you
read
Cat’s Cradle, think about what kind of change Vonnegut
is trying to encourage.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Modern Examples of Satire
Satire in Pop Culture
Spark Notes for Cat’s Cradle
Dubious Truths: An Examination of Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle
Essay: Satirical Writing of Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut: 'A Man Without a Country'
Synopsis of Cat’s Cradle
PHOTO CREDITS:

Seinfeld http://www.stanthecaddy.com/

SNL logo http://www.saturday-night-live.com/

Will Ferrell http://www.moviesonline.ca/celeb.php?cast=Will-Ferrell

Modern Family http://abc.go.com/shows

Tina Fey http://www.movieovermind.com/movie-news/tina-fey-for-oscars-2012/1038
Click here to download lesson plan
Click on video to watch it