What Makes You Laugh?
SB 5.2
Comedy…
• Comedy, in all situations operates
within certain parameters. While it is
fun to laugh, we must remember what
is appropriate within the classroom
and school. I fully expect you to be
respectful of me and your
classmates.
Anticipation Guide
• Chances are you encounter humorous
events, stories, movies, and people on a
fairly regular basis. You probably find
some things extremely funny and other
things not funny at all. For the following
statements determine if you:
– Almost always laugh
– Sometimes laugh
– Almost never laugh
Anticipation Guide
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Reading something funny on a t-shirt.
Watching a stand-up comedian on TV.
Reading a comic book.
Listening to a radio DJ
Seeing someone trip and/or fall.
Watching a TV show that captures real
people doing funny things.
Anticipation Guide
• Reading a humorous book.
• Listening to friends tell jokes.
• Seeing someone making fun of
someone else.
• Watching a humorous play
• Listening to someone tell a story.
• Seeing someone act silly in class.
Comedy Profile
1. Read through your responses on the anticipation
guide. What patterns do you notice in your
responses? What tends to make you laugh?
2. Recall the last time you enjoyed a really good
laugh. Explain what happened and what made
you laugh so hard.
3. Do you laugh more often at real-life or at fictional
events and situations? Explain.
4. Do you ever laugh at the misfortune of others?
Explain.
Comedy Profile
5. Describe someone you believe to be funny, and
discuss why he or she makes you laugh.
6. Describe types of humorous writing or situations
that you rarely find funny.
7. Describe your sense of humor.
8. Bring in a copy of one humorous text (such as a
joke, comic strip, T-shirt, bumper sticker)
accompanied by a written response that explains
the humor.
Conclusions
• Not everyone finds the same things funny; the
same text or situation could produce a variety of
valid responses.
• Humor is frequently limited to a certain time,
place, or audience. What was funny fifty years
ago may or may not by funny today. The jokes
that make one group of people laugh might not
even be amusing to another group.
Reading the Selection
• As you read, mark the text to identify
the author’s perspective on the
following questions:
– What makes something funny?
– Why do laugh in response?
Pairs Discussion
• Working with the partner I assign,
identify Nobleman’s purpose, and his
appeals to audience emotions,
interests, values and/or beliefs.
• You will be sharing with the class in 7
minutes.
Class Definition
• What is comedy?
Homework Reminder
• Locate an example of a humorous
text and write an explanation of the
humor, including the author’s
purpose, intended audience, and
appeals to audience emotions,
interests, values and/or beliefs.
Optional
• You may want to use the anticipation
guide to survey your family members
about their senses of humor.
• Extra Credit: Write an analysis of the
family’s humor.