Running Head: USING THE HUMOR GENRE 1. Using the Humor Genre to Promote Learning and Literacy in Elementary School. Shannon M.

Transcription

1 Running Head: USING THE HUMOR GENRE 1 Using the Humor Genre to Promote Learning and Literacy in Elementary School Shannon M. Forbes Syracuse University

2 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 2 Using the Genre of Humor to Promote Learning and Literacy in Elementary School There are mystery lovers, fantasy fanatics, and adventure enthusiasts, but almost everyone loves a book that can make them laugh (Engelfried, 2000, p. 40). According to Kleinberg and Cockett (1996, para. 2), it is difficult to discern if humor is a species of its own as in genre literature or a thread that can run through any novel. We can easily find humor depicted in the everyday lives of realistic fiction characters such as Ramona Quimby (Cleary, 1981), in the science fiction escapades of the boys from the Time Warp Trio (Scieszka, 1998), and in the life of Moose Flanagan from the historical fiction book, Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko (2004). While the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association recognizes humor as a genre (Kleinberg & Cockett, 1996), and there is even an award given by the Society of Children s Book Writers & Illustrators for exemplary writing for children in the genre of humor, called the Sid Fleischman Award (Society of Children s Book Writers & Illustrators, 2011), a clear designation remains to be found. To complicate the matters more, humor is subjective; what s funny to one person isn t always funny to the next (Fuhler, Farris, & Walther, 1999). What is clear to most researchers however, is that kids love humor and that the use of humor can be a powerful teaching tool (Fuhler et al., 1999). Humor as a Motivational Teaching Tool When my oldest child was learning to read in kindergarten, she mastered her sight words, and dutifully brought books home suggested by her teacher each week to read with us, but it wasn t until she found the humorous Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park ( ) that her love of independent reading really took off. We

3 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 3 would share chapters together and laugh out loud. Once one book was finished she couldn t wait to pick out and start a new one. I definitely owe a great deal of thanks to that crazy little character Park created for helping to shape my daughter s current love of reading. It stands to reason that the more students enjoy what they are reading, the more inclined they will be to read. And as students read more, they stand to become better readers by practicing decoding, fluency, and comprehension (Klesius, Laframboise, & Gaier, 1998). According to Klesius et al. (1998), among the many characteristics of literature, humor appeals to children of all ages and may in fact motivate students who are reluctant to read to pick up a book. If students improve their ability to read, they may consequentially improve their opportunities for success in school and in their future lives (American Association of School Librarians, 2009). The following activities are meant to enhance not only learning across the curriculum, but also to support the goals of librarians striving to educate 21 st Century Learners by promoting reading as a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment (AASL, 2009, p. 12). Activity 1: Let s Invite Junie B. Jones to our Writer s Workshop! Students in the primary grades (particularly grades 1-2) love Junie B. Jones (Park, ) for her crazy, boisterous antics, and her books have motivated young readers for years. Author Barbara Park, has written the series from her character s perspective-- misspellings, word misuse and all. Some parents worry that their children will pick up some of Junie B. s bad writing habits (or worse, her sassiness), but why not enlist our students help in improving some of Junie B. s writing as part of a Writer s Workshop and the English Language Arts curriculum?

4 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 4 In Writer s Workshop, students are encouraged to think of themselves as authors and to share their work with their peers in a constructive way (Peha, 2003). After reading any one of the twenty-seven titles in the series as a read-aloud (or alternatively as part of a reading group or literature circle such as those mentioned in Kane, 2008), either the librarian or the classroom teacher could then have the students delve deeper into analyzing Junie B. s writing. Students would be asked to identify passages, and make suggestions where Junie B. s writing could be improved. Materials needed are simply a Junie B. Jones book or enough books for your students (especially if doing the activity in a reading group setting). For a teacher lucky enough to have an interactive white board and a document camera, passages from the book could be displayed and students could take turns offering suggestions and making editing notes on the interactive white board. Unfortunately, once corrected, Junie B. might not be as funny, but hopefully the humorous text will motivate the students interest in writing. Activity 2: Ponytail Pride: Using Humor to reinforce Character Education Character education is an important part of the elementary curriculum. In Stephanie s Ponytail (1996), author Robert Munsch humorously explores the benefits of being an individual. In this story, Stephanie is constantly teased by her classmates for her unique ponytails which are ironically repeatedly copied by those that have teased her (including some teachers) each day. As the story unfolds, Stephanie is more and more annoyed by everyone s attempt to copy her, and in the end she hilariously shows her entire school how it pays to think like an individual. As a pre-story activity, second or third grade students will explore peer pressure and journal about a time when they

5 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 5 felt pressured to follow along with the crowd and/or a time when they bravely stuck to their guns. As a post-story activity, students would brainstorm alternative responses to teasing and describe ways Stephanie s peers could have better respected her individuality. Then, as a final fun activity, students would get to act out this story in Reader s Theatre style (Kane, 2008), ponytails and all! Materials needed include student journals, the book, a chalkboard, interactive white board, or paper to record the students brainstormed suggestions, and one ponytail holder per student (yes, even for the boys) to act out the story. This funny story will no doubt motivate your students to explore this important concept of character education and leave a lasting impression on them for years to come. Activity 3: The Three Little Pigs Teach Ordinal Numbers Who says exploration of math can t involve humor? In kindergarten, students learn about ordinal numbers (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd ). As a way to introduce the concept of ordinal numbers (Gallagher, n.d.), and a way to build off of children s love of fairytales, read Jon Scieszka s, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (1989). This funny story, told from The Wolf s point of view will have students laughing their way to understanding this essential concept. Materials include the book, and then as an extension of this activity, the librarian could print and laminate pictures of the pigs from the story that the children could then put in order and identify the concepts of ordinal numbers in small groups. If the teacher has an interactive white board, images from the book could be incorporated into a simple interactive activity in which the students would be motivated to come up to the board and drag the pig that was 1 st to his correct ordinal placement, etc.

6 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 6 Annotated Bibliography of Elementary-Level Humorous Literature Cleary, B. (1990). Beezus and Ramona. New York, NY: Avon. This is the funny first installment of Beverly Cleary s series of escapades that involve older sister Beezus (real name, Beatrice), and her trouble-raising little sister Ramona. Whether she is ruining birthday cakes or inviting her entire kindergarten class over for a party without her family s permission, Ramona is sure to keep kids guessing what she will do next. Cook, P. (2005). You wouldn t want to sail on the Mayflower: A trip that took entirely too long! New York, NY: Franklin Watts. Who says non-fiction can t be humorously written? This book is an example of a creative new non-fiction series that grabs a young reader s attention with its humorous illustrations about historical events and a first-hand account from a witness to history, in this book s case a young pilgrim girl named Priscilla Mullins. Other titles in the series include, You Wouldn't Want to Live in Pompeii! You Wouldn't Want To Be A Medieval Knight! and You Wouldn't Want To Be A Roman Gladiator! Lowry, L. (1993). Attaboy Sam! New York, NY: Dell. Perhaps better known for her serious works such as, Number the Stars (1990) and The Giver (1993), Lowry proves she has a funny-side too with this series. Young Sam Krupnik can t wait to make a homemade gift for his mother s birthday and as he sets out to make her a perfume that bottles all the smells she likes including pipe tobacco, babies, and shampooed-hair he ends up creating a recipe for disaster! McDonald, M. (2000). Judy Moody. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. Author and former children s librarian, Megan McDonald knows how to get early readers laughing in this chapter book series. Third grader, Judy Moody makes no bones about the fact that she is in a mood about returning to school after summer vacation. Judy is feisty and creative, as she goes about making her Me Collage for a class assignment. Munsch, R. (1996). Stephanie s ponytail. Toronto, New York, NY: Annick Press. This picture book by Robert Munsch takes a real-life concept, the importance of individuality, and turns it into a side-splitting story that children of all ages will enjoy and learn from. When classmates call Stephanie s various ponytail placements Ugly, ugly, very ugly but then copy the look the very next day, young Stephanie tells them, It s my ponytail and I like it! The ending of this story will stick in young readers (or listeners) minds long after it is over. Park, B. (1992). Junie B. Jones and the stupid smelly bus. New York, NY: Random House. Outspoken, loud, and perhaps lacking a manner or two, kindergartener Junie B. Jones will grab the attention of newly independent readers with her funny first-person narrative. This book is the first in the series created by Barbara Park, and teachers and parents will enjoy reading this book out loud almost as much as the kids will enjoy hearing it! This is a series that will keep students wanting more and more!

7 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 7 Pennypacker, S. (2006). Clementine. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. If young students like the characters of Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, or Ramona Quimby, then they are going to love Clementine, a third grader who knows her way around the principal s office! After helping her fourth-grade friend, Margaret cut her hair, Clementine s week keeps getting worse and funnier and funnier for the reader. Rockwell, T. (1973). How to eat fried worms. New York, NY: WattsT. Why not add some humor to your science unit, by reading Thomas Rockwell s stomachchurning story about Billy, who on a stands to win $50 for a bike he desperately wants if he can eat 15 worms in 15 days. Billy s friends help him find creative ways to eat the worms and gross the reader out along the way. Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 pigs. New York, NY: Viking Kestrel. This is the true story of what happened in the legendary fairytale, The Three Little Pigs, written from The Wolf s side of the story. Kids will love looking at other fairytales from different perspectives after reading Scieszka s humorous account. Scieszka, J. (1998). Summer reading is killing me (The time warp trio). New York, NY: Viking. Time Warp Trio characters, Joe, Sam, and Fred find themselves trapped in time after sticking their summer reading list inside a magical book referred to as, The Book, which was given to Joe by his magician uncle. The boys interact with characters (good and bad) from classic children s literature such as Dracula and Sarah Plain and Tall. Scieszka even includes a real summer reading list at the end of the book which may motivate readers to try something new or to reread some of the classics from the story. Shannon, D. (1998). A bad case of stripes. New York, NY: Scholastic. Poor Camilla Cream is so concerned about what everybody thinks of her that she refuses to eat one of her favorite foods, lima beans, and as a result, develops a bizarre case of stripes. Well-known author and illustrator, David Shannon, brilliantly uses the humor of this crazy picture book to stress the importance of being true to yourself. Willems, M. (2010). Knuffle bunny free: An unexpected diversion. New York, NY: Balzer & Bray. Elementary kids love author and illustrator, Mo Willem s creative use of photography and original illustrations in the Knuffle Bunny series. In this story, Trixie s favorite stuffed rabbit goes on an unexpected international adventure. Kids, parents and teachers will love exploring the globe with this humorous, yet poignant tale of growing up. Could lend itself well to a primary geography lesson!

8 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 8 References American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library programs. Chicago, IL: American Association of School Librarians. Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone does my shirts. New York, NY: Putnam s. Cleary, B. (1981). Ramona Quimby, age 8. New York, NY: Harper Trophy. Engelfried, S. (2000). Look back in laughter. School Library Journal, 46(2), Fuhler, C., Farris, P., & Walther, M. (1999). Promoting reading and writing through humor and hope. Childhood Education, 76(1), Gallagher, C. (n.d.). Lesson ideas to match the book, the true story of the 3 little pigs. Retrieved on July 6, 2011 from, Kane, S. (2008). Integrating literature in the content areas: Enhancing adolescent learning & literacy. Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway. Kleinberg, J., & Cockett, L. (1996). Why angels fly: Humor in YA fiction. Retrieved from: Klesius, J., Laframboise, K. L., & Gaier, M. (1998). Humorous literature: Motivation for reluctant readers. Literacy Research and Instruction, 37(4), Park, B. ( ). The Junie B. Jones series. New York, NY: Random House.

9 USING THE HUMOR GENRE 9 Peha, S. (2003). Welcome to writer s workshop. Retrieved July 7, 2011 from, Society of Children s Book Writers & Illustrators (n.d.). Sid Fleischman Award. Retrieved on July 5, 2011 from,