AP Language APECHS Spring 2014 Unit2: Humorous Writing. Humor Writing

Transcription

1 AP Language APECHS Spring 2014 Unit2: Humorous Writing Humor Writing John Scroggs, New Yorker dandy revisited, 2011

2 DESIRED RESULTS What overarching understandings are desired? Students will explore written humor in culture; examining the various forms and functions of humor. Essential Question(s): Why do we laugh? What are the functions of humor? Is there a universal sense of humor? / Is humor itself universal? What will students understand as a result of this unit? 1. Operations of humor. What Makes Something Funny? What makes something funny to some and not to others? Does our humor change as we change? Why is something funny in one context and unfunny in another? 2. Different types of humor. Broad humor; Situational humor; Observational humor; Satirical Humor; Dark/Black Comedy 3. Roles of humor in culture. What are the purposes of humor, other than amusement? to poke fun at human folly; to get us through difficult situations (better to laugh than to cry); to release social tensions (safety valve effect); to provide lubricant; to educate us. ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE What evidence will show that students understand the categories and functions of humor? Performance Tasks, Projects Ø Short Response Journal Entries on daily readings Ø Dialectical Journals on longer readings Ø Short answer questions on readings Ø page Essay with revisions (CC: Writing a-e Write arguments to support claims a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claims b. Support claims with clear reasons & relevant evidence c. Use words, phrases, & clauses to link the major sections of the text d. Establish & maintain a formal style & objective tone e. Provide a concluding statement or section. Writing a-f Write informative/ explanatory texts a. Introduce a topic b. Develop the topic c. Use appropriate & varied transitions d. Use precise language, vocabulary, techniques e. Establish & maintain a formal style & objective tone f. Provide a concluding statement or section.) Writing b Draw evidence from literary or informational texts.

3 Ø Humor Writing Assignments o Sitcom Pitch (CC Writing b use narrative techniques; 3c sequence events to create a coherent whole; 3d convey a vivid picture; 3e provide a conclusion; W Produce clear & coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) o Have Ya Ever Noticed? Rant (CC Writing b use narrative techniques; 3c sequence events to create a coherent whole; 3d convey a vivid picture; 3e provide a conclusion; W Produce clear & coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) o Letter from a Nut (CC Writing b use narrative techniques; 3c sequence events to create a coherent whole; 3d convey a vivid picture; 3e provide a conclusion; W Produce clear & coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) o The Onion- or Weekly World News style Article (CC Writing b use narrative techniques; 3c sequence events to create a coherent whole; 3d convey a vivid picture; 3e provide a conclusion; W Produce clear & coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) o Your Own Modest Proposal (CC Writing a-e write narratives by setting out a problem, situation or observation and its significance. W Produce clear & coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) Questions, Quizzes, Tests, Academic Prompts Questions about the readings (CC Reading RL Proficiently and independently read and comprehend literature. RL Cite evidence as well as inferences drawn from the text; RL Determine themes and analyze their development. RL Analyze author s choices. RL Analyze how author s choices contribute to overall structure & meaning.) Ø Reading Quizzes Ø Questions on Readings Ø ~15 Discussion Board Postings Ø ~15 Journal Entries Other Evidence Informal Observations/Discussions Ø Discussion Board Sessions (I-A-2) Ø Review of essay draft (II-B-1; II-B-2)

4 TEXTS STUDIED Categories of Humor & Sample Texts Situational humor (humor is dependent on a specific situation, sequence of events, unexpected turn of events, outcomes) Situational Humor: "All successful situational comedies have some trap in which people must exist - like marriage"; the situation "is a little self enclosed world where you have to live by the rules". These rules may be those of the mini-community, of one's own characters and its limitations. Circumstances and limitations may be social (learning to live within one's class) - or physical (learning to acknowledge that you have to live within the limits of your own body and age). (See handout, Notes on a Situational Comedy ) Matt Groenig & Mimi Pond, The Simpsons Script, Roasting on an Open Fire James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest Jack Hitt & Ira Glass, Fiasco, (audio: This American Life) David Sedaris-- The Santa Land Diaries (audio: National Public Radio) Bill Cosby, Chocolate Cake for Breakfast, Kill the Boy (audio: Himself) Observational humor (Did ya ever notice?) Observational Humor is where the author makes humorous observations about commonplace habits and customs of individuals or societies. In highlighting these everyday practices, the humorist gives them new meaning, often with some social critique attached. Jerry Seinfeld, Intro, Halloween, Doctors (audio: I m Telling You for the Last Time,) David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Jesus Shaves Dave Barry, (Miami Herald Column), Sham on You Satirical Humor: (wit especially irony and sarcasm) Satire- Satire is generally described as poking fun at human vice (bad habits or weaknesses) or folly (foolish behavior). Therefore, there is almost always a social critique embedded in pieces of satire. Another characteristic of satire is wit; the humor of satire is often subtle, not obvious. Scott Gutterman, Gum (New Yorker) Paul Rudnick, Teen Times (New Yorker)

5 Saki, Beast and Super-beasts, The Open Window Ted Nancy, Letters from a Nut, Letters from a Nut George Saunders, I Can Speak (Double Takes) pg. 612 Embedded in America, Vol 16, The Onion Weekly World News Broad humor: (Low brow, visceral, sometimes crude, often physical, lowest common dominator humor) Broad humor is intended to appeal to a very wide audience. You don t need special knowledge to appreciate it; often it contains physical gaffs: slipping on a banana, for instance. The Three Stooges antics are examples of Broad Humor. Abbott & Costello, Who s on First? Geoffrey Chaucer, The Miller s Tale Canterbury Tales Black/Dark Comedy: (Morbid, Sinister, macabre, amusement in death or destruction or decay) Black Comedy is also referred to as gallows humor. It is characterized as humor that jokes about serious (death, disease, etc.) subjects. Dorothy Parker, Resumé Jonathon Swift, A Modest Proposal,