Day 6: Introduction to Novel Satire
Objective:
- Gain background knowledge to better understand the literature.
- Learn and study the history behind The Importance of Being Earnest.
- Powerpoint on historical background to The Importance of Being Earnest and Oscar Wilde
- Dress-up clothes
- Begin powerpoint on Oscar Wilde. Talk about the themes of The Importance of Being Earnest.
- Assign the different roles from the play to the class. Have those assigned roles dress up using the clothes provided.
- Have class follow along as the play it read aloud.
Day 7: The Importance of Being Earnest
Objective:
- Define caricatures and understand how it is used in literature.
- Analyze characters and rhetorical choices that add to a satirical work.
- Dress-up clothes
- Re-assign the roles for The Importance of Being Earnest.Have the students playing roles dress up.
- The class should be following along for the last part of the script.
Day 8/9: Parodies
Objective:
- Discuss theme and satire and look for examples within literature
- Define parody and see examples
- DVD or VHS of “The Importance of Being Earnest”
- CD or MP3 of Weird Al Yankovich songs
- Transparencies of lyrics of Weird Al songs
- Begin class with a scene from “The Importance of Being Earnest.” (I would choose the scene Gwendolyn talks to Jack and then Jack asks Lady Bracknell if he could marry Gwendolyn or from where the women forgive the men for lying until the end of the movie)
- Split into groups of 8 groups. Give each group a name of a character. Have the groups write a found poem based on their character.
- Bring the class back together. Have each group read their poems and talk about the quotes from the poem.
- Ask the class for examples of things that Wilde satirized.
- Explain to the class that there is one more part to the definition of satire that hasn’t been covered yet in class. Give the definition of parody again.
- Have the class listen to songs by Weird Al. Talk about the songs that they are a parody of. (If it’s helpful, you may want to have the class listen to the original song first.)
- Explain to the class that these songs can be humorous or they can satirize things that are going on in society.
- Have the class change the words to one of their favorite songs. They should work to write the first verse and chorus.
- Ask for volunteers to share their parodies.
Day 10: Creativity Day
Objective:
- To demonstrate an understanding of satire.
- Copies of the rubric for grading students’ work
- Have the class present their creative examples of satire. Grade presentations based on rubric provided.
