MATL Unit Overview (UBD)

Title of Unit

Subject

From Haha to Aha: Humour in Literature

Grade Level

10-11

ELA

Time Frame

10 classes (2 weeks)

Unit #:

Stage 1 Desired Results

Established Goals:
What relevant goals (e.g. PLOs, content standards, course or program
objectives, learning outcomes) will this lesson address?
Competency 3 -Produces texts for personal and social purposes

Participates both individually and collaboratively in different recursive phases of the

production process
Uses feedback strategies to improve own productions and support peers
Uses models of different texts to apply chosen features in own work
Examines the affordances of different modes and genres to make production decisions

Relevance:
How is this learning relevant to students? Why should they care?

Every student either uses or encounters humour through social networks, on the internet,
watching television, etc. on a daily basis.
Essential part of communication/language
Humour is a way that students can connect to their peers

Students will understand that

What are the big ideas? What specific understandings

Essential Questions:
What provocative questions will foster inquiry, understanding, and transfer of

Students will know

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this

Students will be able to

What should they eventually be able to do as a result of such

(explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, self-knowledge, empathy) about the big ideas
are desired? What misunderstandings are predictable?
The function/purpose of humour.
That humour is complex, sometimes context-specific, and multi-faceted
It is important to understand themselves (self-knowledge) and others (empathy) though
students may have trouble with the notion of timing (application) and appropriateness.
Students might perceive that humour is less effective/serious than dramatic texts

unit? (e.g. vocabulary, terminology, definitions, key factual information, critical details, important events
or people, sequence and timelines)
Vocabulary/definitions of the different types of humour (i.e, pun, satire, slapstick)
Historical/contemporary examples of humour and some of the most notable comedic writers
(Charlie Chaplin, Monty Python, George Saunders, Shakespeare, etc)
slapstick and the silent film era

learning?
Why is humour subjective? (Why is something funny?)
How is humour a good way of getting people interested in/drawing attention to something?
How is humour important in our everyday lives?
How does the audiences reaction/response influence the humour? (ie: why do some jokes fall
flat?)
Can humour also be tragic/sad?
What do you (students) find funny? Why? Do you think your parents or grandparents would think
it was funny? How about someone in a different country?

knowledge and skill? (e.g. basic skills, communication skills, thinking skills, research, inquiry, investigation,
study skills, interpersonal or group skills)
Tell jokes or perform a comedic sketch
Think critically about and communicate why and how certain forms of comedy reach them.
Research examples of different forms of comedy
acquire group skills, such as sharing workload, negotiation, discussing ideas, and assigning
individual responsibilities

Cross Curricular Competencies:

How does the intended learning promote the intellectual, Broad Areas of Learning:
How does the intended learning promote Health and well-being,
methodological, personal & social and communication related competencies?
Competency 4: Uses creativity
Explores new ways of thinking/doing (using humour themselves)
Welcomes/accepts different approaches/ideas
Competency 6: Uses information and communication technologies
Uses iPad apps for various activities (generating memes, making cellphilms,
editing short films, creating collages, etc.)
Competency 8: Communicates with others

personal and career planning, Environmental Awareness and Consumer Rights and
Responsibilities, Media Literacy, or Citizenship and Community Life?
Personal and career planning: Students will learn how to effectively map projects.
Media literacy: Students will respond to and create media, while constantly reflecting and
thinking critically about the processes.
Citizenship and community life: Students will learn to work together effectively and respectfully
in groups (see rows outlined to the left). They will learn that there is a time and place for humour.

Works in groups when appropriate, and will be assigned roles. (note-taker, group
leader, timekeeper, etc.)
Reflects on group work in journals.

Universal Design for Learning:

How will you present information and content in different

ways? How will you differentiate the ways that students can express what they know? How will you
stimulate interest and motivation for learning?
Content will be presented visually (through use of the SMART board, videos, technology,
etc), hard copies (instruction sheets, short stories), and verbal instruction (or reading aloud).
Our formative assessment will allow for students to:
1) have time to formulate their thoughts and discuss specific questions in smaller groups
2) use written reader-responses to gauge comprehension
3) expression of learning through a short play or cellphilm
4) by creating original memes/jokes/puns
5) access sentence/idea starters as scaffolds, if required
6) provide a variety of options/mediums for expression
stimulate interest and motivation through the initial hook presentation, use of
memes/texting boxes for student relevance, comical videos, by asking for student input and
feedback

Further considerations: Multiliteracies, Higher Order Thinking,

Technology

Students will incorporate navigating technology (making a cellphilm, short film, Internet meme)
Students will be comfortable with a selection of iPad apps
Students will learn how to store and manage files in a work portfolio on Google Drive

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks:
Through what authentic performance tasks will students

demonstrate the desired understandings? By what criteria will performance of understanding be

judged? How will students receive feedback from which to base improvement?

Performance tasks listed in the Assessment portion of the Learning Plan

Rubrics for assessment included after the Learning Plan portion

FORMATIVE - Assessment FOR learning

How will you use assessment to promote learning? How will
you show students their strengths and suggest how they can
develop further?

We will use online quizzes and surveys to check for

learning (such as Kahoot, Quizlet, Brainpop, Socrative,
and PollEverywhere).
We will schedule one mini-conference with each student
in order to review their Integrated Profile within the
context of the current module.
We will make use of exit cards/slips for the end of class,
where appropriate (questions might include: what I
learned today, what I didnt understand, what I found
interesting)
Other techniques for immediate feedback: fist-to-five,
thumbs-up/middle/down,
Where appropriate/necessary, we will project a
backchannel (through TodaysMeet) on the SMART Board
so that students can ask questions throughout the
lesson.

Other Evidence:
Through what other evidence (e.g. quizzes, tests, academic prompts,

observations, homework, journals) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results?
How will students receive feedback regarding these?

Feedback and evidence of learning listed in the Assessment portion of the Learning
Plan

FORMATIVE - Assessment AS learning:

What opportunities will you provide for
reflection and self-assessment to help students
develop, practise, and become comfortable with
critical analysis of their own learning?

students will write personal journal entries

throughout the unit to reflect upon their learning
there will be daily group entries - with the reporter
changing every day - in order to monitor group
progress and discussion
rubrics will be made available to each student for
each assessment so they can monitor their learning
objectives
there will be chances for constructive feedback from
peers and the teacher

SUMMATIVE - Assessment OF learning:

What tools and task will you use to provide evidence
of achievement for reporting?

Final assignment: write a persuasive essay OR

create a cellphilm/live presentation displaying
evidence of comedic knowledge acquired
throughout the unit (discussed in full in the
Learning Plan)
We will provide students with rubrics so that they
can see what we are grading before they submit
their work.
We will also document our students collective
learning by filming their work in class and then
creating an iMovie of what theyve achieved
together -- a kind of multimedia summative
assessment of the entire group.

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going? How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? What events will help students
experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge? How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing,
revising, and refining their work? How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit? How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the
learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit? How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and
achievement of ALL students

Learning Focus:
The focus of this lesson would be on
familiarizing the students with both the
portions of the website that they will be
responsible for exploring and the
place of slapstick in silent movies.

Key ideas:
As students walk through the door they are asked to choose a coloured Popsicle
stick from a bag at random. The desks will already be rearranged in groups of
4-5 with a colour designated for each group. They sit at their corresponding
group of desks. They will work in these same groups over the next 8-10 classes.
Students can opt out of working with the group if there are personality conflicts
but will then be responsible for completing the work on their own.
Each group will be given a sheet that includes their summative assessment
rubric and explanation along with a paper where they must on a daily basis
write down their ideas and their actions regarding the final group project.
Introduction to the website that we would use for a reverse classroom
approach. The students will have the summative assessment and rubric online
along with videos and brief explanations of the types of comedy that we will be
using. We will watch a few short videos to give students an idea of the other
forms of comedy that we will explore so that they can begin to make decisions
regarding their summative project.

Assessment:
Students will be responsible both for
making daily entries on a group
sheet and updating their progress
towards their final project where
they will be given daily feedback.
They will also need to maintain an
individual journal that they will
submit at the end of the unit where
they will be given credit so long as
their journal entries conform to the
length requirements and cover each
of the comedy forms over the course
of the unit.

The class will then be asked a guiding question, Can someone be funny
without speaking? and asked to reflect on this through think pair share.
The class will then watch a Charlie Chaplin Boxing video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpjEyBKSfJQ
and the Lion cage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fePeuw8Br-U
We will then discuss why these videos are funny or why they are not.

Learning Focus:
Using puns and Memes as an example of
how to produce their own text.

Key ideas:
Introduction to Memes on the Smartboard or projector
Introduction to puns and the ways that Shakespeare used them in his sonnets
and plays.
Their assignment for the day is to create a pun using a theme from English class.
They then use the pun to create an Internet meme, and then write it on their
group worksheet.
Students can have their first discussion about their end of unit project and
make an entry on their group sheet.

Assessment:
Students will need to create their own
personal Meme and one group Meme and
then submit it by email.
As they come into class there will be written
feedback on their group sheet based on their
group Memes.

Learning Focus:
Deepening the understanding of what
puns are and how they can be applied

Key ideas:
Students will be asked to write in an individual journal about
what they understand a pun to be and how it can be used in
humour. As a class we will look at examples from performances of Macbeth
focusing on the pattern of speech and how the pun is used.

Assessment:
Students will submit one sheet as a group
with their chosen pun explained along with
relevant background information.

Students will work in their groups to deconstruct one of three puns from
Macbeth not already covered in class. On their group sheets they must
explain the double meaning and decide how they think the characters
involved may have reacted. (They are free to use electronic devices to
research the context of the scene and watch performances)

Students will receive immediate oral

feedback on their performance so that they
can understand and improve on their
process creating texts that are able to
employ a particular comedic type.

They will then work on creating a short performance of that scene for
the end of class. Students will be allowed to have their scripts and read if they
like. The performance can be done as a cellphilm or a live performance in
front of the teacher.
Key elements:
Demonstrate an understanding of the pun
Develop one element of scenery that provides some context regarding the
play
Their attempt to replicate the flow of Shakespearean language

Learning Focus:
Uses key features and structures from
George Saunders satirical short story
I Can Speak to enhance meaning/
comprehension.

Key ideas:
Read short story (12 pages)
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
The story is in the form of a letter to a disgruntled customer. Since you
are the audience, you take on the role of the disgruntled customer.
What affect does this have?
Highlight the passages you find comical.
DISCUSSION:
In groups of 3 or 4, discuss the effect that the I Can Speak! had on
you as a customer. Would you buy it?
How did you react to the disconnect between the item being sold and
societal expectations? How are these societal expectations in conflict
with the I Can Speak! mask?
MINI-PRESENTATION:
Students have one-minute each to sell the object they created to
the other members of their group
RULES: Items must be original, and mimic Saunders bad idea
comedic structure

Assessment:
Students will come up with a
product and sell it to their classmates; however, this product is to be
a bad idea (bad for
the environment, just
silly, not age-appropriate, etc).

There will be a brief write-up (100

words) with a slogan. Students can
use the iPad for research and the
write-up.
One-minute presentations of the
created object will be done in small
learning groups.
PEER ASSESSMENT (FORMATIVE)
highlight why there is a disconnect
between the idea and society
offer 2 general comments that will
strengthen the sell (ie:
presentation)
TEACHER FEEDBACK (FORMATIVE)

 written feedback offered on

write-up and slogan to have for the
next day
Learning Focus:
Using the comedic structures from
George Saunders short story I Can Speak to
enhance meaning, and inform
the oral presentation style

Learning Focus:
Understanding sitcoms as genre
Analyzing sitcoms
Identifying literary terms

Key ideas:
Invention Presentation
REVIEW/ GROUP DISCUSSION (5-8 mins)
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Review the language Rink Sminks (the speaker) uses. In what ways is it:
1) comical
2) naive
3) persuasive
SELF-EDIT OF OBJECT WRITE-UP FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY
MINI-PRESENTATION
Using the groups from the previous day, and numbered heads, the
students will travel to the other groups to pitch their created object.

Key ideas:
Structure of sitcoms (they follow formulas like any genre, such as
poetry)
How to effectively summarize a narrative
How setting, conflict, and symbolism are key to the genre
APPROACH:
1. Flipped classroom: Students will watch a short instructional video on
literary terms in sitcoms, and will watch a sitcom of their choosing the
night before class.
2. Use the iPad app
Comic Book!
to summarize the narrative
3. Upload summary to Google Drive and complete one journal entry on
the use of one literary term in the sitcom (for homework)
4. Teacher makes all summaries available online for the purposes of
sharing.

Learning Focus:
Produces texts for personal and social
purposes (Competency 3)

Key ideas: (final two classes)

Class 1:
IN- GROUP DISCUSSION 5-8 minutes
- can comedy be serious?
-why would an author choose to present a difficult situation
through the use of comedic techniques?
CLASS DISCUSSION: What were the findings of your group?
WORK ON FINAL ASSIGNMENT:
-Groups and individuals have a chance to get feedback from the
teacher and each other
-Students can research for their final assignment in class with
their phones/iPads

Assessment:
Students will create an image of the
object they invented (either a hard
copy, or on the iPad) (15-20 mins)
Students, like travelling salespeople,
will go to other groups to present
their wares, using the
self-edited
version of the slogan and write-up
from the previous day
provide individual feedback to
students on their presentations (eye
contact, tone, hand gestures)
Students will have a copy of the
corresponding rubric

Assessment:
Provide general feedback to the
class as a whole
Provide individual feedback (see
rubric) to students on their
summaries (assessment: creativity
and ability to learn app) and written
feedback/comments on journal
entries (assessment: quality of
reflection; synthesis of relationship
between term and genre).

Assessment:
Student has two options:
Option 1: Write a persuasive essay.
Suggested topic:
Write a persuasive
essay about whether or not a
comedic novel/play/film can be
taken seriously. Give an example.
How does your example justify your
answer?
Option 2: make a cellphilm/live
performance
Display your knowledge of the humour we
explored in class puns/irony, satire,
slapstick, genre to create a cellphilm or put
on a live performance in a group of 3-4
people.

Class 2:
Presentation of cellphilms and live performances with chance for
teacher and student feedback

Suggestions:
1. Explore an ancient problem in modern
times (explore the importance of
relativity in the comedic context)
2. Solve or discuss a current problem with a
comedic solution
3. Come up with your own idea, as long as
it touches on one of the humours
discussed in class.

Rubrics
RubricforMiniPresentationonProductANDFinalAssignment(cellphilmorliveperformance)

4
90100%
Exceeding
expectations

Criterion1

Knowledgeof
theproduct/
comedic
device

Studentdisplaysan
excellentanddeep
understandingofhisor
herownproduct/chosen
comedicdevice

Studentdisplaysa
goodunderstanding
ofown
product/chosen
comedicdevice

Studentdisplaysan
averageknowledgeof
ownproduct/chosen
comedicdevice

Studenthasdifficulty
displayingknowledge
ofownproductnot
sufficientlyprepared
forpresentation/did
notfullyunderstand
thefunctionofthe
comedicdevice

Criterion2

Studentsvoiceis
consistentlyprojectedto
theentireaudienceand
isanimated:appropriate
gestures,conveysthe
moodofthepresentation
well

Studentsvoiceis
projectedtothe
audiencemostofthe
timeexpressionis
wellanimatedand
accompaniedby
appropriategestures

Studentsvoiceislow,
butaudibleexpression
issomewhatanimated
andaccompaniedby
somegestures

Audiencemuststrain
tohearstudentsvoice
littleexpressionor
addedgestures

Criterion3
Visual
Contact/
Engagement
ofthe
audience
(withcontent
anddelivery)

Studentconsistently
establisheseyecontact
andexcellentlyengages
audience

Studentfrequently
establisheseye
contactandengages
audiencewell

Studentoccasionally
establisheseyecontact
andengagesthe
audiencesomewhat

Studenthasgreat
difficultyestablishing
eyecontactwiththe
audienceandappears
uncomfortable
throughoutthe
presentation

Criterion4
(forthe
second
presentation)

Uses
feedback
strategiesto
improveown
productions
andsupport
peers

Studentlistenedandhas
thoughtextensively
aboutthepeerfeedback,
andhisorher
improvementsand
choicesareapparentin
allaspectsofthesecond
presentation/final
assignment

Studenthaslistened
andthoughtabit
aboutthefeedback,
anditisreflectedin
oneortwoaspectsof
thepresentation/final
assignment

Studentmaynothave
listenedorunderstood
thefeedbackinits
entiretyhowever,slight
improvementswere
madeinthesecond
presentation/final
assignment

Thereisno,orhardly
any,evidencethatthe
peerfeedbackwas
usedtoimprovethe
secondpresentation/
finalassignment

Projection/
expression

3
8089%
Meeting
expectations

2
7079%
Approaching
expectations

1
6069%
Notyetmeeting
expectations

RubricforSitcomLesson

4
90100%
Exceeding
expectations

3
8089%
Meeting
expectations

2
7079%
Approaching
expectations

1
6069%
Notyetmeeting
expectations

Criterion1

Levelofmastery
of
ComicBook!
app

Studentnavigatesthe
appwitheaseand
makesmaximumuseof
allofitsfeatures

Studentnavigatesthe
appwitheaseand
usesmostavailable
features

Studentnavigatesthe
appwithsomedifficulty
andusesafew(more
than2)features

Studentnavigatesthe
appwithgreatdifficulty
andusesonlyoneor
twofeatures

Criterion2

Studentsummary
capturesallofthekey
sequencesandthemes
oftheoriginalsitcom

Studentsummary
capturesmostofthe
keysequencesand
mostofthekey
themesoftheoriginal
sitcom

Studentsummary
capturessomeofthe
keysequencesand
someofthethemesof
theoriginalsitcom

Studentsummary
capturesfewofthekey
sequencesandonly
onethemeofthe
originalsitcom

Studentsummaryisvery
clear,highlyappropriate
tothecontextofthe
course,and
demonstratesstrong
evidenceofcreativity

Studentsummaryis
clear,appropriateto
thecontextofthe
course,and
demonstrates
evidenceofcreativity

Studentsummaryis
easyenoughtofollow,
relativelyappropriateto
thecontextofthe
course,and
demonstratessome
evidenceofcreativity

Studentsummaryis
unclear,not
particularlyappropriate
tothecontextofthe
course,and
demonstrateslittle
evidenceofcreativity

Relevanceof
ComicBook
Summary

Criterion3

Qualityof
ComicBook
Summary

RubricforFinalAssignment(PersuasiveEssay)

4
90100%
Exceeding
expectations

3
8089%
Meeting
expectations

2
7079%
Approaching
expectations

1
6069%
Notyetmeeting
expectations

Criterion1

Establishesa
clearargument
thatthey
maintain
throughout

Studentestablishesa
clearandhighly
appropriateargument
thatismaintained
throughtheentirepaper

Studentestablishesa
clearandhighly
appropriateargument
thatismaintained
throughthemostof
thepaper

Studentestablishesan
argumentthatis
maintainedthroughthe
mostofthepaper

Studentdoesnot
establishandor
maintainaclearor
persuasiveargument
throughouttheirpaper

Criterion2

Followsthe
established
formforwriting
apersuasive
essay

Studentcloselyfollows
theformprovided
regardingwritinga
persuasiveessay

Studentfollowsthe
formprovided
regardingwritinga
persuasiveessaywith
afewdepartures.

Studentfollowssomeof
theformprovided
regardingwritinga
persuasiveessaywith
manydepartures.

Studenthasdifficulty
followingthepersuasive
essaystructure
providedforthem.

Criterion3

Isabletocite
relevant
examplesfroma
particulargenre
ofcomedyin
ordertosupport
argument

Thestudentprovides
clear,relevantcomedic
examplesthatsupport
andenhancetheir
argument

Thestudentprovides
relevantcomedic
examplesthatsupport
theirargument

Thestudentprovides
comedicexamplesto
buttheseexamplesare
lackinginclarityor
relevance

Criterion4

Demonstratesa
clear
understanding
ofthecomedic
formchosen

Thestudentshowsa
depthofknowledgeof
theirchosencomedic
form.

Thestudentshowsa Thestudentshowsa
knowledgeoftheir
limitedknowledgeof
chosencomedicform. theirchosencomedic
form.

Thestudentprovides
fewifanyclearand
relevantcomedic
examplesthatwould
supporttheirargument

Thestudentsessay
doesnotdemonstratea
knowledgeofany
particularcomedicform

RubricforJournaling

4
90100%
Exceeding
expectations

3
8089%
Meeting
expectations

Criterion1

Examinesthe
comedicform
presentedto
them

Studentsjournalentries
arerelevanttothe
comedicformpresented
inclass

Thestudentsjournal
entriesmainlyfocuses
onthecomedicform
presentedinclass.

Thestudentsjournal
entriestouchonthe
comedicform
presentedinclass.

Thestudentsjournal
entriesdonotexamine
thecomedicform
presentedinclass.

Thestudentsjournal
entriesshowastrong
creativeelement.

Thestudentsjournal
entriesshowsome
elementsofcreativity

Thestudentsjournal
entriesshowbrief
creativeelements.

Thestudentsjournal
entriesdonotyet
demonstratecreativity.

Studentsworkshows
appropriatechoiceof
length,dictionand
grammar.

Studentsworkshows
appropriatechoiceof
length,dictionand
grammarinmost
instances.

Studentsworkshows
choicesregarding
length,dictionand
grammarmeetsome
oftheguidelines

Studentsworkshows
minimalattentiontothe
length,dictionand
grammar.

Criterion2

Expresses
themselves
creatively
Criterion3

Demonstrates
thinkingabout
theintended
audience

2
7079%
Approaching
expectations

1
6069%
Notyetmeeting
expectations