Parody Teacher Resources
One needn’t be an aficionado of late night television to enjoy parodies. The deliberately humorous imitations of political figures, events, artists, writers, and genres has long been a mainstay of the social criticism and literature of free societies.
An examination of how writers use this literary device is a key part of analysis and builds critical thinking skills. Don Quixote parodies the romances of Cervantes’ time. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels pokes fun at travel literature. Shakespeare, too, takes on traditional love poetry in “Sonnet 130,” and political cartoons are used with great effect on the editorial pages of newspapers.
Miss Selle's Science Songs offers a parody One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" to introduce middle schoolers to the scientific method. Use this lesson to encourage class members to try their hand at crafting parodies about school while practicing 6-trait writing.
Showing 34 resources
Curated OER
Parody Hilarity
Upper grade and middle school writers study the art of parody. In this language arts lesson, learners study the work of Lewis Carroll, read and discuss parodies from the book, Alice in Wonderland, and construct their own parody based on...
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Miss Selle's Science Songs - You Know All Your Variables (One Direction Parody)
Introduce middle school scientists to scientific variables and the scientific method with a musical video. The song is a delightful parody of One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." It belts out the definitions of controlled,...
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Sing a Song of Science
Using parodies of popular music to introduce and reinforce concepts in secondary classrooms.
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Advertising and Healthy Decisions
Students analyze alcohol and tobacco ads and create parodies of them. The eight lessons in this unit include discussions about why teens smoke or drink, the psychology behind the advertising, and writing persuasive letters to agencies,...
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Soliloquy On B
Patrick Stewart engages in a soliloquy about the letter “B.” He identifies its characteristics, and names words that begin with “B.” It's a great parody of Shakespeare's famous speech.
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Parody
Expand your students' literary likings with this quick PowerPoint about parodies. A detailed definition of a parody on the second slide precedes different examples of parodies in pop culture. Tip: Show videos of famous parodies your...
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Marketing to Teens: Parody Ads
High schoolers deconstruct advertising messages by analyzing parody ads and exploring the purpose of satire. Then they create their own parodies based on real ads discussed in class. A creative activity to extend any study of media,...
Little Kids Rock
Everyone Likes Singing a Parody
Familiar songs get an educational spin with a parody writing lesson. Scholars take their favorite songs and change the lyrics to reinforce topics taught in the classroom.
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Silly Song Parody
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and it's a great way to learn about poetic structure! Young poets use familiar tunes to write a song parody based on straightforward guidelines.
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Impersonating Great Poets Using "Science Verse" by Jon Scieszka
A great way to bring poetry and parody into your language arts classroom, this lesson mimics famous poems based on Jon Scieszka's Science Verse. The activity not only allows the class to see examples of poem parodies, but to create their...
PBS
Satire, Parody, and Humor in Catch-22
Laughter is the heart of dark comedy. It makes the unbearable bearable. Joseph Heller crafted his dark comedy Catch-22 to enable readers to laugh at the painful realities and underscore the absurdities of a war where people you don't...
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My Blackberry Isn't Working
This worksheet starts out on a strong note by using a humorous video called "My Blackberry Is Not Working" from BBC One to teach parody. While they watch the short video, viewers fill out a chart about the electronic brands, noting any...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: The Market Roller Coaster
Hop on the stock market rollercoaster! This political cartoon analysis has scholars examine a cartoon about the ups and downs of a volatile market. Background information and a quote provide context for analyzing the cartoon, and 3...
TED-Ed
Why Is Aristophanes Called "The Father of Comedy"?
Set your class racing to find copies of Aristophanes’s plays with an engaging introduction. A well-designed video helps college-level viewers who are gaining an understanding of ancient Greek history learn that the social commentary in...
K20 LEARN
Writing Wrongs Mini Lesson: Peer Editing And Revising
High schoolers draft a paragraph about their stance on the issue of school uniforms and share their work with a peer for editing. After watching a parody video about peer editing and revising, class members generate a "Top 10 list" of...
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Errors vs. Rhetorical Devices
Is there a difference between writing errors and employing rhetorical devices? This presentation argues that there is a difference, but it might be a finer point than one would think. Addressing double entendre, oxymorons, and parody,...
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Turning Assets into Action in the Fight Against Hunger
How can one person change the world? Scholars research and analyze the topic of world hunger. Using video clips, parodies, and primary source evidence, they uncover a current campaign to end world hunger. Collaborative groups openly...
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"Keep Calm Parody"
With a computer and some creative thinking, young graphic designers learn the basics about clip art and inserting images to create a parody poster. They watch a video that discusses the story behind the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster,...
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Visual Puns - Paper Mache Sculpture
Explore the pop art movement and create a sculpture in the pop art style based on a visual pun, or play on words. The scholar's work may use humor, allegory, metaphor, or be in the form of a parody. Visual examples are provided, and some...
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The Price of Happiness: On Advertising, Image, and Self Esteem
Are your students aware of the effect advertising can have on their self-image, self-esteem, and happiness? This lesson from the Media Awareness Network is aimed at increasing that awareness and mitigating any negative effects it might...
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Leaks and Gossip: Examining WikiLeaks Through Political Cartoons
Use political cartoons to spice up a discussion on national security! Two cartoons, one by Normal Rockwell in 1948, the other a parody of Rockwell's by Chuck Asay in 2010, depict the dangers of leaking information. Background information...
Sesame Street
D: Dance
Dance starts with the letter “D!” Elmo, Big Bird, and Snuffy dance with the letter “D.” This is a parody of the old iPod commercial.
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Parodies of Shakespeare
Students view a video clip about parodies. They identify the characteristics of a parody in Mark Twain's work as well. They practice writing Shakepeare like verses.
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Funny Business
Students discuss how much they understand of satire and parody. They read an article about an Iraq news parody show. They create and act out their own parody skit. They write an essay about using humor in grave situations.
