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What's In a Joke

Do you know what makes a joke a joke? Let’s take a look!  

By Monique D. Hall
From the March / April 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 550L
Guided Reading Level: L
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: hilarious, setup, punch line, comedians, audience
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What’s in a Joke?

Illustration by Eefje Kuijl

 

Do you know what makes a joke a joke? Let's take a look!

Have you ever told a joke? Was it about a chicken crossing a road? Or did it start with the words “Knock, knock”?

Have you ever told a joke? Was it about a chicken? Did it start with "Knock, knock?"

Laughing Is Good for You 

No matter what kind of joke you tell, the goal of all jokes is the same. The goal is to make people laugh.

It feels good to laugh. Scientists have even found out that laughing is good for you! So a really hilarious joke can help keep you healthy.

The goal of all jokes is the same. The goal is to make people laugh.

It feels good to laugh. Scientists have found that laughing is good for you! A funny joke can help keep you healthy.

Parts of a Joke

A joke has two main parts. The first is the setup. This sets up the idea of the joke. The setup isn’t the funny part, but it gets you ready for what comes next. The second part of a joke is the punch line. The punch line is where a surprise happens. The joke takes a really quick turn that you didn’t expect. That surprise turn is what makes you laugh!

A joke has two main parts. The first part is the setup. This sets up the idea of the joke. The setup isn't the funny part. It gets you ready for a what comes next.

The second part of a joke is the punch line. The punchline is the surprise. That surprise is what makes you laugh!

Be a Joke Detective

Here are three jokes. We point out the setup and the punch line in the first one. Can you find them in the next two? On your own paper, write down the different setups and punch lines.

Here are three jokes. We point out the setup and the punch line in the first one. Can you find them in the next two? On your own paper, write down the different setups and punch lines.

Joke 1

Joke 1

Q: What do you call a bear with no teeth?

(The setup gives you an idea of where the joke is going and how it will turn out.)

A: A gummy bear!

(You don’t expect the punch line. When you hear ‘‘gummy bear,’’ you think of a sweet treat, not a real bear with no teeth!)

Q: What do you call a bear with no teeth?

(The setup gives you an idea of where the joke is going and how it will turn out.)

A: A gummy bear!

(You don’t expect the punch line. When you hear ‘‘gummy bear,’’ you think of a sweet treat, not a real bear with no teeth!)

Joke 2

Joke 2

Did you hear the one about the bird that flew south for the winter?

No.

It might’ve gone over your head.

Did you hear the one about the bird that flew south for the winter?

No.

It might’ve gone over your head.

Joke 3

Joke 3

Q: What kind of shoes does a spy wear?

A: Sneakers!

Q: What kind of shoes does a spy wear?

A: Sneakers!

How to Tell a Joke

It takes a lot of work to be funny. Here are three ways you can be good at telling jokes! 

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1) Get your timing right.

A big part of telling jokes is getting the timing right. You have to give people time to think about what you are saying.

If you talk too slowly, people might get bored of the joke. If you talk too quickly, your joke might go by too fast and people will be confused. And if people are confused, they won’t laugh.

You have to get your timing right when you are telling a joke. You have to give people time to think about what you are saying.

People might get bored if you talk too slowly. People might be confused if you talk too quickly. If people are confused, they won't laugh.

2) Practice

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People whose job is to tell jokes are called comedians. How do they get their timing right?

They PRACTICE! They tell their jokes many times before they go up on a stage. This gets them ready to tell jokes that get big laughs from the people watching them in the audience.

Comedians are people tell jokes as their job. How do they get their timing right?

They PRACTICE! They tell their jokes many times before they go on stage. This gets them ready to tell jokes.

3) Be confident.

You have to be confident when you tell a joke. If you are too nervous, it’s hard to be funny.

So shake your nerves away and enjoy yourself. If you have fun while you’re telling your jokes, then people listening will have fun too!

You have to be confident when you tell a joke. It's hard to be funny if you are nervous.

So shake your nerves away. Enjoy yourself. If you have fun, then people listening will have fun too!

Do you want to tell a joke and share it with an audience?

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Slideshows (1)
Activities (6)
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Slideshows (1)
Activities (6) Download All Quizzes and Activities

About the Article

Social Studies Focus

Culture

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What makes something funny?
  • Reading and discussing “What’s In a Joke?/How to Tell a Joke” along with the other funny/humor-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “What is Dav Pilkey’s Superpower?”, the mini graphic novel, “A Laugh From Old Mrs. Wilson,” and the poem, “My Teacher Calls Me Sweetie Cakes”) should give kids insight into what makes certain things funny.
  • Through the above genres, students will discuss: Why do we like to laugh? Why do different people find different things funny? How do jokes work? What makes something funny?

1. BEFORE READING

Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes) 

Watch “The Big Question: What Makes Something Funny?” (This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)

  • Before your students watch, ask them to think about this: “What makes something funny?”
  • Watch the video.
  • After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.

Preview Vocabulary (5 minutes) 

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are hilarious, setup, punch line, comedians, and audience

Preview the Article and Set a Purpose for Reading (15 minutes) 

  • Read the orange Think and Read question on page 19: “As you read, think about your favorite joke. What about it makes you laugh?”
  • Tell kids to think about that question as they read the article. 

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (15-30 MINUTES)

  • You can read these articles aloud as a class, in small groups, or individually.
  • Ask, “How are these two articles alike and how are they different?” (Alike: They are both about jokes. Different: One is about the parts of a joke. The other is about how to tell a joke.)

3. AFTER READING

Assessment Quiz (10 minutes)

  • Pass out the quiz which will help you assess students’ comprehension of the article.
  • We offer multiple-choice and written-answer versions of the quiz. 

Parts of Speech: A Silly Day at School (15 minutes)

  • The Silly Day at School printable is a Mad Libs-style fill-in-the-blank activity. Kids can practice being funny and learn parts of speech! 

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (20 minutes) 

  • Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the article’s vocabulary words. 

Enrich the Learning: Paired Text Opportunities (time amount varies)

Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.

Pairable TextsWhat Is Dav Pilkey’s Superpower?” (pages 6-11), “A Laugh From Old Mrs. Wilson (pages 13-17), and “My Teacher Calls Me Sweetie Cakes” (page 32)

  • These texts also ask questions similar to those posed in the Paired Texts. What makes something funny? How can different people find different things humorous?
  • Kids can compare the humor in the texts using our “Funny Chart” printable. How are the texts alike and how are they different? 

IN-CLASS AND REMOTE LEARNING IDEAS: TELL A JOKE!

Our “Tell a Joke” printable walks children through the steps of telling a joke. After reading the paired texts, pass out the skills page. It’s time to tell some jokes!

1. Joke Time, LIVE: Either in person or during a synchronous, virtual class session, have kids tell a joke to the class. They’ll get real live laughs, and it’s a great way to build classroom community and have fun!

2. Record a Joke: Have students ask their caregiver to record them telling a joke. Then they can upload it to the learning management system of your choice and everyone can watch their classmates tell a joke. It’s a great way to feel connected and to help quieter students who might be too shy to tell a joke live.

Make Nosey Laugh! (15 minutes)

  • Do your students have jokes they’d like to share? They can email their favorite joke to Nosey at [email protected]. They just might get an email back! 

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