Make Readers Laugh

Overview

This is lesson 6 of 8 in Little Stories, Big Laughs. Students explore how dialogue, action, repetition and surprising details can make a story entertaining, then improve one part of their own story plan.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify techniques writers use to entertain readers.
• WALT improve a plain sentence using speech, action or a surprising detail.
• WALT rehearse and share ideas clearly with a partner.
• WALT add at least one entertaining technique to our story plan.

Success criteria

• I can find an entertaining technique in a model sentence.
• I can use dialogue, action, repetition or a surprising detail.
• I can use capital letters, speech marks and punctuation in a short spoken sentence.
• I can add and label one entertaining idea in my story plan.

Curriculum links

• Creating texts: plan and develop imaginative writing for a clear purpose and audience.
• Oral language: listen, respond, rehearse and share ideas using appropriate language.
• Language features: use dialogue, punctuation, precise vocabulary and sentence structure to create effects.
• Key competencies: managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook: Which sentence is funnier? Open with the opening comparison slides. Read two versions aloud: “The dog ran into the kitchen.” Then: “The dog zoomed into the kitchen, shouting, ‘Make way!’ and landed in the washing basket.” Ask: “Which one makes you picture the scene? Which one might make a reader laugh?” Briefly introduce the four techniques: dialogue, action, repetition and surprising details.

2. 5–12 minutes – I do: improve a plain sentence Display the plain sentence from the model sentence slides: “Mia opened her lunchbox.” Think aloud while adding one technique at a time: “Mia opened her lunchbox and gasped.” Then add action and dialogue: “Mia opened her lunchbox, jumped backwards and shouted, ‘Why is my sandwich wearing a hat?’” Circle the speech marks, capital letter and punctuation. Explain that writers choose details that are unexpected but still make sense.

3. 12–19 minutes – We do: revise a class event Show the class event on the shared revision slides: “At break time, a child chased a runaway ball.” Invite students to suggest funny actions, speech and surprising details. Record their ideas where everyone can see them. Jointly create a short improved version, for example: “The ball bounced past the pohutukawa tree. ‘Come back!’ yelled Tama, sprinting after it in one gumboot.” Read it aloud together and identify the techniques used.

4. 19–24 minutes – Oral rehearsal and punctuation practice Use the dialogue stems slides to practise with a partner. Students choose and say one stem, such as “I can’t believe…”, “Look out!” or “Where did my… go?” They rehearse the sentence with an action and a funny voice, then repeat it using normal storytelling voices. Model that dialogue begins with a capital letter and is enclosed by speech marks. Remind students that the punctuation belongs inside the speech marks.

5. 24–34 minutes – You do: improve your story plan Distribute the entertaining story-plan worksheet. Students choose one planned event and add at least one technique. They may write a line of dialogue, an action, a repeated phrase or a surprising detail. Encourage them to draw first, say the idea aloud, then write it. Partners read their additions to each other and answer: “What made it entertaining?” Students label their chosen technique on the worksheet.

6. 34–40 minutes – Share, reflect and prepare for next lesson Invite three or four students to share an improved sentence or dialogue line. The class identifies the technique used and gives one specific response, such as “The repeated words made it sound exciting.” Students complete a quick oral or written reflection: “I used ___ because it will make my reader ___.” Collect worksheets or check them as students leave.

Resources

• the full lesson slide deck
• the entertaining story-plan worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils, coloured pencils and erasers
• Students’ story plans from previous lessons
• Optional puppet, funny hat or soft toy for modelling action and dialogue

Assessment

• Listen during partner rehearsal for clear oral sentences, purposeful expression and correct use of the dialogue stems.
• Check each worksheet for at least one added entertaining technique connected to the student’s story.
• Note whether students can identify the technique used and explain its intended effect on the reader.

Differentiation

• Support writers with picture prompts, oral rehearsal, a scribing option and dialogue stems such as “Look at that…” and “I think…”. Provide a sentence frame: “___ shouted, ‘___!’”
• Model speech punctuation with colour coding: one colour for the spoken words, another for speech marks and punctuation.
• For EAL learners, rehearse ideas through drawing, acting and partner talk before writing; accept a short phrase, labelled picture or dictated sentence as a starting point.
• Extend confident writers by combining two techniques, exaggerating a realistic detail, or creating a repeated phrase that changes slightly each time.