Humour and Wordplay

Overview

This lesson is the third in an eight-lesson unit titled "Horrible Histories: Roman Revelations". The focus is on helping Year 4 students develop their understanding and use of figurative language and word play, inspired by the humorous and engaging style of the Horrible Histories series. This lesson provides both knowledge and practical application opportunities, encouraging creative thinking, language play, and report writing skills.

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National Curriculum Links

English Programme of Study (Years 3 and 4)

Reading – Comprehension

• Understand texts that contain figurative language, recognising how it contributes to meaning (NC, English – Reading Comprehension).

Writing – Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

• Use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely (NC Y4).
• Demarcate sentences correctly using capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks (NC Y4).
• Use and understand prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs to express time and cause (NC Y4).

Writing – Composition

• Plan writing by discussing and recording ideas (NC Y4).
• Draft and write by organising paragraphs around a theme (NC Y4).

Spoken Language

• Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions (NC Y4).
• Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including expressing feelings (NC Y4).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this 45-minute lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify examples of figurative language and word play in humorous historical texts (Horrible Histories style).
• Generate their own examples of funny facts and figurative language related to Roman history.
• Use word play techniques (puns, alliteration, exaggeration) to create engaging content.
• Plan a short humorous paragraph to include in their own Roman report, using figurative language.

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Resources Needed

• Excerpts from Horrible Histories Roman texts with humorous figurative language (printed or displayed)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Individual lined exercise books or paper
• Colourful pens/pencils
• ‘Figurative Language and Word Play’ prompt cards (examples: simile, metaphor, pun, alliteration, exaggeration)
• Roman artefact picture prompts to spark funny ideas

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – Spot the Humour (10 minutes)

• Share 2-3 brief excerpts from Horrible Histories Roman texts, highlighting humorous facts and figurative language.
• Guide students to identify examples of figurative language (e.g., "His temper was a volcano ready to erupt!" – metaphor).
• Discuss how the author uses word play to make history fun and memorable.
• Ask: What makes these facts funny or interesting?
• Assessment: Observe students’ verbal contributions to check understanding.

2. Mini-Teaching – Figurative Language & Word Play Introduction (10 minutes)

• Introduce figurative language types: similes, metaphors, alliteration, exaggeration, and puns. Use prompt cards with clear definitions and examples tailored to Roman topics (e.g., "Julius Caesar was as sneaky as a fox in the Senate").
• Model creating a funny fact with figurative language (e.g., “Roman sandals made you look as wise as a toga-wearing owl!”).
• Raise awareness of how word play can make dry facts come alive.
• Assessment: Students volunteer to suggest their own examples after modelling. Provide immediate feedback.

3. Main Activity – Brainstorm and Create (15 minutes)

• Give students Roman artefact pictures as prompts (e.g., Roman coins, helmets, bathhouses).
• In pairs or individually, students brainstorm 3-4 funny facts or ideas inspired by these objects, aiming to include at least one example of figurative language or word play.
• Encourage use of exaggeration and alliteration (e.g., “The bathhouse bubbles were bigger than a bull’s bubble gum!”).
• Students write their funniest fact down in their books with a simple explanation of the figurative language type used.
• Teacher circulates, supports, and challenges with questions like: How else could you make this fact funny? What word play could you add?
• Assessment: Look for creativity, correct use of figurative language, and relevance to the Roman theme.

4. Plenary – Share and Reflect (10 minutes)

• Students read their funniest facts aloud to the group.
• Class discusses which examples were most effective and why—focusing on the impact of figurative language and humour.
• Recap how these techniques can make their Roman reports more engaging.
• Set the next lesson’s preview: using these humorous ideas in writing a full report paragraph.
• Assessment: Oral presentation skills and ability to explain choices using appropriate terminology.

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Differentiation and Support

• For students needing extra support, provide sentence starters and simpler figurative language examples.
• Challenge advanced students to combine two types of word play in one fact (e.g., pun + alliteration).
• Provide visual aids and word banks to support vocabulary development.

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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Monitor verbal responses in the starter and plenary to gauge understanding of figurative language.
• Review written brainstorms to ensure appropriate and creative use of humour and figurative devices.
• Provide formative feedback and scaffold next steps in their report writing.

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Extension Ideas

• Encourage students to create a mini comic strip or cartoon illustrating their humorous fact.
• Introduce a quick group game of “Roman Wordplay Bingo,” where students call out puns or similes related to Romans.

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This lesson capitalises on the engaging Horrible Histories style, helping students apply literary techniques to history while meeting key Year 4 English curriculum requirements. The combination of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, underpinned by rich vocabulary development, ensures a dynamic and memorable learning experience.