Humor Pathfinder

HUMOR
in the Classroom

Having a sense of humor in the classroom creates a social environment that students enjoy and feel comfortable. Combining laughter with learning involves the students emotions which helps them internalize the concepts. This pathfinder will help you find humorous activities and ideas to share with your students. Use this guide to help you incorporate humor in your quest to becoming a master teacher.

"What we learn with pleasure we never
forget."
-- Alfred Mercer

Reference
Cur/Ref
ActBks
L863
1993 If you want to alter your approach to teaching, or if you want to do a simple lesson with a humorous approach, The Laughing Classroom is the book for you!

Curr/Ref
LangArts
F989
1996 Use Easy Word Games to build your student’s language skills in a fun and humorous way.

Curr/Ref
LangArts
S666
1992 Poems & Rhymes & Things To Do Now That I’m A Toddler, Too is a collection of fun poetry for young children. Curr/Ref
LangArts
C577
1997 Good For A Laugh provides fun activities to teach language arts.

Curr/Ref
LangArts
B879
1993 This collection of 75 Picture Prompts For Young Writers makes journal writing a fun experience for children with it’s humorous pictures. Curr/Ref
ActBks
B646
1984 Humor: Lessons In Laughter For Learning And Living is a collection of ideas to create a humorous atmosphere in your classroom.

Periodicals

Cartoon News
Lighten up your discussion on current events in your classroom through political cartoons. With each cartoon is an explanation of the social context and questions for the students to answer.

The Mailbox Kindergarten
April/May 1997
Something Funny Is Going On Around Here is a guide to using humorous literature in the kindergarten classroom.

The Mailbox Primary
April/May 1998
Books For The Funny Bone provides a collection of funny stories to read to your class.

The Mailbox Bookbag
April/May 1999
April Foolishness contains several books and activities to celebrate humor.

Secondary
Curr/Sec
English
Lit
H758
1989 Elements of Literature contains several pieces of humorous literature written at the high school level. See page 970 for this list.

Curr/Sec
English
G558
1994
Gr.12 Writer’s Choice has a few short assignments on humor in persuasive and satirical essays.

Curr/Ref
Science
H693
1993 Science Starters contains over 1000 ready-to-use attention grabbers that make science fun for grades 6-12.

Manipulatives
Use these teaching aids to bring laughter and happiness to your classroom!

Curr/TA
SocStu
9 Use these puppets to foster communication and liven up storytelling.

Curr/TA
LangArts
95 Boggle is a fun word search game that will always be a fun challenge for older students.

Curr/TA
Math
28 Playing with Tinkertoys is a great way for students to have fun while constructing various shapes and objects.

Big Books
Curr/El
BigBooks
W873
1984 The Napping House, by Audrey Wood is a fun story with cumulative rhymes.

Curr/El
BigBooks
N971
1994 If You Give A Moose A Muffin, by Laura Joffe Numeroff is a fun sequel that can be used with many instructional activities.

Curr/El
BigBooks
R211
1990 My Family And Me is a collection of
humorous poems about family life. Curr/El
BigBooks
N971
1996 If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff is another funny story that can be used for sequencing, or for just plain FUN!

Curr/El
BigBooks
W873
1985 King Bidgood’s In The Bathtub, by Audrey Wood is a hilarious story about an unruly king who rules his kingdom from the bathtub. Curr/El
BigBooks
B596
1995 Bill Grogan’s Goat is a humorous story with instructional guidelines and the music in the back of the book.

CD-ROMs
Curr/TA
Computer
S887 1992 Wings For Learning: Storybook Theater gives you the opportunity to create your own story and have it acted out on the screen. Mac software

Curr/TA
Computer
A791 1992 Arthur’s Teacher Troubles tells a story, then children can choose to play within the story.

Curr/TA
Computer
S344
1993 The Tortoise And The Hare is a fun, interactive version of this familiar story.

Posters

Curr/TA
Posters
Math
16 Earth Person’s Guide To Identifying Boddkins is a humorous approach to finding probability.

Curr/TA
Posters
Math
12 A Million of This and That is a fun way to practice estimation.

Curr/TA
Posters
LangArts
111 How to Create an Idea presents 10 suggestions for story expansion.

Curr/TA
Posters
LangArts
58 How Are You Feeling Today? shows the various moods your students may be in on any given day.

Internet

The Internet is an excellent resource to use in the classroom--especially when it comes to humor!

http://www.yahooligans.com/docs/club/jokes/q/ Read a joke-a-day to your students. Jokes on this site are submitted for and by children.

http://www.macscouter.com/Songs/SillySongs.html Some short songs, silly songs, and some that are chants. Most of the songs match a familiar tune.

http://www.poetry4kids.com/poems.html A list of humorous poetry books for children with examples of poems. The Funny Forty is a collection of Kenn Nesbitt's most recent poems, along with a few older favorites. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/3267/lucy.html This site provides units and other suggestions on
using I Love Lucy in the classroom.

compiled and designed by
Jana Whetten

**HUMOR**
**in the Classroom**
	Having a sense of humor in the classroom creates a social environment that students enjoy and feel comfortable. Combining laughter with learning involves the students emotions which helps them internalize the concepts. This pathfinder will help you find humorous activities and ideas to share with your students. Use this guide to help you incorporate humor in your quest to becoming a master teacher.

**Reference**
Cur/Ref ActBks L863 1993	If you want to alter your approach to teaching, or if you want to do a simple lesson with a humorous approach, The Laughing Classroom is the book for you!		Curr/Ref LangArts F989 1996	Use Easy Word Games to build your student’s language skills in a fun and humorous way.
Curr/Ref LangArts S666 1992	Poems & Rhymes & Things To Do Now That I’m A Toddler, Too is a collection of fun poetry for young children.	Curr/Ref LangArts C577 1997	Good For A Laugh provides fun activities to teach language arts.
Curr/Ref LangArts B879 1993	This collection of 75 Picture Prompts For Young Writers makes journal writing a fun experience for children with it’s humorous pictures.	Curr/Ref ActBks B646 1984	Humor: Lessons In Laughter For Learning And Living is a collection of ideas to create a humorous atmosphere in your classroom.

**Periodicals**
	Cartoon News Lighten up your discussion on current events in your classroom through political cartoons. With each cartoon is an explanation of the social context and questions for the students to answer.
The Mailbox Kindergarten April/May 1997 Something Funny Is Going On Around Here is a guide to using humorous literature in the kindergarten classroom.
The Mailbox Primary April/May 1998 Books For The Funny Bone provides a collection of funny stories to read to your class.
The Mailbox Bookbag April/May 1999 April Foolishness contains several books and activities to celebrate humor.

**Secondary**
Curr/Sec English Lit H758 1989	Elements of Literature contains several pieces of humorous literature written at the high school level. See page 970 for this list.
Curr/Sec English G558 1994 Gr.12	Writer’s Choice has a few short assignments on humor in persuasive and satirical essays.
Curr/Ref Science H693 1993	Science Starters contains over 1000 ready-to-use attention grabbers that make science fun for grades 6-12.

**Manipulatives**
	Use these teaching aids to bring laughter and happiness to your classroom!
Curr/TA SocStu 9	Use these puppets to foster communication and liven up storytelling.
Curr/TA LangArts 95	Boggle is a fun word search game that will always be a fun challenge for older students.
Curr/TA Math 28	Playing with Tinkertoys is a great way for students to have fun while constructing various shapes and objects.

**Big Books**
Curr/El BigBooks W873 1984	The Napping House, by Audrey Wood is a fun story with cumulative rhymes.		Curr/El BigBooks N971 1994	If You Give A Moose A Muffin, by Laura Joffe Numeroff is a fun sequel that can be used with many instructional activities.
Curr/El BigBooks R211 1990	My Family And Me is a collection of humorous poems about family life.	Curr/El BigBooks N971 1996	If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff is another funny story that can be used for sequencing, or for just plain FUN!
Curr/El BigBooks W873 1985	King Bidgood’s In The Bathtub, by Audrey Wood is a hilarious story about an unruly king who rules his kingdom from the bathtub.	Curr/El BigBooks B596 1995	Bill Grogan’s Goat is a humorous story with instructional guidelines and the music in the back of the book.

**CD-ROMs**
	Curr/TA Computer S887 1992	Wings For Learning: Storybook Theater gives you the opportunity to create your own story and have it acted out on the screen. Mac software
Curr/TA Computer A791 1992	Arthur’s Teacher Troubles tells a story, then children can choose to play within the story.
Curr/TA Computer S344 1993	The Tortoise And The Hare is a fun, interactive version of this familiar story.

**Posters**
	Curr/TA Posters Math 16	Earth Person’s Guide To Identifying Boddkins is a humorous approach to finding probability.
Curr/TA Posters Math 12	A Million of This and That is a fun way to practice estimation.
Curr/TA Posters LangArts 111	How to Create an Idea presents 10 suggestions for story expansion.
Curr/TA Posters LangArts 58	How Are You Feeling Today? shows the various moods your students may be in on any given day.

**Internet**
The Internet is an excellent resource to use in the classroom--especially when it comes to humor!
http://www.yahooligans.com/docs/club/jokes/q/ Read a joke-a-day to your students. Jokes on this site are submitted for and by children.		http://www.macscouter.com/Songs/SillySongs.html Some short songs, silly songs, and some that are chants. Most of the songs match a familiar tune.
http://www.poetry4kids.com/poems.html A list of humorous poetry books for children with examples of poems. The Funny Forty is a collection of Kenn Nesbitt's most recent poems, along with a few older favorites.	http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/3267/lucy.html This site provides units and other suggestions on using I Love Lucy in the classroom.

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Last updated 01/26/01

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