Third Time’s the Charm

To begin an exploration of comedy, prep your students with a discussion about what the genre of comedy entails and what makes a joke or bit funny.
Some questions to get you started are:

• Can you name any famous comedians or comedic performers?
• What types of comedy are there?
• What’s the difference between a story and a joke?

As the saying goes, comedy occurs in threes. Explain that there is a famous technique in comedy writing called the rule of threes. This is when a pattern of two elements sets up a pattern for the third element to be a knee-slapping punchline that breaks said pattern!

Have your students brainstorm a personal story they feel comfortable sharing—it could even be made up if they can’t think of one! Then, have them write it down in narrative form.

Next, split them into pairs and have them work with a partner to find a section of their story that could be split into three beats, or moments. Using the rule of threes, establish a pattern with the first two beats and turn the third into a punchline.

Afterwards, have them practice reciting it to one another. Now, not only are they storytellers—they’re stand-up comedians as well!

To support this unit, use the Plot Twist! Activity.