Plot Twist!

Use this activity to help students channel their inner comedian as they transform a story into a side-splitting comedy sketch!

Materials Needed: Chart paper, markers, one piece of paper and writing utensil for each person

1. To begin, tell students that they’re going to be adapting a story. But, PLOT TWIST, they’re going to do so in the form of a comedy sketch!
2. First, in full group, read a short story–any story–aloud to your students. Then, work with them to pick out the story’s most important plot points and scribe them on chart paper.
3. Still in full group, brainstorm zany substitutes for the characters and settings (e.g. comic book or video game characters could take the place of the protagonist, television sitcom characters could take the place of the antagonist and the setting might switch from a house to a pineapple under the sea). Scribe everyone’s responses on a piece of chart paper.
4. Next, in small groups, invite students to reimagine the story using the suggestions you scribed. Ask them to change at least one character and one plot point of the story, with the goal of making it funny! They can also change the setting if they’d like.
5. Now it’s time to build in a bit of flair! Work with each group to add a suspenseful twist or a funny surprise in the middle of their stories. Let them know that this is how they will get their audience to lean in, waiting to hear what happens next.
6. Now it’s time to build in a bit of flair! Work with each group to add a suspenseful twist or a funny surprise in the middle of their stories and then to craft a punchline that wraps up their story. Remind them that this is the moment everyone’s been waiting for, so they should make it count! Then give them time to rehearse their comedy sketches.
7. To culminate, ask groups to perform their adaptations for the class, creating your very own “Comedy Sketch Showcase!”

Reflection Questions:

• What was your favorite part of turning your story into a comedy sketch?
• How did you feel when you heard your classmates adaptations?
• What new ways of storytelling did you learn from this activity?