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Laughing in response to pleasure and joy is an impulse shared by humans across cultures. The health benefits of laughter are well-documented and range from social connection to reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Here, we foster humor as a health practice and a creative resource.
Overview
Humor is a creative resource that offers a pathway for social connection. Humor can also be a health practice. In this lesson sequence we begin with simple routines for laughing together. Then we explore, normalize and transform our relationship with our inner critics.
Teacher Priming
Orienting to Humor
It is important to acknowledge the tender edges of human experience you will be navigating when you invite your students to “play” with their inner critics. Choosing to bring this experience to your students means taking risks and modeling vulnerability.
There are five essential prerequisites for the inner critic lesson. Please engage in all of them with your full attention before beginning the Humor lesson sequence with your students.
Creative Routines
Comedic Company
In this exercise, you’ll create a list of 5 people in your life that make you laugh. Then, review your list. What is it about each of them? …or about your relationship…that tickles your funny bone? Add these additional thoughts next to their name.
What Strikes you as Funny?
This exercise is all about sharing the things that you find funny with others! We’ve created a slide deck that can be used to gather collections of what your group finds hilarious.
Daft Dictionary
An interactive ideation game that invites students to improvise definitions for nonsensical word pairings.
What is a raisin sock? You’ll have to play to find out.
Creative Challenge
Playing with your Inner Critic
Students make models that represent their critical inner voice, then reflect on how to transform that part of them into an ally.
Lesson Plan
Handout
Deepening
Exploring Virtues
Every one of us has virtues and character strengths. In this exercise, our assets make friends with our critics. This can be a standalone activity or an extension of the inner critic.
Mining for Sculpture Materials
Found-object sculpting provides many opportunities for students to practice resourcefulness. Everyday items can become art materials. Re-usable, found, and recycled materials can make sculpting accessible to you and your students.
Finding Humor Across Cultures
What commonalities do you notice, across these representations of humor? Which ones bring forth an emotional response?
Overview
Lesson Plan
Humor is a creative resource that offers a pathway for social connection. Humor can also be a health practice. In this lesson sequence we begin with simple routines for laughing together. Then we explore, normalize and transform our relationship with our inner critics.
Teacher Priming
Orienting to Humor
It is important to acknowledge the tender edges of human experience you will be navigating when you invite your students to “play” with their inner critics. Choosing to bring this experience to your students means taking risks and modeling vulnerability.
There are five essential prerequisites for the inner critic lesson. Please engage in all of them with your full attention before beginning the Humor lesson sequence with your students.
Creative Routines
Comedic Company
In this exercise, you’ll create a list of 5 people in your life that make you laugh. Then, review your list. What is it about each of them? …or about your relationship…that tickles your funny bone? Add these additional thoughts next to their name.
What Strikes you as Funny?
This exercise is all about sharing the things that you find funny with others! We’ve created a slide deck that can be used to gather collections of what your group finds hilarious.
Daft Dictionary
An interactive ideation game that invites students to improvise definitions for nonsensical word pairings.
Creative Challenge
Playing With Your Inner Critic
Students make models that represent their critical inner voice, then reflect on how to transform that part of them into an ally.
Lesson Plan
Handout
Supplemental Materials & Resources
Exploring Virtues
Every one of us has virtues and character strengths. In this exercise, our assets make friends with our critics. This can be a standalone activity or an extension of the inner critic.
Mining for Sculpture Materials
Found-object sculpting provides many opportunities for students to practice resourcefulness. Everyday items can become art materials. Re-usable, found, and recycled materials can make sculpting accessible to you and your students.
Finding Humor Across Cultures
What commonalities do you notice, across these representations of humor? Which ones bring forth an emotional response?
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