Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What is satire, and how is it used to send a message or make social commentary? How does satire differ from other kinds of humor? What are some examples of satirical books, movies, TV shows, or comics?

Teaching Suggestion: The article linked below defines and explains satire with lists of examples in literature, television, and movies. Students might be prompted with examples to help them get started. Most students may be familiar with examples from popular culture such as The Simpsons and South Park; from their academic classes, students may be familiar with the works of Jonathan Swift, Voltaire, or Mark Twain.

• This article provides a clear description of satire and gives examples.
• This post on the Oregon State University's School of Writing, Literature, and Film homepage includes a brief video explaining the types of satire and features a transcript of the video in both English and Spanish as well as linked definitions and further examples and resources.
• This online gallery (teacher-appropriate; not student-facing) from the First Amendment Museum houses examples of political cartoons, grouped by era since the early 1700s; however, the cartoons in the gallery’s
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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