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LEARNING SCIENCE THROUGH HUMORISTIC STORIES
| General information | ||||||
Title of the activity |
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| Learning Science Through Humoristic Stories | ||||||
Subject |
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| Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, ICT, Arts (all STEM subjects applicable) | ||||||
Keywords |
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| Teamwork, transdisciplinarity, versatile, creativity, interactive | ||||||
| Connected to/ nested with | ||||||
| Can be easily connected to the Learning Science Through Theatre activity | ||||||
Learning outcomes |
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| Teacher learning outcomes:
Teachers will be able to:
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| Student learning outcomes:
Students will be able to:
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Transversal skills (max 3 transversal skills) |
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| Creativity, Communication Skills, Teamwork & Collaboration | ||||||
Number of participants and target age group |
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| Duration | ||||||
| 5 hours | ||||||
| Short activity description | ||||||
| In this team-taught, immersive science communication workshop, participants will build skills to passionately communicate in a way that excites and encourages audiences and school students to want to learn more about their favourite science topic. Participants will discover how to develop humoristic science-based stories that both engage and entertain their audience. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to understand the science of laughter, gain insight into the joke mechanics, develop a science-related joke, and get familiarized with joke formulas and formats for writing humoristic science-based stories that will create a positive learning environment. | ||||||
| Preparation | ||||||
| Materials | ||||||
List of materials:
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Technical backline:
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| Announcement | ||||||
| Announcement for teacher trainings:
How to motivate and involve students in creative science activities through the integration of humour in science education. |
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| Announcement for students:
Innovate, create and learn by developing humoristic stories on science topics. |
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| Hook | ||||||
| How to use humour as an effective science teaching and learning strategy? | ||||||
| Activity type/strategy | ||||||
| Lower order thinking | Higher order thinking | |||||
| Knowing / remembering | Comprehending / understanding | Applying | Analyzing | Synthesizing / evaluating | Creating | |
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| Delivery sequence | |||
| Epidemiological suitability | |||
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☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ Partly
If changes should be made, please state them here: The activity could be executed with small groups of students physically present in a classroom (while wearing protective masks) or in a completely online environment/platform |
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| Is the activity suitable for execution in an online setting? | |||
| ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ Partly | |||
| Can the activity be sequenced? I. e. divided into smaller parts which could function as standalone parts which could maybe even be integrated into other activities. | |||
| ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ Partly | |||
| Step 1 | |||
| Step type/strategy: | Presentation & Interactive workshop | Step duration
(minutes): |
50 |
| Step title:
(if applicable) |
Humour in Science Education: A necessary introduction! | ||
| Keywords: | STEM education; humour theories; integration; transversal skills | ||
| Subaims:
What teaching aims are you fulfilling with this part of the sequence? |
To familiarise participants with the concepts and practices that are going to be demonstrated as well as the importance of integrating humour in the science education field towards fostering students’ transversal skills, involvement and interest in STEM subjects. | ||
| Step by step description: | |||
| The Need for Integrating Humour into Science Education ——– 5’
Presentation of the needs for the integration of humour in science education with a focus on the transversal skills that students develop as well as the increase of their interest and participation in STEM subjects. Teaching and Stand-up Comedy: show me the link! ———- 10’ Outlining the similarities and links between the teaching practice and the performance of Stand-up comedians. Pointing out what can be integrated and used in the formal education’s classroom environment. What Makes Us Laugh? ———— 10’ A short overview of the most important scientific theories about humour that outlines what makes something funny. Universal Joke Structure ———– 15’ Exploring some of the universal characteristics of humour by providing examples ACTIVITY #1: Identify the basic elements of a science joke ———- 10’ This step focuses on the links between humour and science and on identifying the specific elements that constitute a science-related joke.
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for teachers) |
Overview of the concepts related to humour and introduction to the key practices to be used | ||
| Interpretation & analysis
(for students) |
Overview of the concepts related to humour and introduction to the key practices to be used | ||
| Step 2 | |||
| Step type/strategy: | Presentation & Interactive Workshop | Step duration
(minutes): |
85 |
| Step title:
(if applicable) |
The Science Joke | ||
| Keywords: | Creativity; critical thinking; communication skills | ||
| Subaims:
What teaching aims are you fulfilling with this part of the sequence? |
Creativity skills and imagination are fostered as well as interpersonal and communication skills | ||
| Step by step description: | |||
| Science Joke Mechanics ———- 20’
An explanation of why and how the aforementioned elements work, with concrete examples, in relation to the universal joke structure and to the scientific inquiry process. ACTIVITY #2: Complete the science joke! (Write-Perform-Reflect) ———- 20’ Interactive exercise during which the participants themselves complete a joke with a punch line that they come up, based on the science jokes mechanics and elements explained earlier. Formulas to Integrate Humour into Science Education ———- 15’ Specific instructions with examples and guidelines on how to use and integrate jokes and humour, as previously demonstrated, in the classroom while teaching STEM subjects. ACTIVITY #3: Science joke ex nihilo creation (Write-Perform-Reflect) ———- 30’ Interactive exercise during which participants create a short joke with a punchline related to a specific science topic from scratch
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for teachers) |
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for students) |
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| Step 3 | |||
| Step type/strategy: | Presentation & Interactive Workshop | Step duration
(minutes): |
45 |
| Step title:
(if applicable) |
Humoristic Science Storytelling | ||
| Keywords: | Collaboration; communication skills; creativity | ||
| Subaims:
What teaching aims are you fulfilling with this part of the sequence? |
Creativity skills and imagination are fostered as well as interpersonal and communication skills. Hands-on practice on the development of a storytelling narrative linked to science-related concepts | ||
| Step by step description: | |||
| Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling ———- 10’
Presentation on how storytelling works and why it is efficient in the transmission of information, learning and teaching. Basic Elements for a Great Science Storytelling ———- 10’ Presentation outlining the main links between science and storytelling; how to develop a narrative based on a scientific topic and its explanation. How to Evaluate and Decorate your Story! ———- 10’ Presentation focusing on a decoration process of your science-related storytelling narrative in order to be amusing, informative and beneficial at the same time. Newton’s First Law Storytelling Example ———- 15’ Hands-on example of the development of a specific narrative based on Newton’s law of Inertia; discussion on how these concepts and practices can be practically implemented in the science teaching process.
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for teachers) |
This is the step where the importance of integrating storytelling in the science teaching process in the classroom environment is outlined, along with practical tips and transferable examples of practices. | ||
| Interpretation & analysis
(for students) |
Co-developing a narrative based on a scientific topic drawn from the official curriculum not only supports the learning process but also fosters additional transversal skills. | ||
| Step 4 | |||
| Step type/strategy: | Interactive Workshop | Step duration
(minutes): |
45 |
| Step title:
(if applicable) |
Create a Short Humoristic Science Storytelling | ||
| Keywords: | Collaboration; communication skills; creativity | ||
| Subaims:
What teaching aims are you fulfilling with this part of the sequence? |
Participants develop a short storytelling narrative based on a previously selected science topic while integrating aspects of humour. | ||
| Connected to: | |||
| Step by step description: | |||
| ACTIVITY #4: Create a Short Humoristic Science Storytelling
This is the facilitated interactive workshop during which participants are divided into groups. Each group works on the development of a long storytelling narrative based on a pre-selected scientific topic, preferably drawn from the official school curriculum. The story will integrate humour and the techniques presented during the previous steps in order to create effective jokes and punchlines.
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for teachers) |
Participants perform and foster their confidence, communication and interpersonal skills. | ||
| Interpretation & analysis
(for students) |
Students perform and foster their confidence, communication and interpersonal skills. | ||
| Step 5 | |||
| Step type/strategy: | Performance & Discussion | Step duration
(minutes): |
75 |
| Step title:
(if applicable) |
Performance & Reflection | ||
| Keywords: | Reflection, transversal skills, collaboration, presentation & communication skills | ||
| Subaims:
What teaching aims are you fulfilling with this part of the sequence? |
The aim is to proceed to present the narrative that was developed and proceed with a facilitated self-reflection exercise where the group will analyse what they learned in terms of scientific content but also what transversal skills they gained during the implementation of the activity | ||
| Step by step description: | |||
| Performing ———- 30’
Each group of participants performs the story that they developed in front of the whole group. It fosters their confidence, communication and interpersonal skills. Reflecting ———- 45’ Participants reflect on the performance in relation to the theme and their project. Most importantly participant’s reflection, as initiated by the tutors, is focused on the process of the activity and how this process and approach to educational and learning practices can be relevant for fostering 21st century transversal skills in the framework of science education.
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for teachers) |
Participants perform and foster their confidence, communication and interpersonal skills.
Reflection plays an important role in order to identify if and how the activity met its aims and how the students perceived it. |
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| Interpretation & analysis
(for students) |
Students perform and foster their confidence communication and interpersonal skills
Reflection is the final step towards internalising the learning experience and identifies the skills acquired. |
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| Wrap up & sequence interpretation | |
| Sequence interpretation & analysis
(for teacher trainings) |
Each step could be allocated to each day during a 5-day training and could also be condensed for a 3-day workshop |
| Sequence interpretation & analysis
(for the activity/sequence when held in classroom) |
The proposed duration of the activity in the classroom is 5 teaching hours, at least once per week, preferably during the related STEM subject |
| Evaluation/assesment | |
| The assessment takes place during the reflection step via group discussion. A questionnaire is also advised to be used. | |
