8th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 16
When words mean more than they say
Telling verbal, situational and dramatic irony apart, spotting how satire uses exaggeration to criticize, and explaining what an allusion to a well-known story adds to a text.
New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 8R4; 8R6 · irony, satire and allusion
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
Example: Sana says “Great job” after a friend drops the whole tray. What kind of irony is this? Dropping the tray isn’t a great job. Sana says the opposite of what she means. Answer: verbal irony
In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 4 of 16 in 8th grade English Language Arts, after Word Study and before Whose Story Is It?.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What is the author's main purpose?
ATTENTION CITIZENS: To reduce crowding on sidewalks, the Department of Walking now requires all pedestrians to apply for a Walking Permit. Applications take six to eight weeks to process. Until your permit arrives, residents are asked to stay where they are.
A spokesperson called the system “simple and efficient.” The permit office is open on alternate Tuesdays from 2:00 to 2:15 p.m., on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator.
to poke fun at rules that make simple things complicated
Hint: The rule is so silly that the notice cannot be serious.
Question 2
What does the reader expect from the first paragraph?
Dev had spent a month preparing for the school's Be On Time Award. He set three alarms, packed his bag the night before and left home an hour early. He reached the school gate at 7:15 a.m., ready to be the first one there.
The gate was locked. A sign taped to it read: “School closed today for Professional Development Day.”
that Dev will arrive first and win the award
Hint: Dev prepares carefully and arrives early.
Question 3
A news article reports that a city has passed a law making every clock run five minutes slow “to give residents more time.” What is the article most likely doing?
poking fun at rules that do not make sense
Hint: The reasoning is so silly that it is meant to be funny and to criticize.
Question 4
What kind of irony is the ending?
Dev had spent a month preparing for the school's Be On Time Award. He set three alarms, packed his bag the night before and left home an hour early. He reached the school gate at 7:15 a.m., ready to be the first one there.
The gate was locked. A sign taped to it read: “School closed today for Professional Development Day.”
situational irony
Hint: What happens is the opposite of what Dev and the reader expect.
Question 5
What is an allusion?
a brief reference to a well-known person, place, event or work
Hint: Writers use allusions to bring in the meaning of something readers already know.
Question 6
Why might an author choose satire instead of a direct argument?
Humor can draw readers in and help them see a problem in a new way.
Hint: Laughter can make people more open to a new idea.