How do you teach "irony" to middle school students?

Answer 1

I would say to try to do it in a way that they can relate to...Perhaps print out the lyrics of Alanis Morrisettes song, 'Ironic' and maybe have them follow along with the song, then discuss what it means...I think this would be a good way to convey what irony means while keeping their attention...Middle school aged kids are tough...Good Luck!

Answer 2

Irony is a hard concept for many high school students also. I think dramatic irony would be the easiest for them to understand. Verbal irony becomes more difficult because it borders on sarcasm. You have to teach the difference between verbal irony and sarcasm. Situational irony is the hardest to get across.
For dramatic irony, I used to tell them to think of a scary movie. They know that the guy upstairs is going to kill the baby sitter as soon as she goes upstairs to check on the kids. The phone rings as she is going up the steps and she has to go down to answer, etc. For verbal irony, I told them to think of a shirt that is to small for them, is stained, and has holes in it. They wear the shirt to school, and a friend says, "Nice shirt!"
The more you can get it on their level, the better they will understand.

Answer 3

Give lots of examples and nonexamples. Ones that middle school kids can relate to. I wish my middle school teacher had done a better job at it back in the day. I know I really didn't understand it until I experienced irony myself.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do you teach "irony" to middle school students?

Answer 5

Look up an old year book and grades of someone who has done abosolute wonderful in Middle and highschool. I mean top of the class but is a bumb now.

Answer 6

You don't really, it gets issued to them along with sarcasm and the combination to their HIGH school lockers. If they're lucky it'll come with a dose of reality, but that depends on the parents and costs extra in most school corporations.

Answer 7

Try the song "Ironic" by Alanis Morisette as the motivator and print it, break into groups and discuss.

Answer 8

Have them read the Gift of the Majaii, can't remember who wrote it, it's about a man who sells his watch to buy his wife hair ornaments and the woman sells her hair to buy him a chain for his watch. Good story.

Answer 9

Give them a lot of examples. Morisette would be really good for the beginning. And then - some literature.

Answer 10

show them examples of irony and have them find more examples