STAND UP & LEARN:
LESSON PLAN INTRO
Welcome to Stand Up & Learn — This unit offers lessons and activities that help kids build confidence, connect through storytelling, and explore the power of humor. This workshop-style program invites learners to turn real-life moments into comedic stories, developing their writing and performance skills.
Through this unit, kids will reflect on their experiences, craft personal narratives, and learn to “find the funny” in everyday life. By the end, they will create and deliver a short comedic storytelling performance for an audience of peers, family, or the broader community.
Each lesson will combine videos, mini-lessons, creative workshop ideas, and reflection to help kids develop key storytelling techniques, understand comedic structure, and practice live performance strategies. This program creates a safe space for kids to take creative risks, laugh at themselves, and build empathy and self-esteem. Along the way, kids deepen their understanding of grammar and punctuation as tools for comedic effect, learning how sentence structure, timing, and word choice shape voice and impact. Through collaborative feedback, improvisation, and revision, they build durable skills such as communication, creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking, essential for success both on stage and in life.
Essential Questions - Throughout the Unit, Kids will explore the following big ideas:
- What role does storytelling play in our daily lives?
- How can I apply comedic storytelling techniques to a personal narrative?
- How can comedic storytelling be used to reframe a personal experience that may have been awkward, embarrassing, sad, or scary?
- How can comedic storytelling be used to share a personal experience that may have been exciting, funny, encouraging, or inspirational?
- In what ways might comedic storytelling impact a performer’s self-esteem and/or self-confidence?
- What are the techniques that storytellers use to engage an audience?
- What are the techniques that comedic storytellers use to encourage an audience to laugh?
- How can high-quality feedback help artists develop and refine their product and/or performance?
Structure of Each Lesson:
- Mini-Lesson (15 minutes): Introduces key concepts, modeling, or viewing an example.
- Workshop (25–30 minutes): Brainstorm, write, revise, and rehearse their work.
- Assessment & Reflection (5–7 minutes): Reflect on their progress and identify next steps using the Comedic Storytelling Rubric.
- This structure is flexible and can be adjusted based on available instructional time or group needs.
- Get ready to support your kids in becoming confident, creative, and authentic comedic storytellers. Let’s Stand Up & Learn!
