Exploring Satire with Shrek
Because students are typically familiar with the characteristics of fairy tales, the movie Shrek, which satirizes fairy tale traditions, serves as an introduction to satirical techniques. Students begin by viewing a scene from the movie and examining the ways in which it departs from typical fairy tales. They are then introduced to the four techniques of satire: exaggeration, incongruity, reversal, and parody, and identify these techniques in the clip from Shrek. Students next select a fairy tale to satirize and share their finished stories with the class or small groups. This lesson is a fun way to teach satire and writing for different purposes. The lesson includes active viewing, a narrative writing assignment, and an assessment rubric to score the writing assignment.
