Puns are a tricky thing to teach but I’ve recently pilfered an idea from the Radio Show ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ which is working well with Y5 and Y6 classes.
One ‘game’ included in the show is the rewriting of well-known book titles for specific audiences. The result is a pun (a play on words). Ross Noble’s contribution, when asked to rename a book so that it would appeal to electricians, was simple but effective…and clearly NOT appropriate for class use : ‘The Joy of Flex’.
The idea appealed to me and it can be a fun ‘brain break’. I’ve, so far, asked pupils to rewrite book titles so that they might appeal to gardeners. My favourite response to date is ‘Charlie and the Great Grass Elevator’.
I think the idea has ‘legs’! If you try it I’d be delighted to read any outcomes and could add these to future blogs.
An extension activity could be the production of punning Headlines for newspapers…
Snappy Recapture for Escaped Alligator
etc
All best
Alan Peat
Alan Peat's Blog 