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English lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 45 minutes

Verbal, situational and dramatic irony

Vocabulary

CCSS L.8.5.ACCSS RL.8.6England: KS3 ReadingEngland: GCSE English Literature (drama)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Verbal, situational and dramatic irony.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Allusion, irony, oxymoron and pun

Leads to: Euphemism, oxymoron, paradox and understatement; Drama terms: soliloquy, aside, foil, hamartia, catharsis…

Materials: Word cards, A thesaurus or dictionary, A short text with the target words, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Allusion, irony, oxymoron and pun). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which device is used? "Lovely weather," she said, as rain poured through the broken roof. (pun / oxymoron / allusion / verbal irony) → verbal ironyPrompt: Is it a reference to a famous story, contradictory words side by side, a play on words, or the opposite of what's expected?
  2. Which device is used? He was a real Romeo with the ladies. (oxymoron / situational irony / pun / allusion) → allusionPrompt: Is it a reference to a famous story, contradictory words side by side, a play on words, or the opposite of what's expected?
  3. Which device is used? I used to be a baker, but I couldn't make enough dough. (allusion / situational irony / pun / oxymoron) → punPrompt: Is it a reference to a famous story, contradictory words side by side, a play on words, or the opposite of what's expected?

Hook · 5 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: Verbal, situational and dramatic irony. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which type of irony matches this description? An outcome that mocks the intentions or expectations of the people involved.
  • Step 1: Irony contrasts appearance and reality: in words (verbal), in events (situational), or in what the audience knows (dramatic).
  • Step 2: situational irony: What actually happens is the opposite of what anyone would expect.
  • Step 3: So the answer is: situational irony
  • Answer: situational irony
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which type of irony matches this description? The audience or reader knows something important that a character does not. (verbal irony / situational irony / dramatic irony) → dramatic ironyPrompt: Is the contrast in what someone SAYS, in what HAPPENS, or in what the AUDIENCE knows?
  2. Which type of irony is used here? The fire station burned down. (verbal irony / dramatic irony / situational irony) → situational ironyPrompt: Does a character say something they don't mean?

You do: independent practice · 10 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which type of irony matches this description? The audience or reader knows something important that a character does not. (dramatic irony / situational irony / verbal irony) → dramatic ironyPrompt: Is the contrast in what someone SAYS, in what HAPPENS, or in what the AUDIENCE knows?
  2. Which type of irony is used here? The town's anti-litter rally left the park covered in leaflets. (situational irony / dramatic irony / verbal irony) → situational ironyPrompt: Does a character say something they don't mean?

Watch out for

  • Picking a "bigger" synonym that doesn't fit the meaning.
  • Ignoring the clues in the rest of the sentence.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Allusion, irony, oxymoron and pun.
  • Use concrete materials: word cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Euphemism, oxymoron, paradox and understatement; Drama terms: soliloquy, aside, foil, hamartia, catharsis….
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-8.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Verbal, situational and dramatic irony

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which type of irony matches this description? Sarcasm is a sharp, mocking form of this kind of irony.

    • A. verbal irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. dramatic irony

  2. Question 2

    Which type of irony is used here? The safety inspector slipped on a spill he had forgotten to report.

    • A. verbal irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. dramatic irony

  3. Question 3

    Which type of irony matches this description? An outcome that mocks the intentions or expectations of the people involved.

    • A. dramatic irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. verbal irony

  4. Question 4

    Which type of irony is used here? Looking at his brother's messy room, Sam said, "Wow, you're so tidy."

    • A. situational irony
    • B. dramatic irony
    • C. verbal irony

  5. Question 5

    Which type of irony matches this description? Tension or humour created because we can see a character's mistake before they can.

    • A. situational irony
    • B. dramatic irony
    • C. verbal irony

  6. Question 6

    Which type of irony is used here? The audience has seen the letter is forged, yet the king believes every word and banishes his loyal daughter.

    • A. verbal irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. dramatic irony

  7. Question 7

    Which type of irony matches this description? The audience or reader knows something important that a character does not.

    • A. dramatic irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. verbal irony

  8. Question 8

    Which type of irony is used here? The town's anti-litter rally left the park covered in leaflets.

    • A. dramatic irony
    • B. situational irony
    • C. verbal irony

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Answer key: Verbal, situational and dramatic irony

  1. 1. A. verbal irony

  2. 2. B. situational irony

  3. 3. B. situational irony

  4. 4. C. verbal irony

  5. 5. B. dramatic irony

  6. 6. C. dramatic irony

  7. 7. A. dramatic irony

  8. 8. B. situational irony