Satire Writing Assignment

Satire Writing Assignment

With a partner, design, develop, and write your own satire, according to the following criteria:

1.  Has a specific target and presents a solution to the problem—something or someone (or a group of things or people) that you satirize in order to point out failings, hypocrisy, social problems, ignorance, insensitivity, prejudice, etc. In other words: it makes some kind of important point.

2.  Implies a thesis! Before you start writing, identify not just the topic about which you want to write your satire but what your actual thesis is. What is your intended effect on your audience? NOTE: the thesis will not be in the satire but you need to have it clear before you start writing.

3.  Uses any, some, or all of the satire techniques:

· Exaggeration

· Verbal irony

· Hyperbole

· Understatement

· Situational irony

· Faulty or inconsistent parallelism (of tone, ideas, and/or examples)

· Wit (humor)

· Unreliable speaker

4.  Is creative and at least 2 pages hand-written, single spaced.

5.  Shows your understanding of how satire works.

6.  Reflects equal input by both writers.

Possible satirical topics (remember: this is just a topic; you must take an angle on it):

·  Academic Dishonesty

·  Acid Rain

·  Addiction

·  Air Pollution

·  Aliens and UFO's

·  Animal Experimentation

·  Animal Welfare

·  Armed Conflicts

·  Bermuda Triangle

·  Biological and Chemical Weapons

·  Body Piercings

·  Capital Punishment

·  Censorship

·  Child Labor

·  Creationism vs. Evolution

·  Dieting

·  Drunk Driving

·  Endangered Species

·  Ethnic Violence

·  Foreign Oil Dependence

·  Gambling

·  Gangs

·  Gay Marriage

·  Gay Rights

·  Genetic Engineering

·  Global Warming

·  Gun Control

·  Hate Crime

·  Health Care Policy

·  Homeless in America

·  Human Cloning

·  Immigration

·  Marriage and Divorce

·  Media Violence

·  Minimum Wage

·  Poverty

·  Rain Forests

·  Recycling

·  Religious Right

·  Smoking

·  Space Exploration

·  Teen Pregnancy

·  Terrorism

·  Tobacco Industry

·  Vaccinations

·  Violent Video Games

·  Weapons Disarmament

·  Welfare Reform

·  Women in the Military

·  Women's Rights

A Look at School Dress Codes

by Lisa Tognola

Some school administrators are giving increasing attention to cracks (not the kind in the school system). Principal L. of Joy Kill High says he recently revised the rules to ensure that students come to school dressed appropriately. Students can wear what they please off-campus he explained, but will no longer be allowed to come to school looking unclean, messy or “ like a ho.”

When asked during an on-campus interview the reason for the policy changes, Mr. L. replied, “The girls’ low cut blouses and short skirts are distracting. Just take a look at that student at the drinking fountain wearing a mini skirt. That skirt doesn’t even cover her . . . it doesn’t . . . it . . . .I’m sorry, what was the question?”

The new regulations prohibit any clothing with inappropriate messages, as well as halter-tops, low cut tops, short skirts and low-rise pants that fall below the horizon. Large hoop earrings are not allowed. The new benchmark: hoops are too big if they are large enough to train a medium-sized circus poodle.

Backpack rules have also changed. In efforts to reduce the incidence of dangerous, stolen or illegal goods, all backpacks are to remain in student lockers at all times. Sophomore Lou Pole opposes the backpack policy change. “What am I supposed to do, haul my books to class in a grocery cart?” His solution: to stop using books all together.

“Having all these new rules is lame,” complains Pole. “I mean, what are they going to tell me next, which side I should part my hair?”

For others, the rules have generated confusion. Sheila Blige still doesn’t understand why she was sent home for wearing plaid shorts with a polka-a-dot blouse. Her math teacher insists, “Her mixed patterns interfered with my geometry lesson.”

The dress code committee has listed suitable alternatives, also fitting for: The Royal Wedding, a White House Correspondent’s dinner, and a Tony Bennett concert.

Moore said the school intends to revise the rules as needed. “One student came to school wearing a Lady Gaga style meat dress which technically fell within the guidelines, but the flies were so distracting we had to send the student home.”

Moore added, “We know the rules are rigid, but we can’t allow students to dress in a fashion that distracts from learning.”

As a helpful reminder, the school has posted the new policies on the Internet, which students are free to check via their smart phones during class.

(accessed from http://www.more.com/school-dress-code-humor)