Bring a bestselling author into your classroom and help pupils write non-fiction that’s both funny and fascinating.

In this episode of Author in Your Classroom, Dara Ó Briain (comedian, television presenter and author of Is There Anybody Out There?) shows pupils how to combine humour with factual writing. Pupils will learn how to select a topic, research information and use jokes, quirky facts and a conversational tone to make their writing engaging and enjoyable.

This teaching sequence supports pupils in creating non-fiction pieces that entertain as well as inform, taking inspiration from a master of humorous writing. Short extracts from the podcast are suggested to illustrate key ideas, but listening isn’t essential.

Resource pack contents

This free classroom pack supports a full non-fiction writing unit and includes:

• Ready-to-use PowerPoint
• Extract from Is There Anybody Out There?
• Planning sheets for topic selection, research and adding humour
• Working wall images and quotes for inspiration
• Themed writing paper for drafting and presenting pupils’ work

Teaching overview

Across five sessions, pupils will:

• Use humour to engage: Explore how jokes, quirky facts and playful writing can make non-fiction more fun while still informative. Pupils discuss types of humour and consider potential benefits and pitfalls.
• Select a topic: Choose a subject they are interested in and think about how to make it engaging for readers, using planning sheets to gather ideas and conduct research.
• Add humour: Experiment with different types of humour in their writing, identifying examples from Dara’s book and thinking about how to add “colour” and silliness without losing key information.
• Use a conversational tone: Learn how sentence structure, rhetorical questions, repetition and direct comments to the reader create a friendly, approachable style. Pupils practise applying these techniques.
• Write a non-fiction piece: Draft and edit a non-fiction page that combines facts, humour and a conversational tone. Pupils consider layout, illustrations and presentation to engage their reader.

The unit also encourages reflection, allowing pupils to think about how humour, tone and topic choice affect their writing and how they might apply these techniques in other work.

How to listen

Search for Author In Your Classroom wherever you get your podcasts. A free resources pack is available with every episode.

Subscribe to hear more brilliant children’s authors share insider tips that help pupils write with confidence, purpose and flair.

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