Share this book
After reading Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic, have students write a short (2-3 minutes) stand-up-style monologue about a personal experience, frustration, or observation with the goal of communicating a truth through humor.
Before students begin writing, spend time developing a shared understanding of humor. As a class, discuss: What makes something funny? Are some types of comedy more universal than others? What is inappropriate humor, and why is it inappropriate?
While students can’t take Lara’s class, they can learn what Brosh learns from her stand-up instructor: “the actual structure of a joke: setup, punchline.” Students can also watch age-appropriate comedy sets to study the techniques of a variety of comics and get a feel for how they construct their jokes—though transcribing bits by hand to better understand their pacing and poetry can be optional! And, like Brosh, students will need to write, test, and rewrite before their routines are ready.
To help students develop material for their own comedic voice, discuss how comics in the book and the comedians they’ve watched communicate their truths. Talk about how comedy grows out of personal experiences, observations, frustrations, and eccentricities and help students see how they can present what they notice about themselves, their relationships, or the world around them in surprising, exaggerated, or unexpected ways.
Culminate in a classroom comedy showcase for students who are ready for the spotlight!
Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing
- What does it mean to “speak your truth”? What truths does Brosh want the world to know? What does Brosh learn about speaking your truth over the course of the novel?
- How is developing a comedy routine similar to finding your own voice? How does stand-up help Brosh understand herself better? What does she learn about who she is and who she wants to be?
- How is Brosh’s introduction to the world of stand-up influenced by her relationship with Teddy? What causes her perspective on both stand-up and Teddy to shift? Have you ever had an experience that made you see a person or an activity in a new light? What did you learn from it?
- How can you tell the difference between jokes that reinforce stereotypes and those that challenge them? How does Brosh’s comedy differ from comedians who "punch down" at marginalized groups? What does her approach reveal about the kind of comedian she wants to be? What do you think of comedians who “punch down”? Do you think comedy has more impact when it "punches up" rather than "punches down"? Why or why not?
- How does Brosh come to understand her mom and dad as individuals with their own dreams, fears, and flaws? How does this change her relationships with each of them and help her ideas about what family and home are to evolve?
- How does Brosh learn to separate her self-worth from other people’s opinions about her appearance? What experiences and relationships help her to do that?
Related Resources
BBC Comedy Classroom for Secondary Schools
A Mini-Unit on Joke-Telling from Two Writing Teachers
Humor Writing: Getting Students Started in Creating Their Own Laughs by Carly Nicholson
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