Principles of Knowledge teacher David Townsend passed around several types of props to the class. Senior Sarah Jones took the chicken hat and eagerly put it on. She exchanged looks with the person sitting in front of her.

On November 15, principles of knowledge students were assigned to find a joke and recite it to the class. After they told the joke, Humanities teacher David Townsend instructed them to explain why it was funny.

“I enjoyed all aspects of joke day,” Jones said. “It gave the day a goofy connotation. Most of the jokes were pretty funny, some were lame, but all jokes somehow seem humorous in a school setting.”

“You may think explaining why something is funny as a simple task, but it isn’t,” junior Liz Jensen said. “I think I did well executing the joke to the class, they laughed and praised me for my cleverness, but when Mr. Townsend said to explain, I was sort of lost for words. – jokes are funny because they just are.”

After all the jokes were told, Townsend explained the categories of jokes and recited many examples, all with his rainbow wig on.

“The thing I want the students to take away from this lesson is something as silly as a joke requires thought,” Townsend said. “Things that may seem simple are often complex, so if you can explain it with a joke or humor, you’re more likely to get it.”

Joke Day from Talon Online on Vimeo.