Last Week Tonight
This unit invites students to explore John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight as a body of work using guided inquiry. The teacher may choose one or more episodes to use as a mentor text to teach satire as well as point out some of Oliver’s recurring structural and stylistic choices. In this unit, students are invited to choose which long segments they want to explore based on topics of personal interest and write about the segment’s content, style, and approach.
Students will need access to an online discussion forum to complete the posts as well as respond to one another. This unit gives students opportunity to have choice, but also collaborate, which has proven to be one of the biggest challenges of online learning. This unit could easily be adapted for in-person learning as well, with students viewing episodes at home and coming to class to meet with their partners and small groups to further discuss the episodes (and the student’s original posts) in person.
Unit: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Learning Targets:
- I can identify, synthesize, and verbalize John Oliver’s primary persuasive argument made in a long segment of Last Week Tonight.
- I can discuss how Oliver uses information and primary source documentation to support his argument.
- I can identify at least three choices John Oliver makes that have the effect of creating humor.
- I can evaluate the episode and discuss the factors that contribute to my evaluation.
Over the next four classes, you will watch six long segments of Last Week Tonight (two each day), all of which are available on the show’s YouTube Channel. It does not matter to me which long segments you watch each day; you are free to choose whichever segments interest you.
As verbalized in the learning target, the ultimate goal here is to appreciate how an individual makes a persuasive argument while entertaining an audience. John Oliver is a satirist which means that his aim is to criticize. When an individual critically evaluates something, they are making an argument with an aim to persuade the viewer to look at the subject differently. This becomes satire when humor is created through choices made by the writer or host (noting that humor can also be ‘dark’). As you are watching each segment, take notes on identifying the argument, identifying the evidence Oliver uses to support his argument, and identifying choices that Oliver makes to create humor.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Day 1
Learning Targets:
Must do:
- I can identify, synthesize, and verbalize John Oliver’s primary persuasive argument made in a long segment of Last Week Tonight.
Can do:
- I can identify where I am in relation to the argument before and during the video, and I can discuss how my own position is affecting my viewing experience.
Assignment
Watch two long segments from the archives of Last Week Tonight. Choose one segment to focus on.
Task: Discussion Post
In the post you must:
- Identify which two segments you watched.
- Write one sentence for one of the episodes that clearly and specifically identifies what John Oliver is persuading the audience to think in relation to his chosen subject.
You can:
- Write a few sentences discussing your own position in relation to the argument before watching the video and discuss how your own position affected your viewing experience.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Day 2
Learning Targets:
Must do:
- I can identify, synthesize, and verbalize John Oliver’s primary persuasive argument made in a long segment of Last Week Tonight.
- I can identify and discuss how Oliver uses information and primary source documentation to support his argument.
Can do:
- I can write a few sentences evaluating the strengths and limitations of Oliver’s use of information and primary source documentation as ‘evidence’ in support of his argument.
Assignment
Watch two more long segments from the archives of Last Week Tonight. Choose one segment to focus on. You can look at the segments that your classmates did last class if you want to make connections with others or are looking for inspiration.
Task: Discussion Post
In the post, you must:
- Identify which segment you are focusing on.
- Write one sentence for one of the segments that clearly and specifically identifies what John Oliver is persuading the audience to think in relation to his chosen subject.
- Choose what you deem to be the most significant piece of information or primary source documentation that Oliver uses to support his argument. (Keeping in mind, you don’t have to agree with the argument, but you can still identify what you would deem to be the most important piece of evidence he has to support it).
- Discuss the use of this ‘most significant’ piece of evidence – why did you choose it? When is it delivered in the segment? How is it delivered? What is it about the evidence that might persuade viewers?
You can:
- Write a few sentences evaluating the strengths and limitations of Oliver’s use of information and primary source documentation as ‘evidence’ in support of his argument.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Day 3
Learning Targets:
Must do:
- I can engage with my classmate’s response to John Oliver’s show by agreeing, disagreeing, or building on their statement of what John Oliver is trying to argue in the segment.
- I can identify and discuss how Oliver uses information and primary source documentation to support his argument that was not addressed by my classmate.
Can do:
- I can evaluate the strengths and limitations of Oliver’s use of information and primary source documentation as ‘evidence’ in support of his argument. My evaluation may confirm, challenge, or build upon my classmate’s evaluation.
Assignment
Choose one classmate’s discussion post to engage with; this classmate’s discussion post needs to be on a long segment from Last Week Tonight that you have NOT yet written about in post 1 or 2. Watch (or re-watch) the segment from the discussion post and write a response that includes the details outlined below. You may choose any post to respond to; the individual does not need to be in your same blocked class.
Task: Discussion Post Response
In the post response, you must:
- Write 1-3 sentences that agree, disagree, or builds on your classmate’s statement of what John Oliver is trying to argue in this segment.
- Choose what you deem to be the most significant piece (or second most significant piece) of information or primary source documentation that Oliver uses to support his argument. The piece of information/primary source documentation you identify should be different than what the original post discusses.
- Discuss the use of this ‘most (or 2nd most) significant’ piece of evidence:
- Why did you choose it?
- When is it delivered in the segment?
- How is it delivered?
- What is it about the evidence that might persuade viewers?
- What significant similarities or differences does this piece of evidence share with the piece of evidence that your classmate discussed? (You might consider the appeal, approach, effect, etc.)
You can:
- Write a few sentences evaluating the strengths and limitations of Oliver’s use of information and primary source documentation as ‘evidence’ in support of his argument. Your evaluation may confirm, challenge, or build upon your classmate’s evaluation.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Day 4
Learning Targets:
Must do:
- I can identify, synthesize, and verbalize John Oliver’s primary persuasive argument made in a long segment of Last Week Tonight.
- I can identify 2-3 devices/choices that work to create humor in a segment of Last Week Tonight.
- I can break down and discuss how these choices create humor and contribute to the persuasive argument that Oliver is making in the segment.
Can do:
- I can identify audiences that might not find humor in these choices and provide an explanation of why it might not be funny, or might even be offensive, to particular audiences.
Assignment
Choose one more episode to watch from Last Week Tonight. Write a response that discusses the choices that Oliver makes to create humor in the segment and the ways in which they contribute to the point or effectiveness of his overall argument.
Task: Discussion Post
In the discussion post response, you must:
- Identify which segment you are focusing on.
- Write one sentence for one of the segments that clearly and specifically identifies what John Oliver is persuading the audience to think in relation to his chosen subject.
- Identify 2-3 devices/choices that work to create humor in the segment (see attached list of devices).
- Discuss how these choices create humor and contribute to the persuasive argument that Oliver is making in the segment.
You can:
- Write 2-3 sentences identifying audiences that might not find humor in these choices and provide an explanation of why it might not be funny, or might even be offensive, to particular audiences.
Literary Features Commonly Associated with Satire
The most common literary devices used in satire and their definitions are provided below. This list is by no means exhaustive; you may also apply your knowledge of literary features from other parts of the course.
| Term | Definition |
| Analogy | a comparison of two things made to explain something unfamiliar through its similarities to something familiar or to prove one point based on the acceptance of another. |
| Hyperbole | deliberate exaggeration used to achieve an effect. |
| Incongruity | to present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings. Particular techniques include oxymoron, metaphor, and irony. |
| Invective | speech or writing that attacks, insults, or denounces a person, topic, or institution, usually involving negative emotional language. |
| Irony | the effect of language in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated. |
| Juxtaposition | placing two entities in close proximity to highlight a contrast or comparison. |
| Parody | an imitation of a signature style of a particular work in a ridiculous manner. A typical parody adopts the style of the original and applies it to an inappropriate subject for humorous effect. |
| Pun | a play on words that have similar sounds but different meanings. |
| Symbolism | something that suggests or stands for something else. |
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Day 5
Learning Targets:
Must do:
- I can engage with my classmate’s response to John Oliver’s show by agreeing, disagreeing, or building on their statement of what John Oliver is trying to argue in the segment.
- I can identify and discuss how Oliver uses humor that was not addressed by my classmate.
Can do:
- I can evaluate Oliver’s use of humor in support of his argument. My evaluation may confirm, challenge, or build upon my classmate’s evaluation.
Assignment
Choose one classmate’s discussion post to engage with who you have not responded to before; this classmate’s discussion post needs to be on a long segment from Last Week Tonight that you have NOT yet written about. Watch (or re-watch) the segment from the discussion post and write a response that includes the details outlined below. You may choose any post to respond to; the individual does not need to be in your same blocked class.
Task: Discussion Post Response
In the discussion post response, you must:
- Write 1-2 sentences that agree, disagree or build on your classmate’s statement of what John Oliver is trying to argue in this segment.
- Identify 2-3 devices/choices that work to create humor in the segment that your classmate did not choose to discuss (see attached list of devices).
- Discuss how these choices create humor and contribute to the persuasive argument that Oliver is making in the segment.
- Discuss what significant similarities or differences these choices share with the examples of humor your classmate chose to discuss (You might consider the appeal, approach, effect, etc.)
You can:
- Evaluate Oliver’s use of humor in support of his argument. Your evaluation may confirm, challenge, or build upon your classmate’s evaluation.