LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify a range of health benefits associated with laughter; distinguish facts from myths about laughter; describe a variety of ways to make laughing a habit.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 1: Comprehend concepts to promote health and disease prevention.

CASEL: Self-management, self-awareness

KEY VOCAB

spontaneous

neural

diaphragm

Lesson Plan: Your Body on Laughter

The health benefits of laughing are no joke.

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the article “Your Body On... Laughter,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

How does laughter affect your mind, body, and mood?

READING AND DISCUSSING

  • Have your students read the article “Your Body On... Laughter” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION AND VOCAB


Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:
  • Comprehension Quiz
  • Vocab Builder

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following writing prompt:

In THE BEST MEDICINE, students will write a one- to three-page page essay about something laugh-out-loud funny that happened to them in real life. They should begin by telling the story of what made them LOL, and reflect on how laughing made them feel in that situation. Then, have them consider ways they can make laughter a habit in their everyday lives.

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