Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What is satire, and how is it used to send a message or make social commentary? How does satire differ from other kinds of humor? What are some examples of satirical books, movies, TV shows, or comics?

Teaching Suggestion: The article linked below defines and explains satire with lists of examples in literature, television, and movies. Students might be prompted with examples to help them get started. Most students may be familiar with examples from popular culture such as The Simpsons and South Park; from their academic classes, students may be familiar with the works of Jonathan Swift, Voltaire, or Mark Twain.

• This article provides a clear description of satire and gives examples.
• This post on the Oregon State University's School of Writing, Literature, and Film homepage includes a brief video explaining the types of satire and features a transcript of the video in both English and Spanish as well as linked definitions and further examples and resources.
• This online gallery (teacher-appropriate; not student-facing) from the First Amendment Museum houses examples of political cartoons, grouped by era since the early 1700s; however, the cartoons in the gallery’s 2000-present era might have more accessible contexts for students. This is recommended as a teacher-facing resource; consider sharing a select few cartoons that are appropriate for your classroom and that demonstrate the elements of satire and cartoon design to support students in this Short Answer section and the below Short Activity.

Short Activity

Write a satirical anecdote or draw a satirical cartoon. Explain what makes the piece satirical in your notes or a reading journal and share your explanation aloud when you present the satirical piece.

Teaching Suggestion: To assist students who struggle with identifying a topic to satirize, consider suggesting they satirize a well-known fairy tale or a recent news article. You may also consider encouraging partner work during or peer critiques afterward to allow students to idea-share and refine their work before sharing with the larger group.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What examples of hypocrisy or ironic behavior and beliefs have you encountered in your own life, including in the media or as demonstrated by political, historical, or social-media figures? How do you recognize hypocrisy—what, to you, are the telltale signs of it?

Teaching Suggestion: Satire is often used to call out and ridicule hypocrisy and injustice. Students might be prompted to think about concerns that they don’t think adults, especially politicians and policy makers, take seriously enough. The movie Mean Girls is an example of satire pertaining to teenage relationships. The following article from The Onion explores issues that might be familiar to students.

• “Wealthy Teen Nearly Experiences Consequence” from The Onion (2008) is a satirical article about privilege and responsibility based on an actual event.