When students are asked to write, they often think of essays, reports or stories. But what happens when we invite them to write for the screen, or – better yet – to write comedy?
Suddenly the classroom fills with energy, laughter and collaboration. Comedy scriptwriting can make for fun lessons, and it’s a powerful tool for building media and critical literacy.
Why comedy and why now?
Children’s screen content holds a unique and powerful place in Australian classrooms. When students see themselves reflected on screen, they receive an important message: your story matters. Quality Australian programs such as Little Lunch, Hardball and The Inbestigators (all set in and around primary schools) not only entertain but also reflect our diversity and unique Australian humour. These shows foster empathy and inclusion while providing authentic, relatable contexts that deepen learning and engagement.
Screen texts provide a unique entry point for teaching media and critical literacy – capabilities essential for preparing thoughtful, engaged citizens.
When students step into the role of scriptwriter, they move beyond being passive consumers of media and become active creators. They gain insight into the choices and processes behind screen production, learning to question and analyse what they see.
Just as importantly, they begin building a versatile storytelling toolkit that empowers them to share their own voices and perspectives across multiple platforms.
Why comedy? Because it’s universal, accessible and full of joy. It’s the perfect entry point for students, inviting them to experiment with ideas, take creative risks and play with language in ways that feel safe and engaging. Through comedy, students discover how timing, tone and structure can turn everyday situations into something memorable and hilarious.
Character, timing and conflict
The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) has co-created a Comedy Scriptwriting Resource for the classroom with ACMI. There are short clips, script excerpts, and a recorded virtual workshop leading into tailored writing prompts to help guide students in creating their own scripts.
When we introduce comedy in the classroom, students often feel they already understand it; they know what makes them laugh. As educators, our role is to guide them beyond instinct and into analysis – unpacking why comedy works on screen. By breaking it down, we reveal the craft behind the humour and give students tools they can apply in their own writing.
For primary school students, we break comedy into 3 essential elements:
Characters: Quirky, distinctive personalities bring humour through their interactions and quirks. For example, in The Inbestigators Ezra’s overblown confidence colliding with Maudie’s blunt logic is comedy gold. Their differences don’t just entertain, they teach students about characterisation, dialogue and voice.
A scene from The Inbestigators.
Timing: Comedy lives in the pause, the beat and the unexpected. Hardball shows this beautifully: Mikey’s offbeat reactions and understated delivery land precisely because of how and when they are said. Practising timing helps students understand rhythm in language and the power of restraint.
Conflict: When characters want different things, misunderstandings erupt. For example, in Little Lunch competing goals or expectations commonly lead to comic chaos. Students quickly learn that conflict isn’t always about fighting, it’s about clashing goals, perspectives and approaches.
A scene from Little Lunch.
These elements mirror the narrative structures students encounter across all text types. What comedy offers is a sharper, funnier lens for exploring them. Together, these examples give students practical, relatable ways to analyse narrative structure while sparking ideas for their own writing.
Learning benefits
Using comedy scriptwriting in the classroom offers students a dynamic way to develop language and literacy skills. Crafting dialogue, structuring scenes and writing descriptive action helps students practise voice, tone and narrative techniques in a meaningful way.
Writing in a different form, such as scriptwriting, can also engage students who may be less motivated by traditional writing tasks, providing an alternative avenue to express their ideas and build confidence with language.
Comedy scriptwriting also supports media literacy as well as critical and creative thinking. By moving from viewing screen content to creating their own scripts, students develop a practical understanding of the language, conventions and structure of storytelling for the screen.
Comedy, in particular, encourages students to think analytically about why something is funny, to recognise patterns and timing, and to consider the perspectives and motivations of different characters.
Beyond literacy, comedy scriptwriting promotes collaboration, creativity and engagement. Group writing exercises, table reads and performance activities build teamwork, confidence and presentation skills, while the inherent fun of humour motivates students to participate actively.
Bringing stories to life
When students see their words brought to life through a table read, a class performance or even a filmed scene, they gain a new appreciation for language as a living, performative storytelling tool. They learn how words sound, how timing shifts meaning and how performance adds layers to text.
Most importantly, they learn that their stories are worth telling, that their voice is important – and funny!
Comedy scriptwriting doesn’t just teach literacy, it gives young people the confidence and creativity to see themselves as writers, performers and storytellers.
It is more than an entertaining classroom activity. It’s a pathway into deeper literacy learning, critical thinking and engagement. By embracing laughter, teachers can unlock new ways for students to connect with language, with each other and with the world around them.
In comedy scriptwriting, fun and learning collide. The giggles are just the evidence.
This article was originally a workshop delivered at the ALEA and ACMI State Conference in September 2025. Explore the Comedy Scriptwriting Resource at the link: https://education.actf.com.au/comedy-scriptwriting-resource
Thinking about this term or this year, how could comedy scriptwriting fit within your existing literacy units or complement other text types you teach?
What curriculum links could you incorporate to make the learning activities purposeful, rather than an add-on?
What adjustments will you need to make to ensure all students can participate?
