Jason Alexander

The Power of Laughter

Overview

"The most resonant thing I hear about is that idea of a shared experience... A period of time where joy was elusive and people thank me for helping them laugh." - Jason Alexander, The Thread

Episode Overview

Jason Alexander explores the impact of fame and the powerful connection between celebrities and their audience. He touches on the influence of his parents and acknowledges a deep connection to the culture and values of his Jewish heritage. Alexander discusses the current state of the world, reflects on the importance of hope, and encourages people not to abandon dialogue.

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Lesson Objectives

Social Studies

*Explore the social science of laughter

*Examine pluralism and the civic value of service

English Language Arts

*Examine perspective taking from the point of view of one actor

*Explore the idea of purposeful work and a meaningful life

*Incorporate The Thread episode with Jason Alexander as evidence to write a rhetorical argument, commentary, or synthesis essay

Social Emotional Learning

By offering engaging personal narratives, students can discuss and strengthen the five SEL competencies - self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Critical Media Literacy

Students will stengthen critical media strategies by analyzing information, claims, and sources presented to them through engaging personal narratives in order to empower more informed decisions.

First Take (expand)

The "First Take" activity is a warm-up writing or conversation exercise created uniquely for The Thread to strengthen media literacy skills. Like an opening song in a musical, the first stanza of a poem, or even the first impression one person makes on another, the "First Take" asks students to reflect and share their initial thoughts and feelings about the episode’s opening and why the filmmaker and editor made these choicess.

Download Jason Alexander's lesson to access the complete “First Take” activity.

The Thread Up Close

After watching the interview, students will debrief and discuss the life story and engage in a close read and analysis of her interview using "The Power of Laughter" episode and transcript.

In this lesson, students will explore the theme of hope through the work and point of view of Jason Alexander.

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"The Power of Laughter"

In this lesson students will explore the title of the lesson, examine the science of laughter, and reflect on the social bonds it fosters.

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Resources

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