Pocket MadLibs

Pocket MadLibs is the classic writing game in app form! After launching the app, users first select a passage from a famous piece of literature (e.g. Ozymandias, Night Before Christmas, or Patrick Henry’s Speech among others) and they are then prompted to customize it by adding different parts of speech. Once added, users tap the “See Story” button to view their Mad Lib, and they can share it via email or another app.

Please Note: Only a limited amount of Mad Libs are available for free. Users must make an in-app purchase to access additional Mad Libs.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can allow students to create a Mad Lib in this app and then read it to another student, small group of students, or the entire class.
2. Teachers can have students complete the same Mad Lib twice. The first Mad Lib must be outrageous and bizarre. The second Mad Lib must be sensible and logical. After completing the same Mad Lib twice, the student who wrote it can then compare the two versions of the same Mad Lib using the Venn Diagram app. Students would have to include characteristics specific to each Mad Lib and identify shared attributes. When complete, students can email their teacher both the Mad Libs and Venn diagram they completed.
3. Once students understand how Mad Libs function, teachers can have them create a short story or passage that is a few hundred words long. Next, teachers can require students to remove a specific amount of language from the story or passage (e.g., three verbs, two singular nouns, five adjectives, etc.). Next, students can be put in pairs and the student who wrote the story can ask his or her partner for words to replace the language that was completed. As the partner supplies the words, the student who wrote the original story or passage can insert the new language to complete the Mad Lib. When finished, the student who wrote the Mad Lib can read his or her partner both the original Mad Lib and the new version that uses the partner’s word choice.
4. Teachers can create a friendly class competition to see who can create the most entertaining Mad Lib. To participate in the contest, students will have to complete a Mad Lib and read it in front of the class. All students will assign the Mad Lib a score from 1-5 and the student who has the highest average will be the Mad Lib Class Champion! To celebrate, the teacher can print out the Mad Lib and hang it on the wall.