Language Resident Name: Aleksandra Bystrova
Date: 02/01/2022
Class theme/topics discussed: Myths and Mythical Creatures
Goal of the class:
- To learn more about Russian traditional mythical creatures
- To practice storytelling
- Ice breaking
How did you structure the class?
- Warm up (10 mins): Discussion
1) What is myth/mythology?
2) Why do people need myths?
3) Do people use myths in the modern world?
2. Activity 1. Mythical creatures of your culture or region (20 min)
I present to students 3 most famous Karelian (Russian/Slav) mythical creatures and explain how you can “meet” them in real life. Leshiy (the host of the forest), Vodyanoi (the host of the lakes and ponds) and Domovoi (the house creature).
After demonstrating my students those creatures, I ask them to think about one example of mythical creatures from their home region. After small research, they share their characters with the rest of the class.
3. Activity 2. Create a story (30 minutes)
I ask my students to come up with a story, where every mythical creature (that students presented) meets each other. I explain my students the rules of composing any story before they begin. They create visual story (like comics), where their chosen creatures meet each other and deal with a problem.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It is easier for advanced students to discuss this topic. They have more vocabulary to answer questions about myths and mythology. I had only 5 students, so I decided not to split them in groups and let them work together as a team.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I would dedicate two classes to discussing the myths and mythical creatures. It is a broad topic that deserves to be covered. I would find a cartoon or a Youtube video, where the characters from my culture are presented. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jva7QXMziL0