Subject Area: English Language Arts (B.E.S.T.) | Grade Level: 8
Lesson Length: 1 hour
Keywords/Tags: Mediums (Print, digital, video, multimedia), evaluate, advantages, disadvantages, modern, folklore, superstitions, urban legends, old wives' tales
Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present the topic of "Modern Folklore". First, students will watch a TED-Ed video clip called, "Where Do Superstitions Come From?". In this video, they will learn about the origination and evolution of superstitions, one type of folklore. Next, students will read an article entitled, "Modern Folklore". This article provides definitions, examples, and discusses the validity of three different types of modern folklore: urban legends, old wives' tales, and superstitions. Students will then take a short quiz testing their comprehension with regard to both the video and the article. The purpose behind this is because without a solid comprehension of the information provided by both mediums, students will not be able to produce an evaluation of which medium presented the topic of modern folklore most effectively. After taking the quiz, students will create a t-chart where they identify the advantages and/or disadvantages of utilizing either medium (print or digital) to present the topic of modern folklore. Lastly, students will participate in a forum to explain their final evaluations, answering the following question: "Which medium, print or digital, presented the topic of modern folklore most effectively? Why? Be sure to use examples from both the article and the video to support your evaluation.