MYTHICAL CREATURES F A L L 2 0 1 6
LEARNING GOALS I will be able to summarize what mythical creatures are and their importance to cultures/societies (why they are subjects of art). I will be able to develop my own idea for a mythical creature that explains or teaches something to help my culture/community.
TABLE TALK & SHARE Answer the following questions with your tablemates. Everyone must say at least 2 things! Have one person be ready to share a thought from your discussion. What is a mythical creature? What mythical creatures can you think of? Think of one of those examples and name its characteristics. Have you seen these types of creatures in artwork before? If so, where? Share one thought from your group.
WHAT ARE MYTHICAL CREATURES? Human and animal traits Greek Centaur Part horse and part man Egyptian Sphinx Lion body with a man s head Greek Sphinx Lion body with a woman s head Neptune, Roman God of the Sea Half man, half fish
WHERE ELSE HAVE WE SEEN THESE CREATURES Art? Movies? Books? Mythology?
WHY DO THESE EXIST? To explain natural phenomenon (lightening, etc.) and human interactions (like jealousy, etc.) across cultures. To teach Lessons Morals Warnings Creation Are these teachings different today? Think about where you see these types of creatures in art, movies, books, etc. Do they also teach lessons, morals, or warnings? Anything else?
PANDORA S BOX In one myth, Zeus created an incredibly beautiful and nearly perfect woman named Pandora. Her one flaw was that she was very curious and suspicious. Hermes, Zeus's messenger, gave Pandora a golden box. He warned her never to open it because terrible things would occur if she did. But Pandora could hardly contain her curiosity and eventually broke down and opened the special box. Out from the box flew all the evils that plague humanity: famine, greed, pain, sorrow, etc. Only one thing remained in the box hope which humans managed to hold on to. This myth explains the origins of human misfortune. At the same time, it teaches a moral lesson by warning of the dangers of curiosity.
YOUR JOB Write a story and create a NEW creature that would be useful to our society or community. Requirements: Must be part animal and part human. Must teach a lesson, moral, or warning for our current time period and society/community. Story must be 7-10 sentences. Must partner up to share story and sketches and make revisions as necessary to improve work (both writing and artwork). Options: May be part object or part machine.
STUDENT EXAMPLE THE FISH OR MAN The fisherman lived in a small village and caught fish for the people of the village. Fishing was his profession and very important for the nourishment and health of his family and friends. The long hours he spent on his boat caused him to become friendly with one special fish in the harbor. The fish told him of his yearnings to be able to know the pleasures of living on land. The fisherman was curious about life under the water. The two friends decided to exchange parts of their bodies so each could exist in the other s life. They enjoyed the wonders they found but agreed family and friends were too important to abandon. The fisherman and fish remained special friends forever each in his own world.
TODAY S STEPS Brainstorm your creature and story What physical traits will it have? What kind of personality, abilities, etc. does it have? How will it help our current society or community Write story (7-10 sentences) Story should explain its purpose (Does it teach a lesson? Does it explain a phenomenon? Does it explain a human interaction-think about how we interact today versus in ancient times!) Sketch creature using the form of your pinch pot as the foundation
STEPS Brainstorm-think of physical traits as well as personality, abilities, etc. Write story (7-10 sentences) Sketch creature using the form of your pinch pot as the foundation Find a partner YOU DO NOT KNOW to share your story and sketch with. Use a sticky note to provide feedback to your partner. Make sure you put your name on the sticky note. One +, one Make revisions based on your partner's feedback Watch demo Plan out what techniques you need to use to create your creature with clay (modeling, slab, coil, etc.) Add features to your pinch pot We will then let our clay dry, fire them, and glaze them.
WEBSITES https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/magical_creatures_in_harry_potter#dobby http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/satyr http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/56651/bigfoot-skull-found/ http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/picture-of-month/showlarge.aspx?id=302 http://www.ushistory.org/civ/5c.asp http://cdn.dick-blick.com/lessonplans/mythical-beasts/mythical-beasts-mythicalbeasts.pdf