Arbeitsblatt: Superstitions

Superstitions This unit should take 1-2 hours, depending on time, interest, and extension activities. It is designed for intermediate students age 12 and above. Objectives Students will: • Learn vocabulary relating to superstitions • Familiarize themselves with American superstitions • Read passage and work on reading comprehension • Practice the future conditional tense Activities Activity I: Superstitions Quiz (15 minutes) Distribute the quiz to the students. Have students answer the questions. Brainstorm with students about superstitions, and ask them to share superstitions from their countries (for example, in Spanish-speaking countries, Friday the 13th is Tuesday the 13th; in France and Spain, they say touch wood to avoid back luck etc.). Quiz: Superstitions 1) Would you refuse to live on the 13th floor? 2) Would you open an umbrella while you are inside building? 3) Would you turn around to avoid passing black cat? 4) Would you cross the street to avoid walking underneath ladder? 5) Do you throw salt over your left shoulder if you have spilled some on the table? 6) Do you say, God Bless you, after somebody sneezes? 7) Do you knock on wood to avoid spoiling your good fortune? 8) Do you carry rabbit foot for good luck? After students finish the quiz, have them share their answers. Then ask them to total their scores and let them know which category they fall into: 6-8 yes answers: You are very superstitious person! Make sure that all of your friends know about your beliefs so that they dont get you in trouble. 3-5 yes answers: While you might observe many of these superstitious beliefs, you do not let them govern your life. 0-2 yes answers: You prefer to live firmly in the world of reality without letting any otherworldly beliefs keep you from living your life. Do students agree with the results of the quiz? 1 Activity II: Vocabulary (15 minutes) Distribute this list and ask students to define the words on the page. The words are found in the context in the quiz and in the text on page 3. Vocabulary: Superstitions Friday the 13th to break mirror holiday to celebrate ladder to cross your fingers origin to knock on wood pagan to open an umbrella supernatural to spill salt superstition symbol talisman tradition 2 Activity III: Reading (25 minutes) Have students read the text in the box. Then ask the following comprehension questions. 1. What is one explanation for our beliefs in superstitions? 2. Why were peasants prone to believing in superstitions? 3. What is possible explanation for the superstition about Friday the 13th? 4. What can you give someone who wants good luck? Superstitious? Me? Are you nervous if salt is spilled? Do you take special care of all of your mirrors so they dont break? Most of us have never had an accident right after walking under ladder, knock on wood. But we all feel bit uneasy if we do. Were aware of countless superstitions covering everything from black cats to breaking mirrors. But where does this uneasiness come from? Why do we persist in these beliefs even though our rational sides tell us that they are ridiculous? One explanation may be because these supernatural beliefs are so deeply rooted in our culture. They have been passed down from generation to generation in both families and in books and movies. Many of our holidays can be traced to roots in certain cults; but we persist on celebrating them. But as superstitious as American culture might be today, it doesnt compare to Europe in the Middle Ages. In those days, peasants, who didnt have the benefits of our modern technology, had to explain all natural phenomena with supernatural explanations. Peasants were scared of the forests because they were places associated with witches and warlocks. Knocking on wood was supposed to keep the evil spirits from coming out to spoil their good fortune. But we like to think that these peasants were ancient history. We arent scared of the forest anymore, we still continue this tradition: If you knock on wood, everything will be fine. While many people refuse to see any validity in superstitions, others continue to believe that there are other forces at work that can influence events on earth. Even if sometimes people dont believe in the dangers of black cats or breaking mirrors, they will often believe in luck. Remind them that many superstitions revolve around protecting or acquiring luck. Luck, after all, cannot be explained by science. rabbit foot in your briefcase may not be such bad idea after all. 3 Activity IV: Grammar (20 minutes) Use the 10 sentences in the box to practice the conditional type with if present future. Explain that the first verb is in the present tense then the second verb will be in the future tense. What will Happen? Link to Unit 9 NSE2 Create conditional sentences where the first verb is in the present tense and the second verb is in the future tense. Start each sentence with If. Add prepositions and articles where necessary. Follow the model. Model: You see black cat have bad luck If you see black cat you will have bad luck. / bring tiger eye win happiness If bring tiger eye, will win happiness. 1. / see black cat turn round and run 2. Sally have test on Friday 13th fail 3. Frank break mirror be upset 4. Your mom talk about people misfortunes knock on wood 5. Dracula see daylight die 6. He buy lotto ticket cross fingers 7. We find good one see psychic 8. They see ghost believe in the supernatural 9. Bill and Hillary get rabbit foot win the election 10. You get talisman be fine Activity V: The Best Source Competition! (15 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to come up with plausible explanation for the origin of the superstition which dictates that walking under ladder is bad luck. Have each group write their source. Then take all of the explanations, plus the real one below and put them together in pile without revealing the real one to the students. Read each of the sources out loud and at the end have each students vote for the best one. Award one point to every student who chose the correct explanation, and one point to every student whose explanation was chosen by somebody else. Therefore each group has the incentive to write convincing source. Real Explanation: Walking under ladder was bad luck because ladder leaning against wall formed triangle and the Egyptians believed very strongly in the power of pyramids and triangles. To break the triangle was considered very dangerous. Activity VI: Superstitions of the 21st century (20-30 minutes) Have each students write new superstition for the new century. Have them create an origin that is rooted in something happening today. For instance, it might become bad luck to say, Surfing the web on Sunday, no dates on Monday. 4