Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Textual Genre: Fables, Myths, and Legends

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is essential to establish a clear foundation of what is expected for students to learn during the lesson. By defining specific objectives, the teacher guides students in the direction of learning focus and facilitates the assessment of the effectiveness of proposed activities. In this context, the main objectives aim to ensure that students not only identify the textual genres under study but also understand them and are capable of applying this understanding in an analytical and comparative manner.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to recognize and differentiate fables, myths, and legends, identifying their main textual and thematic characteristics.

2. Develop the ability to compare different fables, myths, and legends, allowing for a critical and contextualized interpretation of these genres.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage active participation of students in class discussions, promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences about the studied fables, myths, and legends.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction stage serves to engage students with the content they studied previously and to contextualize the relevance of the textual genres fables, myths, and legends. The problem situations encourage students to apply their knowledge critically and reflect on the complexities of the texts, while the contextualization seeks to connect the study with the real world, increasing students' interest and understanding of how these texts influence our culture and society.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Consider the fable 'The Tortoise and the Hare'. How could this story be interpreted literally and as a metaphor for real life?

2. Imagine you are reading a Greek myth about the emergence of the seasons. What elements of the text indicate that it is a myth and not a scientific explanation? Discuss with a partner.

Contextualization

Fables, myths, and legends are textual genres that have permeated various cultures over the centuries, transmitting values, teachings, and traditions. For example, the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, besides entertaining, teaches a moral lesson about the importance of steadiness and determination. Myths, like the Greek ones, not only explained natural phenomena but also personified forces and human emotions in gods and heroes, helping to understand the world and oneself. Legends, in turn, are narratives that mix historical facts with fantastic elements, creating an atmosphere of mystery and teaching lessons about courage and respect.

Development

Duration: (70 - 80 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to apply and deepen their knowledge about fables, myths, and legends in a practical and interactive context. By working in groups, students develop collaboration and communication skills while exploring the cultural diversity of the textual genres studied. This section is crucial for transforming theoretical learning into practical and critical understanding, ensuring that students not only recognize but also appreciate and question the nuances of these texts.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - The Challenge of Migrating Fables

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop skills in interpretation and cultural adaptation, as well as promote creativity and teamwork.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people. Each group will receive a classic fable from a different culture, such as Aesop's Fable (Greece), an African fable, an indigenous fable, among others. The challenge will be to adapt the received fable to a modern and local context, maintaining the moral of the story and incorporating elements of Brazilian culture.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute to each group a fable of distinct cultural origin.

• Ask each group to analyze the fable, identify its moral, and think about how to adapt it to the current Brazilian reality while maintaining its essence.

• Groups must create a new version of the fable, which can be written, in comic form, or even staged.

• Each group will present its adaptation to the class, explaining the changes made and why they chose those adaptations.

Activity 2 - Myths and Legends Around the World

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Foster understanding of different cultures through their myths and legends while promoting research and presentation skills.

- Description: Students, organized in groups, will receive a myth and a legend from different regions of the world. They will create a giant world map on the classroom floor, positioning each story in its place of origin. Additionally, they will prepare an oral presentation explaining the main elements of each story, their lessons, and how they relate to the geographical and cultural context from which they originate.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Distribute to each group a myth and a legend from different parts of the world.

• Provide materials for the groups to draw the world map on the classroom floor.

• Guide the groups to locate the stories received on the map and prepare a brief presentation about each one.

• Groups will present their findings, explaining the importance of the stories in their cultural and geographical contexts.

Activity 3 - Urban Legends Theater

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Stimulate students' creativity and artistic expression while promoting the understanding of urban legends as part of Brazilian folklore.

- Description: Students, in groups, will choose a Brazilian urban legend to adapt into a short theater play. They will research about the chosen legend, develop a script that maintains the main elements of the story while making it comedic or surprising. The activity will culminate with the presentation of the plays to the entire class.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group chooses a Brazilian urban legend to adapt.

• Groups research their chosen legend and develop a script for a short play, which can be comedic, dramatic, or surprising.

• Groups rehearse the play.

• Each group presents its play to the class, followed by a small discussion about the adaptation choices and the impact of urban legends on Brazilian culture.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback stage is to consolidate learning through the verbalization and sharing of cultural adaptation experiences and interpretations carried out by the students. This discussion allows students to articulate what they have learned, reflect on cultural differences, and apply the concepts of fables, myths, and legends in a broader context. Additionally, it allows the teacher to assess students' understanding and identify areas that may need reinforcement or additional explanations.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher can ask each group to briefly share the cultural context of the fable, myth, or legend they worked on, followed by a description of the main changes made during the adaptation. Then encourage students to discuss how these stories can be relevant or teach something in the current context. For example, ask: 'What values or cultural lessons do you think are most important in the adapted story and why?'

Key Questions

1. What were the biggest challenges in adapting the story from one cultural context to another?

2. How can the moral lessons or teachings present in fables, myths, and legends be applied in real or current situations?

3. Is there any aspect of the story that you could not adapt and why?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The conclusion stage is essential to ensure that students have consolidated the knowledge acquired during the lesson and understood its practical applicability. Summarizing content helps in information retention, while discussing the connection between theory and practice reinforces the importance of what has been learned. Moreover, discussing the cultural and moral relevance of textual genres helps to contextualize learning within a broader and more enduring perspective.

Summary

In the conclusion, the teacher should summarize the main content covered about fables, myths, and legends, reinforcing the characteristics and differences between these textual genres. It should emphasize the moral lessons, cultural elements, and ways of adaptation discussed during the practical activities.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson connected theory with practice by allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in real situations and adapt the studied stories to modern and local contexts. This not only reinforced understanding of textual genres but also developed critical analysis and cultural interpretation skills.

Closing

Finally, it is crucial to highlight the importance of fables, myths, and legends in an individual's cultural and moral formation. These narratives not only entertain but also teach values and preserve traditions, being essential for understanding different cultures and eras.