Monsters & Dragons: Myths, Legends, & Hoaxes (Semester Course)
Do monsters really exist? Know your monsters from Ancient Greece? Investigate monster myths each week. You will weigh evidence, ask questions, and develop a skeptical lens for looking at the world of monsters. Dragons included! See below.
Leeyanne Moore MFA
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(228)
What's included
10 live meetings
6 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Student led learning involves deciding if the class would like to challenge themselves to a fun quiz each week. If so, students are given a handout to fill out after each class is over. They can use this handout while taking the quiz. Extra handouts with fun challenges related to class are also available.Class Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Our job is to solve the mystery of whether monsters actually exist. If the creature is real--is it a monster? What skills can we use to figure out what's real, what's legend, and when people are simply trying to hoax us? FOR PARENTS: This course gives kids a taste of science-based skepticism while they explore a fascinating topic. Each day in this course the instructor will: -Present students in each class with a fascinating historical account of a 'monster'. -Engage students in learning historical detectives skills--the methods cryptozoologists use in academe to develop theories about animals that haven't been proven to exist. -Guide students in each class through critical thinking exercises in an attempt to develop a healthy sense of skepticism so they can separate fact from legend and hoax about a particular monster. --Help students practice how to logically argue for whether a creature they've studied was real not. Classes 1 - 4: Monsters we know and love from history: Ancient Greek Monsters, Loch Ness Monster, & Dragons In addition to this we will master a cryptozoology method used in academe to find alternative answers to monster sightings. Classes 5 - 8: More classic monsters: vampires, Frankenstein, and werewolves. We'll learn their fascinating historical origins. We'll also compare and contrast interesting monsters from around the world to monsters in western culture. Classes 9 - 12: Modern hoaxes & Urban Legends: Before moving into modern monsters and urban legends on the internet we'll focus on understanding the flaws of anecdotal evidence, eye witnesses, and even multiple eyewitnesses. We'll then go on to examine monsters and legends such as Slender Man, Moth Man, the Jackalope, the Bloop, and Godzilla.
Learning Goals
Students will learn:
-history of monsters in the media
-biology: basic defense mechanisms in animals
-media literacy
-executive functioning skills
-beginning philosophy: skepticism
-creating arguments based on analysis & critical thinking skills
Other Details
Parental Guidance
There will be a discussion of defense mechanisms used by animals at points in this class. Such methods often involve bodily fluids. Students who promptly roll over shrieking with laughter at the mention of scat or urine will have to try to contain themselves.
Supply List
I will provide handouts for students to use to take notes after class. This will help students retain and remember the material. We will end each class with a review of the class the day before. Students will be able to earn points for their team by remembering the answers--and they can use the notes from their handout.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined May, 2020
4.8
228reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Monsters are always fascinating to contemplate, but it's equally interesting to peel away the title of monster and see what's underneath. As a college rhetoric professor I've taught a course on Monsters & Society, so I've been researching monsters in history this past year. This class will challenge students to think about why monsters hook our attention. More importantly, students will become active learners in an attempt to figure out what these creatures might have been in our known world and how pranksters and the media can work side by side to exploit a gullible public.
Some of the issues surrounding monsters can be fairly gory -- very sensitive students may not want to take this class. Reviews
Live Group Class
$18
weekly or $180 for 10 classes1x per week, 10 weeks
40 min
Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
3-4 learners per class
