Self-Paced Halloween History: Fall Myths, History, Festivals & Monsters
Come learn about the history of Halloween festivals and the monsters and ghosts we tell stories of during spooky season!
Alexandra
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4.9
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What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Over four 20-30-minute lessons, we will study two parts of Halloween history: 1. The history behind our modern traditions and the ancient festivals that inspired Halloween. 2. The origins of the creatures many people dress up as on Halloween. In our first two lessons, we will learn about festivals and legends behind the Halloween traditions we know and celebrate today. Students will learn the origins of our modern holiday and how it was inspired by ancient stories and folk tales. We will discuss how old festivals have influenced our modern holiday. In lessons three and four, we will hear the folk tales and legends behind Halloween monsters. Students will learn the origin stories, myths, and legends that inspired these beasts and spirits, and how different cultures contributed their own versions to today's costumes and stories. We will also discuss how these old stories can influence modern superstitions. We will talk about the history of festivals including: 🐈⬛ Samhain in Ireland and Scotland 🔥 Calan Gaeaf in Wales 💀 Día de Muertos in Mexico We will talk about the history of creatures and beings like: 🧛♂️ Vampires 🧟 Zombies 🐺 Werewolves 👻 Ghosts SCHEDULE Week 1: Global Fall Festivals, Myths, Stories & History Week 2: Global Fall Festivals, Myths, Stories & History Week 3: Origins of the Monsters, Ghosts & Beasts of Halloween Week 4: Origins of the Monsters, Ghosts & Beasts of Halloween I teach using visual slides featuring illustrations, including some historic representations of these creatures from medieval texts to compare them to our modern versions. This class is "lecture style", but students are encouraged to ask questions and share their own Halloween traditions. This is a "self-paced" class, meaning there are no live video sessions. Learners can view the recorded videos at any time during the week. If you are interested in taking the live version of this class, I offer it in two one-time classes here: 🎃 Part 1: Global Fall Festivals, Myths, Stories & History 👻 Part 2: Origins of the Monsters, Ghosts & Beasts of Halloween
Learning Goals
Students will come away from this class with an understanding of how these folktales, myths, and festivals from around the world have shaped our modern traditions and stories.
Syllabus
2 Units
4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksUnit 1: Halloween History: Festivals and Holidays
Lesson 1:
Historic Festivals of Autumn: Samhain and Calan Gaeaf
Learn about the festival of Samhain from Ireland and Scotland, Calan Gaeaf from Wales, their traditions (some might seem familiar to Halloween-lovers today!), and creepy creatures said to make appearances during these historic holidays. PLEASE NOTE: There are two videos for this week. Total length: 25 minutes. 15 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Historic Festivals of Autumn: All Hallows and Dia de Muertos
This week's lesson covers how Samhain from last week became the modern Halloween we know and love, as well as the holidays of All Hallows and Dia de Muertos. 20 mins of video lessons
Unit 2: Halloween History: Monsters
Lesson 3:
Monsters: Vampires and Zombies
Let's talk all about vampires and zombies, where their stories come from, and examples from all over the world. PLEASE NOTE: There are two videos for this week. Total length: 27 minutes. 15 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Monsters: Werewolves and Ghosts
In our last class, we will discover ancient and medieval stories about werewolves and ghosts and how they might influence the stories we tell today. Happy Halloween! PLEASE NOTE: There are two videos for this week. Total length: 23 minutes. 12 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Since many of the traditions of Halloween are derived from religious practices and beliefs, we will discuss how belief systems can help shape culture. This will include some Christianity (i.e. Día de Muertos) and ancient pagan beliefs (i.e. Samhain). Many Halloween traditions are also based around the concept of death and an afterlife. Parents and students should be aware that we will discuss cultural depictions surrounding death the concept of an afterlife, which includes "ghosts" and "spirits".
We will be learning about monsters and ghosts, so students should be prepared for discussions of these creepy and sometimes evil creatures. In many stories, death is common.
PLEASE NOTE: We discuss the ways that certain creatures can be defeated/killed, according to folklore. This is includes vampire being killed by a wooden stake through their heart or werewolves with a silver bullet. There is one instance of the belief in a vampire being defeated by decapitation. We do not go into detail and no descriptions are ever mentioned. Everything will be age-appropriate with the level of "creepiness" from child-friendly Halloween movies. We always emphasize that these are made-up stories.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Sources for this class include:
- Rathcroghan Visitor Centre website
- "Ireland's Immortals" by Mark Williams
- "Spooky Wales" from BBC
- "Day of the Dead" from National Geographic Kids
- "The History of Day of the Dead" from dayofthedead.holiday
- "Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic" by Claude LeCouteux
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in History from University of California, Riverside
Hi parents and learners! My name is Alexandra and I love stories of all kinds.
I offer classes that survey stories from all over the world, including mythology, folklore, fairy tales, legends, literature, and true history. My classes teach students how to interpret stories in their historical and cultural context. I believe that the best way to learn about history and different cultures is through the stories a country, tribe, or any group of people tell about themselves and pass down to their own children.
I earned my degree in history from the University of California, Riverside, with an emphasis on ancient and medieval history. I studied abroad at the University of Oxford as part of my undergraduate degree.
I have been working with students ages five to eighteen over the last ten years as a teacher’s assistant, substitute, one-on-one tutor, and homeschool teacher.
I look forward to seeing you in a class and sharing stories that matter!
SCHEDULE REQUESTS:
If you don't see a class time that works for your learner's schedule, please reach out to let me know what times work best for you. I schedule classes based on the most-requested times and I am always happy to add more sections.Reviews
Self-Paced Class
$9
weekly or $36 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 8 learners
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Ages: 8-13
