27 Fantastical Creatures: Teaching and Learning Resources
-These questions and project ideas can help learners recognize and identify the different ways that animals have been used in art, legend, and folklore.
Research Projects
- Create a hybrid ( a strange or unusual offspring produced by the amalgamation or mating of two diverse breeds, either in animals, objects, ideas or composite elements ). Assign or Attribute different emotions or special powers that the hybrid animals have (Roukes, 1982, p. 138). You might also explore the special symbolism of a particular animal through a study of historical crests and heraldry. For example, unicorn is a symbol of Scotland. You might research the ancient origins of family and country crests that feature animals or hybrid animals. Through art, poetry, and narrative writing, you could communicate the special features/powers of the animal. You can present your findings through a Power Point presentation or formal speech.
Resource: Animals in Heraldry. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Animals_in_heraldry
Heraldic Beasts such as Dragons, Griffins, Unicorns, etc.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Heraldic_beasts
Mammals in Heraldry: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mammals_in_heraldry
Reptiles in Heraldry:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Reptiles_in_heraldry
- First make a list of three-five mythological hybrid animals that are inspired by crosslinks and develop an explanation for each. For example, what do you get when you cross an automobile with an alligator? (Roukes, 1982, p. 92). You can artistically represent the hybrid crosslink in a drawing, collage, cartoon, or sculpture. A descriptive or narrative paragraph or a poem can complement
- Research the history behind a famous mythic monster or fantastical creature such as: Big Foot, Sedna, the Bunyip, the Lochness monster, Kelpies, Fairies, Mermaids, Mermen, Trolls, the Cyclops and other Giants, Fauns, Satyrs, Centaurs, Unicorns, and so on. To what extent did these beings symbolize human character traits? Find the specific folklore tales, history, and oral traditions. You can develop your research into an illustrated art essay or create a poem (any form) that best describes the creature/being.
- Delve more deeply into one of the famous myths featuring mythic creatures and humans or mythic deities. Explore different artistic versions of the myth and compose an art essay that describes the story behind the myth.
- Amid tragedy and destruction, many of the artists and writers featured in this resource book/guide, created extraordinary beauty; artists like William Blake, Virginia Frances Sterrett, Henry Justice Ford, Arthur Rackham, John Bauer, Ilya Repin, Evelyne De Morgan, Edward Burne Jones, Maria Spartali Stillman, Frederick Stuart Church, and Edmund Dulac brought to life folklore, myth, and legend. Poets and folklorists who compiled the ancient myths and legends created an alternative supernatural universe. Research the life story of one of the artists (or writers) featured in this book. Write a biography that is supplemented with art images. Try to discover factors in the artists’/writer’s life that motivated or inspired them to create their visionary works. Despite the war and tragedy they witnessed around, what inspired these well-known illustrators and folklorists to create a magical world?
- “An examination of myths offers a penetrating look into our personal and collective beliefs regarding he popular heroes and legendary characters of our culture—as well as the anti-heroes and villains.” Research some of the “modern days mythological figures” (e.g. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, James Bond, The Bionic Man, etc.). What superhuman qualities do these modern mythic figures possess? To what extent do they reflect the values, beliefs, and ideals of individuals and societies? What function do they play?
- Science fiction and illustration are yet other forms of mythmaking that include: visitors from out space, ancient aliens visiting earth to help build the pyramids, robots, androids, and other forms of Artificial Intelligence, galactic travel, colonizing other planets, and so on. Write a 5-10 page research report of one of these topics.
- What would account for the popularity of mythic cultural texts such as Tokien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, R.R. Martin’s The Game of Thrones, as well as contemporary renditions of well-known Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Nordic Myths? Focus your research on the popularity of one of these texts. Present your findings in a research report and Power Point presentation.
- Script a scene using Reader’s Theatre: Based your reading of one of the myths, legends, or folklore, script a scene using dialogue and stage directions. Create dynamic dialogue that reveals the thoughts, feelings, and motives of the mythic characters (human and nonhuman). You can follow the structure of a story or play or you can innovate and integrate poetry and verse. Alternatively, you can write a fable or myth of your own creation.
- Find a myth that best represents your own life story today. Create your own personal version of an ancient myth or legend. You can use drawing, photographs, and collage to illustrate mythic marker events in your own life.
Resources:
Tips for writing your own myth:
https://www.tckpublishing.com/creating-a-myth/
Myths and Nations from Many Nations
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20740/20740-h/20740-h.htm
The Hero’s Journey:
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/preparing-journey-introduction-hero
Rubrics for Reader’s Theatre
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/readers-theatre-rubric
Plot Outlines
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/teaching-plot-structure-through
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/making-connections-myth-folktale
A Close Look at one of the Mythic Monsters/Fantastical Creatures in this Book
• Take a close look at one of the creatures. What do you notice?
Identify the type of animal that most closely resembles the mythic beast.
• Why might an artist choose to combine parts of many different animals?
• What might these different animals symbolize?
• Why might someone have wanted to decorate their doorway with creatures like these?
• Where might we see animals like these today?
• What kind of creatures would you choose to decorate your own space? Why would you choose those creatures?
Retrieved from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Lesson Ideas (https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/lesson-plans/medieval-beasts-and-bestiaries
For teaching resources please open the Metropolitan Museum of Art link below.
Animals in Medieval Art-Metropolitan Museum of Art.
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/best/hd_best.htm
The Hunt of the Unicorn by Robert Richman.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20591204
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=25447
Additional Questions
- Create a photo/art essay that includes myths/legends/folklore about one of the images from this module.
-To what extent are some of the creatures/mythic monsters/heavenly beings projections of personality traits (both favourable and unfavourable)? What misconceptions are there when the “image” of one of the mythic monsters is beautiful and angelic? How have various portraits of monsters (e.g. medusa) been used in social/cultural contexts to either idealize a person or demonize them? Write a 5-7 page report of your findings.
- Research one of the artists and learn more about their interest in portraying the world of the magical, supernatural, and uncanny.
- Why do superstitions and folklore tales continue to this day? Explore the psychological dimensions of the supernatural, the mystical, and the world of the uncanny. To what extent can such beliefs be a help or a hindrance? Integrate art/photographic images in your work and present your report to an audience.
- Which films/books (e.g. Lord of the Rings; The Story of Fire and Ice; modern renditions of famous myths and legends) interest you? Describe what it is that you find most interesting about these myths/legends/folklore.
- Compile your own photo-essay based on a favourite myth. You might also create a limerick, ballad, or free verse poem about one of the imaginary beings/creatures.
- Construct a creature or draw an imaginary landscape that might include the habitat for one of the intriguing creatures.
- Angels-Research the origins of angels in art and in historical or fictional texts. What do angels symbolize for people? Explore the psychological reasons that people might believe in angels and in elements of the supernatural. Complement your report with art images/photographs/symbolism.
- Create a chart of 10 interesting mythic beings/creatures. Be sure to identify the myth/legends associated with the being. Explain the creature/being’s role. Summarize their story.
- Create a “modern myth” and re-cast one or more of the mythic beings/creatures in today’s society. Write a short-story or script based on your creature/being.
