Behind the Reality of Fantasy
“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” - Lloyd Alexander
Lightsabers, Magic Wands and Diaries?
The idea in this lesson is to make a short journey through the three of the most important sagas in fantasy in the past 20 years, Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Understand why them mean so much for young audiences and why they are so important in societies. I also would like to discuss about the creative behind of that much fantasy. At the end the students will have the chance to create their own little magic worlds and share them with their peers.
Objectives:
- Teach children about sagas and their creative process.
- Discuss why Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Diary of a Wimpy Kid have become such an important part of our history and how far from reality they can take us.
- Learn about the big plan behind a Saga and how much people are needed to make it real.
- Practices their new knowledge by creates their own saga plan in a sketchbook form with the idea of stimulate their creativity.
Essential Questions:
1. What is the purpose of fantasy?
2. It is reality the base of our fantasy? Do we live in a limbo?
3. What is the role of technology between fantasy and reality?
Materials:
Sketchbook, drawing pencils, erasers, markers and color pencils.
Discussion:
Sagas are magical stories in literature (originally from Iceland) that can be created as movies, books and artwork. They all need beginning, middle and end. How can students create and exciting saga for their characters created in lesson four? How can they illustrate their story to show? The big picture is what we are looking for here, and what student main task will be.
Extension:
Interesting Infographs about Star Wars Saga to show the students.
http://www.filmophilia.com/2012/10/08/still-life-star-wars-told-via-infographs/
Activity:
1. Brainstorming possible sagas related to their character created in Lesson 4.
2. Create individual sagas on a sketchbook and explain them. Create the Plot with beginning, medium and end.
3. Discuss about technology that can be use to reproduce their saga either printed or animated.
Assessment:
Explain their own saga to the classroom and have group critic about others sagas.
Resources:
• Interesting analogy about Star Wars
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/agordon/starwars.htm
• Why Star Wars Still Matter?
http://www.decentfilms.com/articles/starwars
• First commercial of StarWars 1976
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoTt9h217gw
• 15 years of Harry Potter
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/video/2012/jun/26/celebrating-years-harry-potter-magic-video
• "Harry Potter - A Look Back"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK2WCPYMERg