Activity Title: 'Snakessss'

Subject Area: Literacy

Theme: The Rainbow Serpent

Grade Level: 4th - 6th

 

Students will investigate the origin of myths and legends and how they were believed to be true. They will create their own mythical creature after discovering serpents ‘too terrible to be mentioned!’

Colorado Standard(s) and/or Benchmark(s) addressed in this activity:

Grade	Content Area	Standard	Benchmark
4th - 6th	Literacy	6-recognize literature as a record of the human experience	6.3 read to understand places and people
4th - 6th	Literacy	6-recognize uniqueness	6.6 read to understand cultural traditions

 

National Standard(s) and/or Benchmark(s) addressed in this activity:

Grade	Content Area	Standard	Benchmark
4th - 6th	Literacy	1-read a wide range of print to build understanding	1.1-acquire new information
4th - 6th	Literacy	9-develop an understanding of cultural diversity	9.1-dialects among culture, geographic regions

 

Introduction to the Rainbow Serpent:

For years, wondrous and terrifying accounts of land and water-dwelling creatures were brought back by sailors and early explorers. These mythical tales turned active imaginations into believing the stories were indeed fact!

Specific details about legendary poisonous snakes of Australia could lend themselves to the creation of mythological creatures. Twenty of the world’s most poisonous snakes reside on the continent. The deadliest of these are the Inland Taipan and the King Brown. A few drops of venom from the Taipan are potent enough to kill 12 adults if medical attention is not received within a few hours.

The fangs of these snakes are relatively small in comparison to other poisonous snakes worldwide. They are designed to penetrate just below the skin and are not more than 5 to 6 millimeters in length.

King Browns are not as eager to attack as the Taipan, but will obviously bite if stepped upon by a careless hiker!

Now, you create your own ‘mythical’ creature after investigating ‘serpents and monsters too terrible to mention!’

 

Vocabulary:

• mythology
• venom

 

Materials:

• resource books of mythological creatures
• art materials
• a variety of photographs/pictures of reptiles
• journals to record observations, note taking

Preparation:

• Investigate present day legends of serpents and creatures unexplained. (i.e.,Loch Ness Monster)
• Explore the myth of mermaids and manatees to understand how imagination can create ‘reality’ until it is explained.
• Bizarre perceptions are possible if one chooses to describe ordinary reptiles with detailed imagination.

Procedure:

 

Analyze and Conclude:

• Identify three mythical creatures that may have been inspired by a real animal; then identify the real animal in each case.
• Describe what the mythical creature is supposed to be able to do that the real animal cannot.

Assessment Rubric:

Advanced proficient 4	Proficient 3	Partially proficient 2	Unsatisfactory 1
Student identifies four mythical creatures; creates a new one based upon a real life animal	Student identifies three mythical creatures inspired by real life animals	Student identifies two mythical creatures, but is unable to identify real life animals	Student cannot differentiate between some mythological creatures and real life animals
Student can describe three things that mythical creatures can do that differentiate them from real animals	Student can identify two things that mythical creatures can do that real ones cannot	Student can identify one thing that a mythical creature can accomplish	Student doesn’t recognize characteristics of mythical creatures

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