Who's Superstitious?

Most of us have never broken a mirror while walking under a ladder, knock on wood. But we're all uneasily aware of the countless superstitions covering everything from black cats to spilled salt. Who's Superstitious? is a lesson plan designed to give students practice with researching skills and various types of writing. It's a perfect mini-unit to plan for use on Friday the thirteenth. There are six different activities in the plan:

1. Choose a well-known superstition and speculate on the source of it. Create a plausible story explaining the origin of the superstition. Then research to find the actual origin of it.
2. Check an appropriate reference aid, such as the Internet or an encyclopedia, for information about superstitions. Write a report of your findings. Try to include specific information regarding at least two popular superstitions.
3. Superstitions take two forms:
   1. An action and its threatened consequence. EX: break a mirror and have seven years of bad luck.
   2. A situation and its implication. EX: An itching palm means you will receive money.
   Use one of the two preceding forms to create a modern superstition from one of these starters:
   • If you hear the phone ring four times, then stop...
   • If a fly lands on your pizza...
   • When your favorite television program is interrupted by a Presidential message...
   • Be creative and spin your own superstition without one of the starters.
4. Take the superstition you created in the third activity and develop a story that explains under what circumstances the superstition originated.
5. Create an illustration(s) that will help someone visualize your superstition story you created in the fourth activity.
6. Thirteen Trivia
   • You're probably aware that the number 13 is associated with bad luck. How many examples can you think of that illustrate this superstition? Write a lengthy list.
   • How is thirteen written as a Roman numeral?
   • What does the 13th amendment to the Constitution forbid?
   • Whose name is 13th in ABC order in this class?
   • What is a bar mitzvah, and how is it related to the number 13?
   • What are the thirteen original colonies?
   • What word means a fear of the number thirteen?