Europa and the Bull

Description: This proposal is organized around the myth of Europe through the use of a magnificent painting by the Bulgarian painter/illustrator Svetlin Vassilev and an extract from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. The Visible Thinking routine used is See-Think-Wonder. Students distinguish among Myths/Legends/Fairy Tales, practise observing and speaking while reflecting on the myth of Europe.  

Level: Intermediate+

Learners: 11+

Theme: Myths, Legends, Fairytales, Europa myth
Language: Simple present, present continuous, past forms
Skills: Observing, describing, group discussion, speaking, writing

Materials: painting/definitions slides, downloadable worksheets


Step 1

Show your students Vassilev's "Europa". Ask them:

What do you see? 
What do you think about it? /What are your thoughts? 
What does it make you wonder?

Ask them also to guess the title of the painting.

Europa, Svetin Vassilev

Students can work individually, in groups or in pairs. When I tried this routine with my students we worked  in groups. Their ideas invloved:

Step 2
 

Write on the board: Myth-Legend-Fairy Tale. Show your students the slide below and ask them to guess which one is a Myth, which a Legend and which a Fairy Tale. 

Verify answers. 

Show the definitions and ask them which narrative form each definition is about. 

 Verify answers. 

Step 3

Reveal the title of the painting and the name of the painter. Have them work in pairs to complete the activities in the worksheet.

Europa's Myth by chrysapap

 
Step 4

Get feedback. Give students the worksheet with Ovid’s poem and ask them to work in pairs and order the sentences. After reading the ordered poem ask pairs to complete the other 2 activities. 

Ovid by chrysapap

Follow up
 
Ask students to write about their favourite myth, legend, or fairy tale.

I hope you find this proposal worth experimenting.  

Part of this proposal was realized within the framework of the Teachers4Europe 2012-2013 Educational Programme.