Мастер - класс "Изготовление оберега"

Horseshoe charm making (Изготовление оберега)

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes

Age of students: 7-13 years old

Vocabulary: mascot, charm, horseshoe, decorating, traditions, good luck, groats, pasta, design, glue

Materials: cardboard, horseshoe stencil, scissors, woolen knitting, glue, groats (several types), pasta, paints, brushes, tablecloth

Lesson plan

1. Prepare the classroom for the lesson.

2. Warm-up/ Start the lesson (5 mins)

Welcome the students. Ask if they have any mascots or talismans, why they need them and how they work.

3. Pre-teach (10-15 mins)

Pre-teach the vocabulary. Tell the story about mascots in different countries.

In different countries, various types of symbols, talismans, charms, and amulets have become symbols for good luck. They often tie into a country's history in some way, whether through religion or national identity.

For example, in Poland, carp is a traditional Christmas meal. Once the meal is over, people retrieve the carp scales and sometimes put them in their wallets until the following Christmas Eve for good luck.

Dala horses, which are originated from the Dalarna region in Sweden, represent strength, wisdom, faithfulness, and dignity.

In American culture it’s considered to think that if we hung a dreamcatcher over a person's bed, it will only let good dreams come.

The scarab is associated with the rising of the sun and continual birth and rebirth in Egypt. It's thought to represent new creation and eternal life, and to protect against all evils.

These cat figures, often displayed at business entrances, are thought to bring good luck to their owners. They vary in size and design.

The History of a Horseshoe charm

The horseshoe is a good luck charm that has been around since the middle ages. Finding a horseshoe is normally associated with two meanings:

1. foretelling of good fortune to come

2. being a protection against misfortune

No ill omens seem to be connected with the horseshoe symbol. Even if a person merely dreams of finding a horseshoe, good luck will come to the dreamer.

The main legend around the horseshoe as a lucky charm is the story of Saint Dunstan (10th century) the patron of blacksmiths, goldsmiths and jewelers. He was visited by the devil who asked him to attach horseshoes to his horse. Instead the blacksmith nailed a horseshoe on a foot of the devil causing him horrific pain.

4. Horseshoe charm making (40 mins)

1) Each student gets a horseshoe stencil, traces it on a cardboard and cuts it out.

2) Then cover the cardboard with the glue and wrap it with the woolen knitting.

3) Decorate the horseshoe with the ornaments made of groats and pasta (Students can choose their own design)

4) Use the gouache to colour the ornament if needed.

5. Ready horseshoe charm presentation (15 mins)

Students display their horseshoes and explain what their ornaments symbolize.

6. Ending (5 mins)

Taking pictures of students and their horseshoe charms.