Jane K. Marshall
Section One will consider ghost legends which are associated with the city of London. This portion of the unit will enable me to share some of my travel experiences (summer, 1984) with my students. I plan to show slides of various sites associated with ghostly legends. These legends are interesting historically as well as culturally. They include legends of the thirteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. It seems to me that a simultaneous visual and reading (actually listening) experience will insure student interest in the tales themselves as well as in the historical and cultural perspectives these tales embody. The visual component will “ground” students and/or give them a tangible sense of a different culture.
The teacher should be prepared to provide historical background and answer questions as they arise during the course of this presentation. I hope that students’ understanding of a different time in a different place will be strengthened; this will generally broaden their awareness. However, the slide show must be interesting for students. The mood of the presentation must not be didactic; it is important that students, not teacher, raise questions during this introductory section of the unit.
It may be appropriate following the slide show to discuss the general topic of ghost stories with students. They may wish to comment on the latest versions (movies). They might note the longevity of the ghost story and “wonder why.”