Explore global legends and myths through a feminist lens and get practice in creative, comparative, and literary analysis.
| Age Range | 12-17 (see details) |
| Class Type | Live |
| Start / End Dates | March 22 - May 10, 2022 (8-week course) |
| Class Time | Tuesdays 1-2:30pm (Mountain) Note: This is a 90 minute class! |
| Class Size | 6-12 Learners |
Pricing Information
| 8-week course | $300 Per Student |
| Save on a Two-Class Bundle: Fairy Tales & Feminism II & III | $570 Per Student |
Fairy Tales & Feminism III
The Fairy Tales & Feminism series will take a deeper look at the global legends and myths in the storytelling tradition to explore the evolution of roles and values placed on girls and women over time. Through an age-appropriate examination of the feminine archetypes in the fairy tale and folktale genres, we will be learning the history and evolution of these tales from around the world, deconstructing the themes and symbolism we find, and building our own vision of identity through reading, writing, discussion, and art.
Students will read both traditional fairy tales and a selection of modern, alternative retellings. Feminist and queer theory will also be introduced and explored within the stories we deconstruct. Writing will include creative, comparative, and literary analysis assignments. This foundation of this class will also rely heavily on art and making as a visual and kinesthetic expression of our experience and will include painting, bookmaking, sculpting, and more. This session will cover versions of Rapunzel, Baba Yaga, and The Snow Queen, and is open to any student interested in the subject.
Students can take Fairy Tales and Feminism I before this class or concurrently with this class but is not required. Each Fairy Tales & Feminism class is designed independently, though knowledge and skills developed in each course naturally enhance the others. Â
This is a 8-week course on Tuesdays from 1-2:30pm (Mountain) from 3/22/22-5/10/22
Time Commitment
Usually 4-6 hours per week of work, including class. Time spent on outside reading, assignments, and finishing projects started in class will vary by student.Â
Homework Requirements:
Weekly Reading of original fairy tales and modern retellings, writing assignments to prepare for in-class discussions, and finishing art projects started in class. There will also be a final project-based presentation. List of materials needed will be provided.
Feedback is integrated into this course and includes weekly assignments, course projects, and self-assessment. Weekly feedback is provided via email and is based on a collaboratively-designed rubric, student goals, and my observations. Students are generally asked to send me their assignments by the day before class; but flexibility for individual learning needs is woven throughout the class.
Content: The original fairy tales can be intense or sombre, with themes that include issues of consent, violence, and more, and will come up in discussion. Because of this, the age requirement is strict, and individual maturity should be considered when signing up for this class.
Academic Credit: This course is eligible for a 0.5 high school Humanities (academic elective) or Language Arts credit based on completion of all required assignments, projects, and class participation. Evaluations and transcript-ready course description are available at the end of class.
Individual Support
Families and learners are welcome to share any information about their individual learning preferences and needs and instructor will make accommodations that are helpful to the class.
Required Texts and Materials:
Booklist
All of the fairy tales we will be reading are available for free online. Links will be provided. Below are the modern re-tellings we will be specifically analyzing in this class. I chose them for very specific reasons relating to theme or characters, and you can find many if not all of them at the library if you’d prefer not to purchase the books. Extra resources and options for those who want to read more will be included in each week’s assignments.
Book List: TBA (Coming soon!)
Materials List:Â
This class is and hour and a half long because we will also be expressing our ideas creatively as a part of our discussions. Materials include easily accessible art supplies plus a few unique items for projects. A list of required materials will be listed in the Teachable classroom.Â
Class Interaction:Â
Live sessions will be best experienced with a camera and microphone. Parents will need a Zoom account (free). Students may also get a free Discord account for access to a class-specific channel.Â
Samantha Matalone Cook, MAT
Samantha is an educator, historian, writer, maker, and speaker. She has almost three decades of experience in education, program development, and the arts and is a dedicated mentor and lifelong learner.Â
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We have thoroughly enjoyed ancient history with Sam Matalone Cook and would love to continue following the history courses under her instruction. Michelle’s writing workshop was a welcomed addition to our semester and the ease of adding on a quick workshop to the semester was appreciated. I do wish that I could take classes, too. The great selection makes me jealous; Fairy Tales and Feminism would be so incredible to join in and to learn with Sam! And the LGBTQ+ history and US courses! Blair’s enthusiasm for science comes across strongly and is encouraging for the young learners. So many great classes- so little time.
Sheila and Elisa
So many great classes- so little time.
Research Boot Camp was a fun & engaging workshop that covered import skills I’ll use throughout my academic career. L.C.
Research Boot Camp was fun & engaging
Teacher: Samantha Matalone Cook
This was an awesome class — Sam (the instructor) really engaged the kids, inspiring them and supporting their interests (and quirks!). There was quite a bit of material covered in the four sessions, with a great balance of demonstration, discussion, and tasks to complete on their own. Sam was also available for answering questions between sessions and posted the material (including video recording), which was very helpful. Our son loved this class and really looked forward to it every week. All the best! Ariel
Sam really engaged the kids, inspiring them and supporting their interests (and quirks!)
Teacher: Samantha Matalone Cook
Thank you! Thank you! Your fantasy map making class was fantastic. What my kids enjoyed is that it was in-depth, messy, and tactile. It was not elementary or overly cautious. It utilized real art materials and challenged them to think creatively and concretely about their ideas.
Your high school research class was informative, clear, and concise. Maya is now utilizing the tools she learned from you in her high school and college classes. I’m going to look for any class you are teaching in the future; and I’m going to recommend you to my friend circle. I’m so glad we found SEA online. If you teach on any other platform, I’d love to know.
Thanks again for great classes!
Degania Fortson
Thank you! Thank you! Your fantasy map making class was fantastic.
Teacher: Samantha Matalone Cook