Kids Listen Activity Podcast, Episode 44:
Good Words Podcast Presents "Triskaidekaphobia"
This episode centers around the fear of the number 13, "triskaidekaphobia." Host Lynn Hickernell discusses this phenomenon, and other superstitions and phobias, with an excerpt from the Kids Listen podcast, "Unspookable," a "Say What?!?" segment about the expression, "Break a leg," a "Do Over" with family therapist Emily King about "The Dress Shoes," and regular segment, "GET IT?!?!?" The episode concludes with the poem, "The Supper Superstition" by Thomas Hood, read by "Just Us Weirdos" creator and host, Charlie White. Listen to the episode here.
After the episode, do the activities. Find below projects related to phobias, superstitions, and more.
"The Good Words Podcast: TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA" - Related Activities
Phobias
The word "triskaidekaphobia" comes from Greek: tris - three; deka - ten; phobia - fear. Many other phobias also have their roots in the Greek language. Have you heard of these fears?
- arachnaphobia
- claustrophobia
- agoraphobia
With an adult's help or permission, use a tool like Google Safe Search, Yahoo Kids, or Wikipedia to find out what these phobias are. Then find out the Greek names for these fears:
- fear of water
- fear of heights
- fear of fish
What other fears can you think of? Search and see if you can find the Greek names for them!
Superstitions
Most superstitions--such as the ones about Friday the 13th, putting shoes on a table, and saying "Macbeth" in a theater--have to do with things being bad or good luck. Some other common "bad luck" superstitions have to do with:
- black cats
- walking under ladders
- spilling salt
Using the same search tools as earlier, see if you can find out where these superstitions came from. Can you think of other bad or good luck superstitions? Search to find out where they come from.
"Do Over: The Dress Shoes"
In the episode, Penelope tells Kid Lynn to move her shoes from the table because of a bad luck superstition. Here is the script of their conversation:
Penelope: What are you doing? Get your shoes off the table!
Kid Lynn: What?
Penelope: Get your shoes off the table! It's bad luck!
Kid Lynn: Oh. Okay. I guess I'll put them on the floor.
After the conversation with therapist Emily King, we "Do Over" the conversation like this:
Penelope: What are you doing? Get your shoes off the table!
Kid Lynn: What?
Penelope: Get your shoes off the table! It's bad luck!
Kid Lynn: Oh, I never heard that superstition before. You obviously feel strongly about it. To be honest, I'd prefer if you spoke to me more respectfully. Just because you believe something that I don't, doesn't give you the right to instruct me what to do.
Can you remember a time when something happened that you wish you could "do over"? Write a script or make a drawing of what happened. Then, changing only the things that you did and said, imagine how you would do it over. Make a second script or drawing of the new version.