Pokémon and the History and Culture of the British Isles - Videos + Activities

This course explores the history, culture, and mythology of the United Kingdom within the context of Pokemon and the Galar region (the newest Pokemon region featured in the Pokemon Sword and Shield game, and the Pokemon Journeys TV series). This class is not a comprehensive overview of the British Isles - its focus is on where the history, mythology, and culture overlap with Pokemon. Students who have played the Pokemon Sword and Shield game will particularly enjoy this class, but any Pokemon fan is sure to enjoy the content even if they haven't personally played the game.

The class is arranged in a timeline format, starting with the Neolithic Era and ending with modern day. Each part of the timeline discusses the history of that time period and also the mythology (when it overlaps with Pokemon). Once we arrive at the "Modern Day" section, we will also explore the culture of the United Kingdom and how it is featured in Pokemon, including cities and landmarks, food, language, plants and animals, sports, and entertainment. By the end of the course, students will have a thorough appreciation for the ubiquitous British references included in the Pokemon game and TV series.

▬▬▬▬▬▬ VIDEOS, ACTIVITIES, AND MORE ▬▬▬▬▬▬

• This course has four parts to it. Each “part” consists of a downloadable video presentation (between 19 and 36 minutes long) hosted on Google Drive, along with some resources and project ideas to expand the students’ understanding.

• In a regular school setting, these materials are ideal for reverse instruction or a flipped classroom unit. For instance, you can assign the video recording to watch at home for homework, and then use the extension activities for class projects. The recordings also work well for sub days and much-needed sanity days!

• If you are using these materials in a home school setting, you could choose to do one part per day or one part per week, doing the projects as time allows. Feel free to have your child email me at lauren.rae.ard@gmail.com, if they have any questions or want to share what they’ve done with the materials.

• This unit also includes a link to my notes and Prezi presentation I use throughout the course, in case you want to give some of the presentation, or expand on the material yourself. Please keep in mind that the video may not match up exactly with the notes and lecture materials, because I do alter and add to my notes as time goes on.

▬▬▬▬▬▬ COURSE OUTLINE ▬▬▬▬▬▬

Part 1:

(30 minute recording)

• Introduction to the Galar Region and the British Isles
• What these terms mean: British Isles, Great Britain, United Kingdom
• Introduction to the timeline of the history of the British Isles
• The Neolithic Era: Stonehenge, Geoglyphs
• The Celts and Celtic mythology
• Roman Invasion: the Roman military, Roman ruins including baths and the London wall

Part 2:

(31 minute recording)

• The Anglo-Saxons: The resistance, King Arthur and related folklore
• The Vikings and their influence on British culture
• The British Monarchy: what a monarchy is, British folklore from this time period

Part 3:

(19 minute recording)

• The British Empire: colonialism in India and China, the fight for tea and porcelain.
• The Industrial revolution (with a focus on steam power and coal mining)

Part 4:

(36 minute recording)

• Modern Day Britain
• Cities and Landmarks
• Plants and Animals
• Food
• Language
• Sports and Entertainment