Superstition

[su-pr-sti-shn] - is the belief that events are influenced by specific

behaviours

Find and connect the missing half of the superstition.

youll kiss a
fool.

If you trip on a flight of stairs

If you sleep with a mirror
under your pillow
If your ears burn
If a cat licks its tail
If the bottom of one of your
feet itches
If your cat washes its face
If your eyebrows grow together
or your arms are hairy

If your nose itches

If you want to do well on a test

If you use the same pillow

your dog uses

you will be very rich.

you will have
triplets.
you are going to take a trip.
somebody is
coming.
you will have bad
luck.
you will have bad
luck.
it will rain.
you will dream of what your
future husband/wife looks
like.
you will have good
luck.
use the same pencil you used for
studying because it will remember
the answers.

If you walk under a ladder

If you find a four-leaf clover
If you step on your shadow

Do you know any others?

you will dream what he

dreams.
someone is talking about
you.

If you trip on a flight of stairs

you will have triplets.

If you sleep with a mirror

under your pillow

you will dream of what your future husband/wife

looks like.

If your ears burn

someone is talking about you.

If a cat licks its tail

it will rain.

If the bottom of one of your

feet itches

you are going to take a trip.

If your cat washes its face

If your eyebrows grow together
or your arms are hairy

If your nose itches

somebody is coming.
you will be very rich.
youll kiss a fool.

If you want to do well on a test

use the same pencil you used for studying

because it will remember the answers.

If you use the same pillow

your dog uses

you will dream what he dreams.

If you walk under a ladder

you will have bad luck.

If you find a four-leaf clover

you will have good luck.

If you step on your shadow

you will have bad luck.

1. Cut up the worksheet or make your own. Give each student half of
a superstition, that is, one card.
2. The students circulate and try to find the missing half of their superstition.
When students feel they have a match, they sit down. You will probably have to
check student matches and advise them to sit down or find a different match.
(In case you are unfamiliar with some of the superstitions in the worksheet, the
if-clause on the left matches the result clause directly across from it.)
3. Go over the superstitions together, talking about meaning and form.
Follow up:
4. Have the students write their superstitions on the cards or paper strips so
that one half of the superstition is on one card and the other half is on a
different card. (Each group should produce only half as many superstitions
as there are members in their group, so that a group of four students will
write two superstitions, a total of four cards.)
5. Collect and shuffle the cards. Hand one card to each student. Students
circulate and try to find their match.