Month: September 2015

Kamala Khan: Ms. Marvel #1

Posted on by Kirt Ethridge

“She’s awkward and unsure in terms of where she fits in and what she wants and who to believe about who she is. I think those are conflicts that we can all connect with and we continue to connect with whether we’re teenagers, adults – just kind of figuring out where we are in the world and what our place is and where we want to be.”– Sana Amanat, editor of Ms. Marvel

{Image is of a young Pakistani-American woman with dark hair. She is wearing a black mask and a uniform that consists of a blue-and-red top with a yellow lightning bolt on it and a red cape. She is holding up her fists.}

{Image is of a young Pakistani-American woman with dark hair. She is wearing a black mask and a uniform that consists of a blue-and-red top with a yellow lightning bolt on it and a red cape. She is holding up her fists.}

Kamala Khan’s a pretty average teenage girl: In the first issue of Ms. Marvel, we see her ignoring her grousing mother in order to post her brand-new Avengers fanfiction. (This, despite the fact that she lives in the same universe as the Avengers.) She struggles to avoid rolling her eyes at her father. She sneaks out to go to a party.

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The first cell shows a teenage girl at a computer. Her mother stands in the doorway with a soup spoon in hand. The girl says, "One minute, Ammi...there is epic stuff happening on the Internet." Her mother says, "What?" The girl says, "My Avengers fanfic has almost 1,000 upvotes on freakingcool.com." The second cell shows the girl closing her computer in the foreground while her mother waits in the background. Her mother says, "I didn't understand one single word of that sentence." The girl says, "Okay. Okay. Never mind." The third cell shows the girl following her mother down the stairs. Her mother says, "Fan feek...what is fan feek?! I thought you were up there doing homework." The girl says, "It's Friday night, Ammi."}

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The first cell shows a teenage girl at a computer. Her mother stands in the doorway with a soup spoon in hand. The girl says, “One minute, Ammi…there is epic stuff happening on the Internet.” Her mother says, “What?” The girl says, “My Avengers fanfic has almost 1,000 upvotes on freakingcool.com.”
The second cell shows the girl closing her computer in the foreground while her mother waits in the background. Her mother says, “I didn’t understand one single word of that sentence.” The girl says, “Okay. Okay. Never mind.”
The third cell shows the girl following her mother down the stairs. Her mother says, “Fan feek…what is fan feek?! I thought you were up there doing homework.” The girl says, “It’s Friday night, Ammi.”}

Kamala is a Pakistani-American Muslim, so she deals with other issues too, such as her lust for meat that she is not permitted to eat. She worries about living up to her parents’ standards. At the same time, she longs to be like her non-Muslim peers. She has absorbed the stereotype of the perfect American girl, pale and blonde. In her mind, the ultimate form of this perfect woman is Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel.

When Kamala is struck by magic and turned into superhero, it’s no surprise that she morphs into Carol’s blonde-and-blue-eyed doppelganger.

{Image is of Kamala, now blonde and pale and wearing Captain Marvel's typical blue-and-red uniform with a yellow lightning bolt across the chest. Kamala is saying, "Ummm...is it too late to change my mind?"}

{Image is of Kamala, now blonde and pale and wearing Captain Marvel’s typical blue-and-red uniform with a yellow lightning bolt across the chest. Kamala is saying, “Ummm…is it too late to change my mind?”}

Immediately, though, Kamala regrets her choice of ultimate form. She says, “Is it too late to change my mind?” Her struggle to maintain a cultural identity while finding a place in society follows her into her new superhero life as Ms. Marvel. In later issues of Ms. Marvel, Kamala retains her regular appearance, instead using her morphing powers to give herself Hulk-worthy fists.

Like Miles, Kamala is a refreshing addition to a roster of superheroes that is primarily white, male, and Judeo-Christian. I love her because she’s someone that teenage me would have wanted to hang around—or at least someone whose fanfiction teenage me would have reviewed. She’s curious and excitable and just plain fun.

The following is a lesson plan based on the first issue of Kamala Khan’s run as Ms. Marvel. Unlike previous lesson plans on this blog, this plan is a unit that runs over the course of several class days.

Ms. Marvel #1, G. Willow Wilson (writer) and Adrian Alphona (artist)

Students will engage in lecture, whole group instruction, discussion, and a project.

Materials Needed:

  • Copies of Ms. Marvel #1
  • Map of the world/globe
  • White paper, pencils, and other art supplies

Standards Met:

  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.”
  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.”
  1. Show the students where Pakistan is on a map. Ask them what they think they know about Pakistan and Pakistani immigrants. Then give them a brief overview of Pakistani culture. Discussion/lecture should last 15-20 minutes.
  2. Divide the students into groups and give each group a copy of the comic to read. I advise this just because single issues of comics can be so expensive. If you have a marvel.com “Marvel Unlimited” subscription, you can access all of the Kamala Khan comics as well as thousands of other comics for $9.99 a month, which is significantly cheaper if your school provides tablets or computers and you plan on using multiple comics for various lessons. Ms. Marvel #1 is $1.99 in the Kindle Store if your school provides e-readers.
  3. Have the students discuss the comic. How were the cultural aspects of the story similar to their assumptions? How were they different? What did they think of Kamala? Discussion should last 5-10 minutes.
  4. Have the students outline a comic about a superhero that is set in their own neighborhood/faith community/ethnic group. Over the course of the next few class periods, have them draw this comic.

What do your students think about Kamala Khan? What do their comics look like? If they have any work they would like to showcase, link me to it in the comments!

Superhero Sick Day

Posted on by Kirt Ethridge

Even SuperTeachers get sick sometimes.

{Image is of a couch. On the couch, from left to right, are an Avengers cereal box, a pillow version of Tony Stark, a tiny stuffed Captain America, the Avengers DVD case, and a pillow version of Bruce Banner. In the foreground, on an ottoman, is a box of tissues.}

{Image is of a couch. On the couch, from left to right, are an Avengers cereal box, a pillow version of Tony Stark, a tiny stuffed Captain America, the Avengers DVD case, and a pillow version of Bruce Banner. In the foreground, on an ottoman, is a box of tissues.}

{Image is a close-up of a Captain America "Itty-Bitty," a small stuffed toy sold at Hallmark.}

{Image is a close-up of a Captain America “Itty-Bitty,” a small stuffed toy sold at Hallmark.}

(Image is of a bottle of acetaminophen, an Iron Man cup, and a thermometer.}

(Image is of a bottle of acetaminophen, an Iron Man cup, and a thermometer.}

At least I have all the supplies I need for a superhero’s sick day nest.

Hope all of you are avoiding whatever plague your kids have!

Teaching Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1

Posted on by Kirt Ethridge

“It’s a story with a very strong theme: “With great power comes great responsibility.” And that theme is so perfect in its simplicity that you could build a religion around it. As a fan, I carried it around with me, but when you start writing it, you realize, Oh, this is the most important lesson in the world. It’s not a superpower lesson. It’s a lesson about power, itself.”

–Brian Michael Bendis

Peter Parker is what we all immediately picture when someone says Spider-Man: this gangly nerd of a teenager in a tight bodysuit being snarky. But what happens when Peter’s gone? Who fills that void?

Miles Morales, that’s who.

{Image is of Miles Morales, a twelve-year old African-American boy. He is sitting on a couch and holding a Popsicle in one hand. The other hand is being bitten by a large spider. Miles' eyes are wide with surprise.}

{Image is of Miles Morales, a twelve-year old African-American boy. He is sitting on a couch and holding a Popsicle in one hand. The other hand is being bitten by a large spider. Miles’ eyes are wide with surprise.}

Brian Michael Bendis created Miles Morales in 2011 to fill the hole left when Peter Parker died (more details). Media outlets immediately picked up on Miles because of his race: Miles’ father is African-American, and his mother is Puerto Rican.

What draws me to Miles is how young he is. Peter was enough of a child as a high schooler, but Miles is twelve going on thirteen. He’s smaller than his parents, with baby fat in his face. Peter’s old enough that he can sometimes be counted among the adults. Miles is unmistakably a child.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 opens with villains plotting and closes with a newly-bitten Miles, but what I enjoy the most are the scenes at the issue’s heart. Miles lives in Brooklyn and is destined to attend a failing public school—unless he gets a spot in a highly competitive charter school. Miles and his parents go to the charter school’s annual entrance lottery. Sara Pichelli, the issue’s artist, does a great job of depicting the tension in the faces of the parents and children crammed in the auditorium.

Miles gets the last available spot in the charter school. In that moment, the reader can already see his strong sense of right and wrong. As his mom hugs him, he notices the tearful expressions of the children who did not get a spot in the school. He asks, “Should it be like this?”

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The first cell shows Miles' father, an older African American man; Miles; and Miles' mother, a Latina woman. In the first cell, a speech bubble from off-screen says, "Miles Morales." Miles' father says, "Get out of here." Miles' mother says, "Oh, my God." In the second cell, Miles' mother is hugging Miles. She says, "Oh--oh--you have a chance. Oh, my God, I have a chance." The third cell shows Miles' eyes. The fourth cell shows a girl crying. The fifth cell shows a boy who also looks upset.}

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The first cell shows Miles’ father, an older African American man; Miles; and Miles’ mother, a Latina woman. In the first cell, a speech bubble from off-screen says, “Miles Morales.” Miles’ father says, “Get out of here.” Miles’ mother says, “Oh, my God.” In the second cell, Miles’ mother is hugging Miles. She says, “Oh–oh–you have a chance. Oh, my God, I have a chance.” The third cell shows Miles’ eyes. The fourth cell shows a girl crying. The fifth cell shows a boy who also looks upset.}

{Image is of Miles and his mother. Miles' mother cups his face in her hands. Miles' mother says, "It's--it's all happening." Miles says, "It shouldn't--all these other kids. Should it be like this?" Miles' mother replies, "Just focus on you. You got in. Focus on that."}

{Image is of Miles and his mother. Miles’ mother cups his face in her hands. Miles’ mother says, “It’s–it’s all happening.” Miles says, “It shouldn’t–all these other kids. Should it be like this?” Miles’ mother replies, “Just focus on you. You got in. Focus on that.”}

Miles continues to ask that question throughout his adventures as Ultimate Spider-Man. “Should the world be like this?” When he decides the answer is “No,” he dons the Spider-Man mask and uses his newfound powers to change his world.

The following is an outline of a lesson plan that could be used in a high school literature class. With some manipulations, it could also be used in a junior high classroom, considering Miles is so young. This lesson plan meets two Common Core standards.

Ultimate Comics: Spider Man #1, Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Sara Pichelli (artist)

Students will engage in lecture, whole group instruction, visuals, and discussion.

Materials Needed:

  • Copies of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1
  • Computer or DVD player
  • Projector
  • Copy of “Waiting for Superman” or this clip

Standards Met:

  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.”
  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.”
  1. Divide the students into groups and give each group a copy of the comic to read. I advise this just because single issues of comics can be so expensive. If you have a marvel.com “Marvel Unlimited” subscription, you can access all of the Miles Morales comics as well as thousands of other comics for $9.99 a month, which is significantly cheaper if your school provides tablets or computers and you plan on using multiple comics for various lessons. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 is $1.99 in the Kindle Store if your school provides e-readers.
  2. Once the students have finished reading the comic, allow them 5-10 minutes’ worth of directed discussion about the comic. Ask them how Miles differs from Peter Parker so far, in age and temperament as well as ethnicity. Have them discuss why they think Marvel decided to present Spider-Man in this way.
  3. Show the students this clip from the documentary Waiting for “Superman.” Preface the clip by explaining that the documentary discusses various failing schools in America and how parents and teachers are attempting to rectify the situation. If the students do not know what a charter school is, explain its function to them. The clip shows a child named Anthony who is trying to get in to a charter school similar to the one Miles enters in the comic. Anthony talks about the issues surrounding the charter and public school systems, calling his chance at better schooling “bittersweet” because he wants a better education but also does not want to leave his friends.
  4. Have the students discuss what they have seen in both the documentary and in the comic. Ask them how these representations are similar and how they are different. What seems to be the central message of the documentary? The comic? What do they believe that the director/writer intends? How have their own opinions on charter schools been shaped or changed by the documentary and/or the comic?

If you use this lesson plan in your classroom, tell me about it in the comments! What worked for your class? What parts of the lesson plan did you tweak? Most importantly, what do the kids think of Miles?

Friday Fun: Homeroom Door Decorations

Posted on by Kirt Ethridge

{Image is of a classroom door decorated with replicas of Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer, and Iron Man's mask. Each replica has a child's first name on it. Red lettering on the door reads, "Ms. Kirstin's Class Is Marvelous".}

{Image is of a classroom door decorated with replicas of Captain America’s shield, Thor’s hammer, and Iron Man’s mask. Each replica has a child’s first name on it. Red lettering on the door reads, “Ms. Kirstin’s Class Is Marvelous”.}

I know this seems a little late, as school’s already started for everyone, but it’s never too late to become the awesome superhero teacher! I designed these door decorations for a classroom I had over the summer. The kids loved them, and so did the parents. One of the dads even told the school secretary: “With a teacher who knows that much about superheroes, I know my daughter’s in good hands.”

This project could be used in any classroom, from preschool on up.

I did this project alone, before the children’s first day of class, but you could easily make this a class project during down time.

For this project, you will need construction paper (red, blue, white, brown, gray, and yellow), scissors, tape or a glue stick, two circular objects, such as lids, one larger than the other (for Captain America’s shield), a pencil, and a black marker. Optional: More circular objects of varying sizes, a star stencil.

FOR IRON MAN:

  1. Trace the outline of Iron Man’s head on a red piece of paper. This will take a few tries, so you might want to practice on scrap paper first. The top of his helmet is curved. The sides are straight and tilt inward slightly. The bottom is only slightly curved. Cut out.
  2. Trace the outline of the gold part of Iron Man’s mask on a yellow piece of paper. Again, this will take a few tries. The best way to figure this shape out is to look at a picture of Iron Man while you do it. Cut out.
  3. Cut out two small rectangular pieces of blue paper for Iron Man’s eyes.
  4. Glue or tape these pieces together to form Iron Man’s mask.
  5. Optional step: Outline the mask, including the eyes, with black marker. I found that this made the image pop, but it isn’t necessary.
  6. Write the child’s name on the mask with black marker. Tape to door.

FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA’S SHIELD:

(Note: This shield is not an exact replica of Cap’s shield. If you want to be extremely detailed and have your shield match his, the outer circle is red, followed by white, followed by red, followed by the inner blue circle with a white star in the middle. For the sake of saving time, I simplified my design.)

  1. Trace your largest circular object on red paper. Cut out.
  2. Trace your next-largest circular object on blue paper. Cut out.
  3. Draw a star on white paper. This is where a star stencil proves useful. Cut out.
  4. Glue or tape these pieces together to form Captain America’s shield.
  5. Optional step: Outline the circles and the star with black marker to make the images pop.
  6. Write the child’s name on the mask with black marker. Tape to door.

FOR THOR’S HAMMER:

  1. Draw a rectangle with the corners cut out on gray paper. Cut out.
  2. Cut a slimmer rectangle out of brown paper for Mjolnir’s handle.
  3. Draw tiny lightning bolts on yellow paper. Cut out.
  4. Glue or tape the handle to the hammer.
  5. Optional step: Outline the hammer and handle to make the images pop.
  6. Write the child’s name on the hammer with black marker. Tape to door.
  7. Tape the lightning bolts on the door so they look like they’re exploding out of the hammer.

Do you have a superhero-themed classroom? If so, please tell me about it in the comments!

Teaching Hawkeye #19

Posted on by Kirt Ethridge

“I reject passive consumption. I reject the premise. I will have no passive consumers. Casanova will not stop and explain itself to you. It will not allow you to flip through it while you’re dropping a deuce and waiting for Batman to show up.”
― Matt Fraction

My mission as a teacher is to expose my students to many types of storytelling. That’s why I create lesson plans for high school students based on superhero comics. Comics are fun way to expose students to diverse types of storytelling. They combine art and words to communicate stories starring heroes of all backgrounds and ages. They require students to think in ways that books don’t–they have to synthesize the information they’re receiving from the images as well as the plot. But they also allow students to relax a little more than, say, their usual English reading list might. Like I said, comics are fun.

Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye run is my favorite current comic. Fraction’s Clint Barton is snarky and coffee-chugging, a dog lover who struggles to work with his younger Hawkeye counterpart, Kate Bishop. The storylines and art in the series constantly challenge what can be in a popular mainstream comic book. One of the earlier issues of the comic is told solely from the point of view of the Hawkeyes’ pet dog. Issue #19 pushes the boundaries even more: It is told almost entirely through sign language.

By issue #19, Clint’s luck is at an all-time low. Kate’s left for Los Angeles and taken the dog with her. Even worse, after being attacked by the Eastern European bad guys who constantly lurk outside of Clint’s Bedford–Stuyvesant apartment complex, Clint’s brother Barney is wheelchair-bound, and Clint is deaf. Throughout the issue, Clint struggles to readjust to his deafness.

Issue # 19 is my favorite issue of Hawkeye because of its unique form of storytelling. This, as well as its cultural context of deafness and poverty and its exquisite flashback scenes, are why it lends itself so well to lesson plans.

The following is an outline of a lesson plan that could be used in a high school literature class. This lesson plan meets two Common Core standards.

Hawkeye #19, Matt Fraction (writer), David Aja (artist/cover), and Matt Hollingsworth (color artist)

Students will engage in lecture, whole group instruction, visuals, hands-on learning, and a project.

Materials Needed:

  • blank white paper
  • colored pencils/pens/markers
  • copies of Hawkeye #19

Standards Met:

  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.”
  • “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.”
  1. Give the students a summary of the previous comics in the series.
  2. Divide the children into groups and give each group a copy of the comic to read. I advise this just because single issues of comics can be so expensive. The Kindle edition of Hawkeye #19 is $2.99, which may be the cheapest option if your school has e-readers. You may also be able to find a copy of this issue online, though it doesn’t seem to currently be available on the Marvel site.
  3. How you have the students read the comic depends on how you want them to approach the storyline. If you know ASL and want to teach them some basic signs before they read the comic, you can. However, one of the interesting effects of reading the comic without knowing ASL is experiencing Clint’s world—Clint can’t hear what the speaking characters are saying, and the non-ASL-understanding reader doesn’t know exactly what Clint is signing. This helps readers immerse themselves in the main character’s world.
  4. Comics are a different form of storytelling than most high schoolers are used to seeing in class. Have the students analyze the comic by format, art style, subject matter, setting, plot, character, diction, point of view, and structure. In discussion, compare and contrast the comic and a book they have recently read. What surprises them the most about the comic? For those who read comics regularly, how does Hawkeye differ from/how is it similar to the comics they read? What would they change if they were writing the comic? Drawing the comic?
  5. Hawkeye #19 contains many flashbacks. As a child, Clint Barton was deafened. He regained some of his hearing after that, but now, as an adult, he is deafened again as a result of an attack by the big bads who lurk around his apartment complex. The flashback scenes in #19 parallel directly with present day scenes. For example, these scenes:
{Image is a scan of a comic page. The top row of cells shows a handwritten doctor's note stating that Clint has been deafened. The middle panel shows a doctor's office; Clint's parents and brother sit at the doctor's desk while Clint sits on the examination table. The third row of cells shows the doctor and Clint's father speaking. Instead of words, the speech bubbles contain scribbles to show that Clint cannot hear the words clearly. The bottom panel shows young Clint staring at the reader.}

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The top row of cells shows a handwritten doctor’s note stating that Clint has been deafened. The middle panel shows a doctor’s office; Clint’s parents and brother sit at the doctor’s desk while Clint sits on the examination table. The third row of cells shows the doctor and Clint’s father speaking. Instead of words, the speech bubbles contain scribbles to show that Clint cannot hear the words clearly. The bottom panel shows young Clint staring at the reader.}

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The top panel shows adult Clint staring at the reader. The second row of cells is a typed doctor's note stating that Clint has been deafened. The third panel is an image of the doctor's office, with Clint sitting on an examination table while his brother talks to the doctor. Their speech bubbles are blank, showing that Clint cannot hear them at all. The bottom row of cells shows Clint's brother signing at him. Clint is looking down.}

{Image is a scan of a comic page. The top panel shows adult Clint staring at the reader. The second row of cells is a typed doctor’s note stating that Clint has been deafened. The third panel is an image of the doctor’s office, with Clint sitting on an examination table while his brother talks to the doctor. Their speech bubbles are blank, showing that Clint cannot hear them at all. The bottom row of cells shows Clint’s brother signing at him. Clint is looking down.}

Have the students draw their own comic spread. The first page should be a flashback to either a time in their own past or a time in a character’s past. The second page should be a parallel scene in the present. This comic spread does not need to—and should not—exactly copy the Hawkeye spread. Encourage the students to experiment with their comic. They don’t have to be artists by trade to tell a great story.

If you use this lesson plan in your classroom, or if you have any comic-book-based lesson plans that your students love, tell me about it in the comments!