school | superlessons

Book vs. Comic vs. Film: How Do Superheroes Translate Across Media?

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Kirt Ethridge

“Novelizations of films are generally not thought of in artistic terms whatsoever…. If you’re lucky, you get some extra background, a window into the character’s heads. If you’re not lucky, you end up with a movie script punctuated by blocky narrative.” – Emily Asher-Perrin on the Revenge of the Sith novelization

Recently, Marvel released a traditional novel about Miles Morales, a.k.a. Spider-Man. While writing a pictureless book about a comic book character might seem odd, cross-media storytelling isn’t new. Many comic book films have novelizations of their own.

Translating a traditional book to the screen is difficult. What happens when a comic book’s story is retold on film and in a traditional book? What details are lost? In this group presentation, your students will study how certain stories are retold in comics, books, and film.

{Image is a top and bottom comparison of the Civil War comic and the Civil War film. The top half of the image is from the comic, featuring most of the characters involved in the fight. The bottom half of the image is from the film, featuring most of the characters involved in the fight. In both images, the characters are in profile, facing off.}

Students will engage in cooperative learning, visuals, a project, and a presentation.

Materials Needed:

Books based on comics or on films (the Marvel Civil War novelization; any of the recent novelizations of Marvel films; the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novel)
Comics (Marvel Civil War; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; The Dark Knight)
Films (any of the recent Marvel films; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; Batman)
Computers with DVD drives so students can watch the films
Headphones so students can watch the films
Trifold posters (try the Dollar Tree)
Markers
Printers
Glue sticks

Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Ask the students to name some books that have been turned into films. Have them describe the differences between the book and the film adaption. Have them wonder what caused those differences. This should only take a few minutes.
Explain to the students that over the course of the next several class days, they divide into groups and study the differences between comic books and their film and book adaptations. They may also study the differences between films and their comic books/novelizations. At the end of the unit, the groups will present their analyses to the class with the help of a trifold poster visual aid.
Divide the students into groups of three. Have these groups pick one story from a series of options. Some good examples of book/film/comic trios include Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Marvel Civil War, and The Dark Knight. Have the groups decide which student in the group will read the book, which student in the group will read the comic, and which student in the group will watch the film. “I Can” Statement: I can work productively with a group to plan a project.
Give the groups time in and out of class to read and watch their books/comics/films. If possible, it may be helpful to your students if you provide movie nights when they can come to school and watch the assigned films. Remind students to watch and read carefully and to take notes. “I Can” Statements: I can read a text carefully and analytically. I can watch a film carefully and analytically.
In class, have the students create a Venn Diagram of what they noticed in the book, the film, and the comics? What similarities were there? What differences? Using this information, the students should come up with a paragraph outlining their plan for their presentation. “I Can” Statement: I can synthesize information using a Venn diagram.
{Image is of a multicolored, computer-generated Venn diagram. The entire diagram is entitled: “Books, Films, and Comics: A Study” and subtitled “How do the literary elements of comics translate to other media?” One circle in the diagram is labeled “only the book,” one is labeled “only the film,” one is labeled “only the comic,” and the center is labeled “all three.” The other overlapping parts would correspond to similarities between book and comics, book and film, and film and comics.}
Have each group show you their Venn Diagram and presentation proposal. Discuss their ideas and suggest any necessary improvements. “I Can” Statement: I can use a teacher’s suggestions to revise or redirect my work.
Once you have met with the groups, provide them with a trifold poster and craft supplies. Remind them that this poster should be a good visual aide for their presentation. The poster is a trifold poster because they are discussing three forms of media. If the groups are struggling, describe the process as translating their Venn diagram onto the poster. “I Can” Statement: I can create a neat, informative poster.
Have each group give a 5-to-10-minute presentation about their findings. Their presentation should cover the literary elements of each form of media as well as their personal conclusions: did the story translate well from its original medium to the others? Why or why not? Each person in the group should have equal responsibility for communicating information. “I Can” Statement: I can work collaboratively to present coherent literary analysis to an audience.

What differences did your students notice in their literary analysis? If you and your class are doing something super, please let me know in the comments!

What Do You Mean They’re Making Heroes Register? Censorship and Comics

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Kirt Ethridge

“This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences.” -Steve Rogers/Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man #537

The comics industry is no stranger to censorship. The Golden Age of comics, from the late 1930s through the early 1950s, morphed into the cookie-cutter Silver Age due to government interference. The 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent claimed that comic books were an evil force that seduced children into delinquency.

While in retrospect the concept of comics as a malevolent entity might sound as out-of-style as McCarthyism, the reality is that many adults still fear the persuasive power of reading. How else can we explain the need for Banned Books Week? While current comics, especially those outside the Big Two (Marvel and DC), are permitted tackle darker narratives, they face opposition in school libraries across the country. Groups such as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund fight to protect comic books’ place in schools.

In what ways does censorship affect how students interact with comics? Today’s four-day lesson plan introduces students to the concept of censorship through the lens of banned comic books.

{Image is of a CBLDF poster for Banned Books Week 2014. A group of comics characters, including Captain Underpants, cringe away from a group of protesters carrying signs that read “Ban This Filth!” A person clutching a book has their arms spread in front of the comic book characters. He says, “Defend banned books!” Image comes from http://cbldf.org/2014/09/free-posters-and-resources-for-banned-books-week/}

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

Materials Needed:

Banned comic books/graphic novels such as Drama, Persepolis, Maus, This One Summer, and Bone, enough for one per student (with any luck, you can find them in your school’s library or your public library!)
Lined paper or notebooks for outlines/note-taking
Computers and printers available for students to type essays

Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Begin class by mentioning that this week is Banned Books Week. Ask the students if they have heard of this and what it might mean. This should only take a few minutes.
Ask the students to tell you what they know about why and how books are banned. This discussion should take five to ten minutes.
Have the students read this Washington Post article about the recent increase in illustrated banned books and discuss it with a partner. After ten minutes, have the students present their ideas to the class. Be sure to encourage active listening—instead of asking the students what conclusions they drew from the article, ask them what their partners thought of the article.
Explain that over the course of the next few class periods, the students will each choose a banned comic book to read independently. In a well-crafted MLA-style essay, they will analyze the book’s structure and the author’s intent. Then they will have to research and address why the book was banned and argue for or against its banning.
Allow the students the remainder of the period to choose and begin reading their banned comic book.
By the next class period, students should be mostly finished with their comic books. In class, have them research why the book was banned and what the outcome of that banning was. Was the book permanently barred from certain schools or libraries? Did the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund or another group come to the comic’s aid? Allow the students to work on their essay outlines independently.
Outside of class between the second and third class periods of the unit, students should craft a first draft of their essays. Assign them a partner to peer edit their work. Some good peer editing questions:
1. What was the intent of your essay?
2. What do you think your thesis statement is?
3. Could you clarify (a confusing section)?
4. What do you think the book you read was trying to get across to its readers?
5. Why was this book banned?
Outside of class between the third and fourth (final) class period of the unit, have the students use their peer editing remarks and their own editing to craft a polished final draft of their essay. Some rubric ideas:
1. Did the student summarize the plot of the comic book they read?
2. Did the student address the reasons why the book was banned?
3. Did the student address their own thoughts on the book?
4. What conclusions did the student draw? Did they back up their ideas with evidence from the text and art?
5. Is the student’s spelling and grammar correct and consistent?
6. Did the student cite the book itself and any research using correct MLA-style citations?
After the students turn in their essays, have them form groups and discuss their findings. Remind them to be active listeners: when the groups come together as a class, they will have to explain another group member’s essay to the class. Help the students to discern what they think about the stories they read and what they feel about censorship. If they have any questions or concerns about what they read, they may respectfully discuss them at this point.

Some suggested books:

{Image is the cover of Drama by Raina Telgemeier. There are three illustrated characters walking across a stage in profile: two boys with a girl in the middle. The girl has a heart over her head.}

Drama is the story of a middle-school girl who participates in, you guessed it, theatre. She ends up falling for another theatre kid, but things get complicated, as junior high crushes often do. This comic has been banned due to LGBT themes.

{Image is the cover of Art Spiegelman’s Maus. Two anthropomorphic mice stand with their arms around each other. Behind them is a swastika with a cat’s head superimposed on it.}

Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus has been banned because it addresses the violence of the Holocaust head-on.

{Image is the cover of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. A girl wearing a hijab is at the very center of the otherwise bare red background.}

Persepolis, a graphic memoir by Marjane Satrapi, has been banned because it discusses Islam.

If you or your students are interested in reading more resources about banned comic books, check out these links:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Banned Books Week page

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Banned Books Handbook

A list of banned comics

Using Graphic Novels in Education

What are your students’ thoughts about banned comic books? Which banned comic books did they enjoy the most? If you and your class are doing something super, please let me know in the comments!

This Summer In Review: A Comics Retrospective Presented By Your Students

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

“I retire for what, like, five minutes, and it all goes to shit.” -Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Captain America: Civil War

Summer break is long and short at the same time: long enough for the kids to miss their friends and drive their parents/grandparents/babysitters/siblings nuts, short enough for it to feel, one week into school, as if they’d never left in the first place.

A lot happened in the superhero world in just a few short months. Captain America: Civil War, the comic event Civil War II, Batman: The Killing Joke, Suicide Squad, and of course San Diego Comic-Con. There have been Doctor Strange trailers and Punisher teasers, and both Tom Hiddleston and Mark Ruffalo posted great photos from the set of Ragnarok.

{Image is a photograph of Mark Ruffalo on the set of Thor: Ragnarok. He is wearing massive Hulk fists and punching towards the camera.}

What was your class’s favorite comic event of the summer? This week’s lesson plan is an essay that answers this question.

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

Materials Needed:

Notebooks and black pens/pencils for first drafts
Red pens for revisions
Computers for student use with access to the Internet for research + with Microsoft Word for final drafts

Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

Ask the students what important comic-related events happened over the summer. This can include films, comic books, graphic novels, Comic Con panels, and etc. Discuss. This should take five to ten minutes.
Tell the students that they will be researching and writing a one-and-a-half to two-page essay about what they think was the most important comic event of the summer. Tell them again that this can include live action films (such as Civil War, Suicide Squad), animated films (such as the Batman: The Killing Joke adaption), comic books (such as Civil War II), graphic novels, Comic Con panels, and etc.
Have the students raise their hands and remind you of the steps of the writing process (planning/outline, the draft and revision cycle, peer editing, and the requirements of a final copy). This should take five minutes.
Have the students make a plan or outline of their essay on notebook paper. If they need ideas, they may look up comic book news articles on the computer.
For the rest of the class period, have students write their rough draft on notebook paper. Have them double-space so that they will have room for edits.
During the next class period, pair up the students and have them peer edit each other’s papers. Students may use the rest of that class period to work on a final draft of their paper.
A final typed and double-spaced draft of the essay will be due at the beginning of the third class period. Have students volunteer to present their papers to the class, either by summarizing their ideas or reading the essay in its entirety.

What was the most important comic event of your summer? What issues did your class discuss during the essay-writing process? As always, let me know what you thought about this lesson plan in the comments!

Surprise! I’m Still Here!

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

“When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree by the river of truth, and tell the whole world “No, you move.” -Steve Rogers

It’s been a long few months filled with all kinds of pain and trauma. Yes, I am talking about Captain America: Civil War. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to SuperLessons. I apologize for being MIA. All Cap 3 jokes aside, I’ve had an incredibly busy semester that culminated in my graduation:

{Image is a photograph of two graduation caps. The one on the left is my graduation cap. It has Cap’s shield painted on it, encircled by the words “Write like you’re running out of time.” The cap on the right is my fiancee’s graduation cap. It has a teacher’s apple sticker on the top, followed by the words “Going with all the light you can manage try to grab them.”}

I saw Civil War:

{Image is a photograph of my friends and me at the midnight–well, 7 PM–opening night showing of Civil War. All faces but mine and my fiancee’s are blurred to protect privacy. I am holding Cap’s shield.}

And I’m currently spending my morning going on a Twitter rant about the twist at the end of the new Captain America comic (click for spoilers). The Steve Rogers rage is real.

Now what? Well, it’s summer, which means that I get my classroom back! This summer, I’m working with the “bigs” classroom, which this year includes fifteen 4th-8th graders. I’m looking forward to science projects, field trips to the library, and, of course, our annual Superhero Week.

This summer, this blog will be a repository for superhero-related summer activities. There’ll probably be a series of anecdotes about my kids as well.

Happy summer! (Unless you’re Steve Rogers. Sorry, Steve.)

Bullies in the Classroom

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

{Image is a gif of pre-serum Steve Rogers from Captain America: The First Avenger.}

“I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from.”

-Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger

Today’s blog post is not about superheroes. It’s about the absence of them–about the fact that, no matter how fiercely I love my kids, no matter how much I emphasize the values of patience and respect, they won’t always be super kids. Just like I won’t always be a super teacher. Children can be fantastically accepting. They can also be brutally judgmental.

About once a year, my students go through a fit of bullying. They pick on each other all year long, but once a year, they find a target and go after them. I remedy this with an anti-bullying curriculum, the introduction to which I will leave at the end of this post. This curriculum works well with the 2nd-8th grade set.

Younger children are more complicated. After school, I sometimes help watch the younger students. One of the three-year-olds, “Betsy,” was nonverbal when she joined us a little less than two months ago. Today, she came up to me with her coat and said, “Zip my jacket.” Her acquisition of language has been swift and astounding. Honestly? I love all my kids, but Betsy’s special. She comes to me when she’s feeling squealy, spinny, stimmy. We flap our arms together and laugh. I adore her kinetic joy. I’m constantly proud of her strong, high voice, even when she’s using it to yell “MOVE!” at the other kids. Hey, assertiveness is a positive trait.

The kindergarteners have been mocking her voice. They play with her with the express purpose of laughing at her. They mimic her and laugh, and Betsy laughs along. She doesn’t get why they’re laughing. She just thinks they’re having fun.

This infuriates me. Partially because Betsy is so special to me, yes. But partially because some of those kindergarteners are special to me, too. Two of them are the younger siblings of my favorite student (listen, you can have favorites without playing favorites; I think I’ve gotten pretty good at this over the years). They’re bright kids. Sassy, noisy, wild, smart kids. Kids who I love. That makes their bullying more difficult for me to handle.

I told them off for it today, all four of them, that posse of kindergartners laughing at a three-year-old who’s just found her voice. They stopped for a minute as we walked up the stairs from the cafeteria to the restrooms. Then, in the restroom, they started up again. Betsy loves to sing in the restroom: her sweet, garbled song. The girls mimicked her as they stood in line in the hall.

Betsy got to go out to recess with the boys. I kept the kindergarten girls back. How would you feel, I asked, if your friend was making fun of you? I told them off. I had them sit in time-out. I had them apologize.

They’ll do it again. Maybe not as often. But they’ll do it.

Sometimes this superhero teacher feels pretty useless.

Bullying Myths and Facts

Myth: Bullies will go away if you ignore them.
Fact: Bullies WON’T always go away if you ignore them. Sometimes, they’ll take you ignoring them as a sign that you’re okay with them bullying you. The only sure way to get bullies to stop bullying you is to tell an adult so the adult can help keep you safe.

Myth: All bullies have low self-esteem.
Fact: Some bullies do have low self-esteem, but that should not be used as an excuse for their actions. No matter whether a bully has low self-esteem or not, they don’t have the right to bully anyone.

Myth: People might be hurt when they get bullied, but they’ll get over it.
Fact: Not everybody gets over being bullied. Bullying can lead to anxiety—a long-lasting condition where your brain releases chemicals that make you feel scared, even when you’re not in a situation that would normally scare you—or depression—another long-lasting condition where your brain doesn’t release enough chemicals to make you happy, so you feel tired and sad. Some people never get over all the fear caused by bullies. That’s why bullying is so terrible. What happens to you as a kid can affect you for the rest of your life.

Myth: Bullying is just a normal part of growing up.
Fact: A lot of people are bullied while they’re growing up, but bullying shouldn’t be considered normal. Some people say it’s normal because they feel helpless to stop bullies.

Myth: The best way to get rid of a bully is to fight and get even.
Fact: Fighting and getting even doesn’t stop bullies. If you try to hurt your bully on purpose, then you’ve become a bully, too. The best way to stop a bully is to tell an adult you trust what’s going on.

Myth: Bullying is just teasing.
Fact: Some teasing is bullying, but bullying is never just teasing. It’s not the victim’s fault for being upset. It’s the bully’s fault for hurting the other person.

Myth: People who complain about bullies are babies.
Fact: People are not babies for telling on the people who bully them. They are very brave. It’s scary to tell on your bullies. Some bullies say they’ll hurt the people they’re bullying if they tell. It’s always best to tell and get help.

Myth: Telling on a bully is the same as tattling.
Fact: Telling on a bully is not tattling. If an adult doesn’t listen to you because they think you’re just tattling, and the bully keeps bothering you, tell another adult you trust what’s going on. Keep telling adults you trust about the bully until one of the adults helps you.

Myth: Only boys are bullies.
Fact: Both boys and girls can be bullies.

Myth: Some people deserve to be bullied.
Fact: NO ONE deserves to be bullied.

How has your classroom dealt with bullying? Let me know in the comments.

Substitute to the Rescue!

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

{Image is a picture of Spider-Man lying in bed in costume. There are a glass with a straw in it and a bottle of cough syrup on the bedside table. The caption reads, “SUPERHERO SICK DAY”.}

Last week, for the first time in the history of this blog, I didn’t post a lesson plan. Now, I’ve been late with a post before, but I always managed to get something written by Tuesday.

That is, until strep struck. I don’t know about you, but with me, the older I get, the sicker I get when I catch strep. I feel as if I had it every other week as a child. (I wasn’t too upset. I liked the bubblegum medicine.) Sore throat, low-grade fever, whatever. I was fine.

As an adult? Not so fine. I spent last Monday sleeping and the rest of the week sleeping. Luckily, my city’s been plagued by a combination of snow and paranoid school superintendents, so I didn’t miss much school anyway. But what if I had?

This week’s post is a series of simple superhero lesson plans you can leave behind for your sub whenever a disease catches you.

Superhero Identities: Sometimes students try to sink the sub by switching names. A good way to prevent this is to leave the substitute an attendance sheet which includes photographs of each student beside their name. At the beginning of the school year, have each student pick a superhero identity. They can be a hero from a current comic, such as Daredevil, or one they’ve created on their own. Write this identity by their real name and photograph. When they have a substitute teacher, have them wear “Hello, my name is _____” badges with their superhero identities on them. Leave a note with the sub saying that the students should be referred to by their superhero identities if at all possible. Even the biggest grumps cheer up when they’re being called “Superman.”
Superhero Hangman: This game is almost the same as regular Hangman. The two twists are all answers must be related to comics in some way, and the hanged man only dies when he has a cape as well as the rest of his body parts.
Flash Superhero Fiction: The substitute has the students pull out their journals. They give them fifteen minutes to write a superhero story. This may be in comic or prose form.
Superhero Newspaper Analysis: Collecting newspaper articles for your students is always a good idea. Have the substitute give each student one article, preferably an article with a lot of tension or action. Then each student should write either a story or an essay about what a particular superhero would do about the events happening in the article.
Superhero Twenty Questions.
Superhero Pictionary.
“Where’s My Teacher?” Comics: Leave the sub with a lot of blank paper, pencils, pens, colored pencils, and other art supplies. Have the sub pass out these materials and have the students draw a comic about what they think their superhero teacher is doing while they’re gone.

{Image is a cell from an old Spider-Man comic. Spider-Man lies in a hospital bed (still in his full suit). His doctor is holding a clipboard and speaking to him. The doctor says: “I didn’t want to wake you, but I thought you’d like to know.. You’ve had the worst case of flu I’ve seen in years!” Spider-Man says, “The…FLU?!!” The doctor says, “Well, it wasn’t an ingrown toenail!”}

Superhero Mock Elections

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

Cruz. Rubio. Trump. Fiorina. Carson. O’Malley. Clinton. Sanders–tonight’s a whirlwind of presidential candidates at the Iowa Caucus. But what exactly is a caucus? How does it work? What does it have to do with the real presidential election, anyway?

Today’s lesson plan is a multi-day unit: a mock election with superheroes as candidates. Links to more detailed explanations of terms will be provided as necessary.

Students will engage in lecture, whole group instruction, cooperative learning, hands-on activities, and discussion.

Materials Needed:

Poster board
Markers, glitter glue, Elmer’s glue, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and other art materials that can be used on poster board
Printer paper
Computers for student use with access to Power Point, Google Image Search, and a printer
Computer/Projector
Laser pointer (optional; don’t perform Lasik surgery on each other, kids)

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.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

PART ONE: THE PRIMARY

Ask your students if they have been paying attention to the presidential election. If they say yes, ask them if they paid attention to the Iowa Caucus (did they watch it on Snapchat?). Then ask them if they know what a caucus is.
Define caucus for the students. A caucus is a meeting of members of a political party. In the Iowa Caucus, Iowans meet up at local voting precincts and choose which delegates from their political party will represent them in county conventions. These county conventions vote for delegates for Iowa’s state political party conventions, who choose delegates for presidential nominating conventions.
1. Tell your students that a primary election is one in which members of each political party choose which candidate they want to run for President. Right now, there are many Republican candidates and more than one Democratic candidate. Once people have voted in primaries across the country, the candidate with the most votes will continue running for President. So, while right now the race is Trump vs. Rubio vs. Cruz VERSUS Clinton vs. Sanders, etc., after the primaries, it’ll be narrowed down to ONE Republican vs. ONE Democrat.
Explain to your students that people put so much importance on the Iowa Caucus because it’s a fairly successful (47%) predictor of who will be in the presidential election. Whichever Republican wins the Caucus has a pretty good chance of going on to run against whichever Democrat wins the Caucus.
Tell the students that as a class, you are going to run a mock primary election using superhero candidates. Tell them that they will be separated into two equivalent groups. (Don’t name these groups Democrats and Republicans. I can see the bloodshed already. Name them the Marvels and the DCs.) Then, within those two groups, three people will run for president in-character as superheroes. They will advertise; they will debate; they will give speeches. They will do everything they can to gain supporters within their own party. Then, in a primary election, people within their party will vote for a candidate to go on to the main election.
1. It’s important to note to the students that political parties in real life aren’t restricted to only having three candidates for the primary. Point out how many Republican candidates there are. The students are limited to three candidates because otherwise the vote could easily be split. You have a class of 30ish people, not thousands.
Divide the students into Marvels and DCs. Within these groups, YOU pick the three who want to run for office.
Give the candidates time outside of class to think of their superhero personas. Have them come up with a vague outline of their political platforms. These can be real–healthcare, immigration, etc.–or imagined–superhero registration! Batman v. Superman! They should have a small speech (it can be as simple as “Vote Cap. FOR JUSTICE!” Or it can be more involved) and some debate points prepared. They should present their persona and platforms to you at the beginning of the next class.
The next class period should be campaign time. Set up six stations for the students, half for the Marvels and half for the DCs:
1. Speech area #1 in front of the projector–for candidates with (pre-approved) PowerPoints or images to be displayed behind them
2. Poster station #1–with poster boards, art supplies, etc. to make banners
3. Handshake station #1–for candidates to speak with their voters
4. Speech area #2
5. Poster station #2
6. Handshake station #2
Optional step: debates. Debates work well if you have a mature class and moderators. They work even better if you have covered speech and debate in your class before. No matter how immature the current US Presidential candidates act, we need to raise a generation that knows how to behave in a debate.
Remind the students that the next class day will be primary election day!
Primary Election Day. Before class begins, set up two closed-off, private areas where students from each party can fill out their ballots.
When students come into the classroom, have them line up in front of their respective ballot boxes. Display the image at the beginning of this post prominently. Remind them frequently that their ballots are secret. In real life, they cannot take a picture of their ballot! They can, however, post about their favorite candidate just as much as they want.
Once the voting is over, tell the students that their ballots, like many ballots in Iowa, will be hand-counted. This may be done by you or by some volunteers from another class.

PART TWO: THE ELECTION

In the next class, reveal the winners of the primary. Have them both come up and make a quick speech.
Tell the class that for the general election, they may cross party lines. You may vote for the DC candidate even if you’re a registered Marvel voter. In fact, this is encouraged. Listen carefully to each candidate.
Campaign time, part two! Set up your stations again. Allow the students to move freely around the classroom. The candidates can make speeches and shake hands; the voters can make posters, listen, and ask questions.
Optional step: debates.
Remind the students that the next class day will be Election Day.
Election Day: same procedure as Primary Election Day.
Count ballots. Find appropriately-designed celebratory material. Decorate your classroom in those colors/designs before the students come in. Allow for celebration and consolation.
Once the students have recovered from the shock/rage/glee, bring them back together. Tell them that the election process does not always go smoothly. For example:

There are many painful, convoluted aspects of the election process. Your classroom’s version was a streamlined procedure.

What did your students think of the mock election? Who won? Who will win the real election? As always, leave your thoughts in the comments.

Would the Real Lex Luthor Please Stand Up? Changing Actors in Comic Book Films

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

One of the few cool facts about my hometown–other than that the Roseanne house is here–is that Lex Luthor comes from here. Not the villain himself, though that would also be neat, but Michael Rosenbaum, who played him in Smallville. I watched that show on the tiny wood-paneled box of a television on my grandparents’ screened-in porch. I though, I want to be as lucky as him.

{Image is a still of Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor in Smallville. He is looking to the left. He is wearing a grey t-shirt under an unbuttoned black shirt. He is bald.}

My talents lie in writing, not acting, and it’s too difficult to maintain a perfectly shaved head, so I don’t think I have a future as Lex Luthor. But many people have played him, each with a different flair. Rosenbaum played young Lex, who starts out as Clark’s friend. Gene Hackman’s Lex wore a hairpiece in the Superman films. And now there’s Jesse Eisenberg, who, to the alarm of some fans, has a full head of hair.

Have you seen the Batman V. Superman trailer? Here:

Before I watched the trailer, I was worried about Eisenberg’s Lex. Now? He and Wonder Woman are tied for the reason I go to see this film. His character’s not the same as other iterations of Lex Luthor, but he’s still terrifying.

In today’s lesson plan, your students will explore different incarnations of the same character.

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

Materials Needed:

Computer
Projector
DVD player
DVD copy of Smallville
Notebooks/writing utensils
Computers for student use with monitored access to YouTube

Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6 Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Ask the students to give you an example of a TV or film character they like who has been portrayed by multiple actors. This character does not have to be a superhero. This discussion should take less than five minutes.
Show the class a bit of Smallville with Lex Luthor in it. Your choice if you show them a clip or a whole episode.
Have the students raise their hands and tell the class some of Lex’s character traits as well as physical traits in Smallville.
Show the class the Batman V. Superman trailer.
Have the students raise their hands and tell the class some of Lex’s character traits as well as physical traits in the trailer. How does this Lex differ from Smallville‘s Lex?
Ask the students if any of them noted the differences between the two Superman characterizations.
Tell the students that they will each choose a TV/film character (not necessarily a superhero–think Dumbledore or soap opera characters) who has been portrayed by different actors. They will analyze these different performances and write an essay about their character traits, physical traits, and the overall differences between their films. If the film is based on a novel, they may include the novelization in their analysis. They may also add one paragraph of their own opinion of which actor played the role best, but the paper should mostly be objective analysis.
Allow the students to do some research in class. Make sure to monitor their use of computers, particularly YouTube, as they research. They may finish their papers at home.

What (Not?) To Wear: Analyzing Heroes’ Costumes

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

“Of the people in this room, which one is A – wearing a spangly outfit and B – not of use?” -Tony Stark, The Avengers (2012)

As your students may have already realized in earlier lessons, one of the most important parts of designing a superhero is settling on a costume. The best artists consider multiple elements while creating a costume: practicality, flashiness, and continuity with comics canon, for example. They might also consider cultural elements:

{Image is of Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, 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. Her top includes a red turtleneck. She is holding up her fists.}

But even characters whose costumes seem straightforward, such as Iron Man or Captain America, experience evolution.

{Image is Jack Kirby’s original concept art for Iron Man. Iron Man’s suit is entirely silver. Each piece of the armor is blocky; his helmet is almost square. He looks heavy.}

{Image is an Iron Man comic cover from the 1980s. The subtitle reads, “An Iron Man You’ve Never Seen Before!” Iron Man stands in front of glass cases filled with previous Iron Man suits. Iron Man himself is lifting off his helmet. His face is in shadow. His suit is contoured to his muscles, particularly his biceps and abs.}

{Image is Iron Man as he appears in the films. His armor is sleek red-and-gold chrome. The armor has distinct pieces that are sleek and seem to be close to his body, but his muscles are not visible.}

Why do heroes wear what they wear? In today’s lesson plan, your students will complete a formal artistic analysis of superhero costumes. Your students will learn the definition of formal analysis and be able to write an essay examining the formal elements of art as they are represented in superhero costumes.

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

Materials Needed:

Computer
Projector
Notebooks/writing utensils
Various comics from a wide range of time periods so that students can see how certain characters’ costumes change over time

Standards Met:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.

Begin class by showing your students the above pictures of Iron Man. If you have more pictures of Iron Man handy, show them. Especially original Iron Man. He’s hilarious. Like the Tin Man’s chubby cousin. This should take five minutes.
Once your students have settled down, ask them why they think the original Iron Man was designed the way he was. Then ask them why you think those specific changes were made to his costume in the 80s and 2000s. What changes did they particularly notice?
Define formal analysis for your students. According to the University of Texas at Austin, “Formal analysis is…an analysis of the forms utilized in the work of art: …color, shape, line, mass, and space. The formal analysis moves beyond simple description in that it connects the elements of the work to the effects they have on the viewer.”
1. This webpage includes definitions of each of the formal elements, as well as a student-friendly handout about them.
Divide your students into groups. Pull up the Iron Man images on your projector screen again. Have each group analyze these images of Iron Man using their knowledge of formal analysis.
1. Make sure to remind your students that they have just now learned how to use formal analysis! Encourage them to ask each other for help (NOT to gossip, I see those kids’ minds churning, too) as well as to consult their worksheet.
Bring the class back together. Have each group briefly discuss what formal elements they discovered: color, line, etc.
1. What effect do those formal elements have on your students? For example, the use of line varies greatly between the original Iron Man and the 1980s Iron Man. What adjectives would your students use to describe these costumes? Comical? Imposing?
2. If the students struggle, encourage them. Have more examples ready to go over in class. Captain America in the films is a pretty good example of variation in costumes. See today’s opening quote: in Avengers, he’s wearing a skin-tight spangly suit (thanks, Coulson) that’s a lot more similar to his “dancing monkey” chorus outfit in the early scenes of Captain America than it is to his battle uniform in Captain America. By the time we see him in Cap 2, he’s wearing a suit with muted colors (since he’s working in covert ops); even his shield seems dimmer. In Avengers 2, though, his costume seems to have come full circle to his original battle uniform from the first Captain America film.
For homework, your students will write a three-to-four-page formal analysis/compare-contrast essay about superhero costumes. Each student will choose a specific hero. They should have two examples of this hero’s costume, which preferably do not look much alike. They should compare the color, line, space, etc. of these two costumes. In their essay, they should also briefly address the setting and action of the comic their images appear in. Why do your students think that the artist dressed this hero this way at this time? Your students should finish their essay with a paragraph detailing their personal thoughts about both costumes. Which one do they prefer? Why? They should reference formal elements in order to back up their preference.

How did your students handle this lesson? What did they think of the original Iron Man? As always, if you have any ideas, or if you and your class are doing something super, please let me know in the comments!

New Year Resolutions for the Superhero Teacher

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Kirt Ethridge

As you’ve probably already noticed due to the horde of screaming students that re-entered your school this morning, it’s a new year. I’m fantastically excited for this year: I’m getting my degree and getting married. More importantly, a whole slew of superhero films comes out this year.

Deadpool.

{Image is a poster for the Deadpool film. Deadpool stands in front of a plain black background. The poster says “Deadpool” and the release date, 2-6-16.}

X-Men: Apocalypse.

(Image is an X-Men: Apocalypse poster. The poster shows Apocalypse standing the background. Professor X stands in the foreground (and James McAvoy is bald for the role!). Behind Professor X and to the viewer’s left is Psylocke. Behind him and to the viewer’s right is Magneto. The bottom of the poster lists the release date, 5/27/16.}

Batman V. Superman.

{Image is a cast poster for Batman V. Superman. From left to right: Batman, looking down and to the left; Superman, looking at the viewer dead on; and Wonder Woman, holding her sword (!!!), looking to the right and slightly down.}

CIVIL WAR!

{Image is a poster for Captain America: Civil War. Red words at the top of the poster say “Words Are Over.” Beneath those words, Iron Man’s gauntlet holds Captain America’s cowl. The gauntlet is torn up, exposing Iron Man’s thumb and ring finger. Captain America’s cowl is stained. The bottom of the poster has the release date, 5.6.16.}

This year will be such a good year. I can feel it.

As usual, I’m also nervous coming into the New Year. I want to grow as a teacher. I want to always be patient with them. At the beginning of the year, I make resolutions. I promise that I’ll be gentler with my kids. That I’ll always give them as much time as they need to follow their own curiosities, whether those curiosities are the books they’re reading or the sounds the heater in the bathroom makes. That I’ll be patient when they’re frustrated and lashing out, especially because I spent so much of my childhood lashing out due to my frustration. That I’ll give 100% of myself 100% of the time.

I won’t. I can’t. I’ll have days when I’m feverish, or when my anxiety’s acting up, or when I’m just not up for the challenge. My kids will scream at me. They’ll hit each other. They’ll talk through lessons. And, patient as I want to be, sometimes I don’t have twenty minutes to spare with that kid who’s so fascinated by the heater in the bathroom.

I will fail.

Part of being a superhero is failure. The comics we’ve read together on this blog prove that. Heck, the films coming out this year prove that. Iron Man and Captain America have a disagreement so violent that the crossfire kills other heroes. No matter how good people are, they fail. What makes someone a superhero is continuing to try to be good even when they’ve failed.

Resolutions aren’t rules that you have to keep every minute of every day. They’re more like guideposts. A general direction for the year.

With that in mind, here are my resolutions for the coming year:

I will support and promote comics and graphic novels in the classroom.
I will encourage students to create their own imaginative stories.
I will be open to change and willing to follow students’ natural curiosities as much as I can.
I will be as patient as possible with anyone who frustrates me….
But I will also do what I can to take care of myself, mentally, physically, and emotionally–I will recognize that, just like any other superhero, the first person I have to help before saving anyone else is myself.

Happy New Year, other heroes. It’s going to be a good one.

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