Introduction
When we look at the word "superhero" our minds go to supernatural powers and larger-than-life characters. We instantly think of Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man, to name a few. These are characters that are universally known by young and old, foreign and domestic. Hollywood has recently had an influx of films based on comic book heroes. These movies are generating millions in revenue both domestically and in the foreign markets. Is it because these heroes are characters we can look up to? Is it because we have a need to see the good guys prevail over evil? Or is it simply that Hollywood has become unimaginative and therefore continues to recycle the same stories that have been told for years? Whatever the reason may be, the comic book superhero is someone that we are all familiar with. It is this notion that I would like to explore in this curriculum unit.
Looking at comic book superheroes is an especially current topic now with so many comics becoming big budget movies. Of course characters such as Batman, Spiderman and Superman have, for years, been an attraction to the movie producers and movie-goers. Recently other comic superheroes have taken to the big screen. Characters such as Iron Man, Wolverine, and Incredible Hulk have gained wide popularity with movie audiences. Why are we so attracted to these comic book superheroes? It is fair to say that most superheroes are continually reinvented for new generations. Most of these characters live a double life by having an average human existence and then a separate life where they fight crime with their superhuman powers. It is always embedded in the plot that the character must remain unknown to the human world. The threat of being revealed to the public is always lingering. Recently, however, a movie called Hancock was released and in this story the superhero did not have a double life. Everyone in the city knew who Hancock was because he didn't change clothes to fight battles or wear a disguise to keep himself hidden. The idea of the superhero as being out in the open is something we have not experienced much before, especially if you consider the big three: Batman, Spider-Man and Superman. It leaves the fans to wonder if this might be a new trend in developing superheroes.
This unit is designed for an eighth grade language arts classroom. However, the content and strategies included can certainly be used for a variety of grade levels as the concepts of character development, origin stories and creative writing are prevalent in most language arts classrooms in some form or another. Although this unit is designed to work within the reading/writing workshop format, it certainly can be tailored for standard instruction classrooms as well.
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