Objectives
Why are superheroes so popular and so widely familiar? Fingeroth states, "A hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves. A hero is a standard to aspire to as well as an individual to be admired."1 One thing about superhero characters is that they are well written and have qualities that seem universal. By well written I am referring to the notion that these characters are relatable and likeable and therefore we continue to show interest in their activities. Therefore readers can relate to their characteristics and their thought process. By studying a variety of superhero characters, students can see what qualities a well written character has and therefore be able to identify other well written characters in all types of stories as well as incorporate these traits in their own writing.
Creative writing is an important skill for all students. One way to enhance creative writing is to write from an image. One activity for this unit is for students to use a frame from a comic book, with the dialogue removed and write a brief story of what happened just before, during, and just after the frame. If the students know who the character is, they may incorporate traits that are known, however if the student does not know the character, they can simply create a persona for him or her.
Origin stories are an important part of character development. This is true of superheroes but also true of any character in literature. The beginning of the character is crucial in understanding how he or she thinks and behaves in subsequent situations. A big part of superhero comics is the origin story. Students will study origin stories of various superheroes and learn how a story is told from the beginning of a character's development. Sometimes the origin story is told after several issues have been released. There is something interesting about learning the background of a character after you have been introduced to them and have begun following their lives.
After students have identified common motifs of superhero origin stories and studied a variety of heroes, they are ready to create their own superhero or supervillain. The value of this activity is to once again use creative writing as a means of storytelling. In addition, it allows students to work collaboratively by teaming an artist with a writer, just the same way that actual comics are written. Students will have free reign in creating a new superhero or supervillain as long as they utilize the knowledge of the common motifs and standards that accompany the common superhero, as studied in this unit.
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