Introduction
Do you remember playing games at recess as a child? When I was in elementary school back in the 90’s, the show Power Rangers was all the rage. Every day it was a great debate among my classmates and me who would be which Power Ranger. Being an African American girl, the only options for me were the girl rangers who were the yellow and pink rangers. One of them was Caucasian and the other Asian. So I never really had anyone who resembled me to dream about and emulate. The same was the case for Saturday morning cartoons and growing up loving comic books and superheroes. I imagined I too could possess the talents and superpowers that they did, but I remember always wishing that there was one that looked like me. I had a deep longing to buy a toy, watch a show, or read a comic strip with someone that looked like me, my family, and my friends.
I came across an anonymous quote years ago that says “Mirror, mirror, what do I see? A truly confident reflection of me.” Imagine yourself as a child, looking into the mirror and seeing yourself with limitless potential, endless possibilities, and enough confidence to achieve any goal that is set before you. How awesome it would have been for me as a child to dress up in costumes or go see a movie that gave me the feeling of looking into a mirror and seeing myself in the reflection as one of these amazing characters that I loved so much. My greatest hope as an educator is to bring the above quote to life by building confidence and a positive self-image in my students.
My unit, From Prince to King: Black Panther in Text and Film, is based on the Marvel Comics Universe’s 2018 blockbuster film, Black Panther and the children's novel Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald Smith. The movie tells the story of Prince T’Challa, a young man who becomes the newly crowned king of the fictional wealthy African kingdom of Wakanda upon the death of his father, King T’Chaka. The film drew praise around the world. It is among the ten highest grossing films ever made. For African Americans and other minority groups, this film is a game changer. A new and different type of superhero is showcased as the star: a powerful black man. Young, influential, intelligent African people are shown in their own land, not as victims or in poverty, but as royalty. Black Panther has changed society's perception of African culture as consisting of poor, desolate countries. The film’s popularity and use of advanced technology has set a new standard and raised expectations. I would love my students to see and read about characters who look like them and are depicted in a positive light. It also brings a great hope of amazing possibilities for all minority students. How long will it be before we have an Asian or Latino superhero? Or superheroes of many other nationalities that mirrors the faces of the diverse population of young learners we serve. The story of Black Panther could very well be a kind of trailblazer for others like it in the very near future.
The children’s novel is an early adaptation of the Marvel Comics’ character T'Challa as he travels to America from his home in Africa as a twelve-year-old boy. I selected this book in an effort to make learning fun for my students, as they are very interested in the world of comic books and superheroes. They role-play superheroes at recess, write about them in their journals, and often check out books from our school library about superhero adventures. It is a culturally relevant age-appropriate novel, and this story will engage my students as they are also interested in the character of Black Panther. I teach in an inner city school with mostly African American students who are learning who they are, and it gives them a superhero they can relate to. He is a strong role model that begins his journey at an age not much older than they are, which will be very captivating. My third grade class was very excited when the movie was released this past February, and many of them talked about it at school. I was very impressed when a few of them wrote reviews and illustrations about it in their writing journals.
In the unit I will focus on the skill of analyzing character as we look at the development of T’Challa from one medium to the other (literature to film) and over time as a prince and then as a king. Studying these adaptations of Black Panther will allow me to teach my students to visualize and, on a larger scale, understand how, when adapting a text to film, filmmakers are bringing that text to life, basing it on the descriptive words of the author. I will also be able to introduce them to the many ways that film manipulates its audience by showing short scenes. Additionally, students will be practicing the skills of compare and contrast as well as creative writing through creating storyboards, graphic novels, or comic strips.
One of my favorite things about teaching is introducing students to various genres of literature. They complete a survey to determine which genre is their favorite, which gives them suggestions for books they might like. It is a joy to see their excitement after picking out a book from the school library from the genre they like best. My main reason for exposing them to this variety is to create in them a love for reading and ultimately for them to become lifelong readers. In third grade, chapter books are an adjustment from picture books and many students are often intimidated because they don’t have the stamina. Additionally, these books don’t have pictures and they have to rely on their reading comprehension to visualize the story, typically over multiple reading sessions. I often select chapter books that are age-appropriate and have been made into a motion picture. Students are very interested in reading the book when they know they will get to watch the film version. I find they are often unaware that many films are adaptations of award winning novels.
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