Cross+Curricular+Connections

toc Welcome to Superheroes and Cross-curricular Connections!



On this page you will find multiple lesson plans, numerous websites, books and articles to support you in making connections between superheroes and all aspects of your curriculum.

=**1. Math**=

NYS Math Standards

[] - “How can super heroes be used to teach math to kids” – Article on the various strategies used to incorporate the use of comics/superheroes into math curriculum.
 * Articles**

[] - math game program (to be bought) - Come fly away with our superhero friends, The Groovin Gourmet, Blit, and Marlena. Choose your superhero, and your mission location, and then use your brainpower to guide your way to victory. This game has 50 levels of difficulty ranging from the most basic addition and subtraction all the way up to algebra.
 * Programs**

[] - Imagine learning math from a Superhero... What do you get when all the fun of a Nickelodean TV game show - the crazy games, the wacky stunts and the outrageous antics - collides with elementary math terms and lessons? You get "Superhero Math," the most ambitious assembly show ever to capture your students' interests and ignite their imaginations. Students meet a real-life Superhero who shrinks to 8" tall as they participate in measurement games, divides into ninths as they hear about fractions and then geometrically vanishes into a shape-filled puzzle! Plus after 14 kids participate on stage, everyone takes home top-secret instruction sheets so they can prove to their families that the real math superhero is living under their roof.

[] - superhero math card game - Associating math with superheroes is a genius idea, since boys (and some girls!) are fascinated by this genre. The heroes are all-new and unique to Numbers League — you won’t find Superman or Spiderman in this game, but you will find expertly illustrated characters, both male and female, who will capture your grandchildren’s imagination and get them excited to practice their math skills in a fun and creative way. Numbers League: Adventures in Addiplication is meant for 2-4 players ages 8 and up. Very simply put, the superheroes must defeat the villains by exactly matching their number using basic math. There are two levels of play. You can also purchase a Numbers League Infinity Level Expansion Kit, which raises the age level to 11 and up and the number of players to 6. It includes multiplication of simple decimals and multiplying by negative numbers.
 * Games**

[] - free online, interactive superhero math game that incorporates addition and subtraction. This game is best used for primary grades or with students who are struggling with basic computational facts.

[] - Superhero math posters that can be purchased for $10. [] – Superhero math book (grades K-4) Leonard is no ordinary kid—he’s enrolled in Superhero School, where leaping tall buildings in a single bound is considered child’s play. If only division, fractions, and multiplication came as naturally, and weren’t so, well, //ordinary//. But when the kids’ math teacher, Mr. Tornado, and the rest of the staff get kidnapped by ice zombies, Leonard and his pals find themselves using every superhero trick in the book—not to mention a few unexpected math skills— to divide (and conquer!) the enemy.
 * Books/Supplies**

[] - 2nd grade math book - Illustrated with kids' favorite characters from Marvel and DC Comics, each new Math Made Easy workbook is filled with exercises for home learning that feature problems and practice questions. Math has never been as exciting as it is with Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and Wolverine!

[] – Ages 9-12 - Elementary-level math becomes an exercise in humor and fun when kids open this funny cartoon-illustrated fantasy. The story's cast of characters includes Lostis Marbles, the mayor of Mathopolis, who loves numbers but usually gets them all mixed up. . . his assistant Trusty Dusty, who helps the mayor keep track of his math mix-ups. . . Mongrel Smith, the town's stray dog. . . and math superheroes, who use different methods to solve all kinds of problems. The Superheroes are Elexus Estimator, who is quick at estimating volume, height, weight, and the like. . . and Maverick Measurer, who values accuracy above all else when making math calculations and getting answers. A mysterious character shows up in the town of Mathopolis, and the many problems that he brings with him can be solved by applying math principles. The math Superheroes show young readers exactly how. Students will be entertained by the crazy episodes even as they encounter one math word problem after another. Meanwhile, they are effortlessly learning how to think, calculate, and come up with the right answers in mathematical terms. The book is filled with black and white illustrations.

[] - Board game "Superheroes & Mental Math: Engaging Kids in the Classroom"

Ideas**:** Many of the games/supplies can be used to supplement math curriculum. These games can be used for math centers, or even for anticipatory sets. Since most of the games featured levels of varied difficulty, teachers are able to set difficulty levels for particular students.
 * Lesson Plans**

=2. Social Studies=

NYS Social Studies Standards


 * Lesson Plans**

1. Super Cultures- Looking at different cultures and comparing and contrasting them. Students will look at the different superheroes from different cultures. Students will compare and contrast the different cultures and their superheroes, what they stand for.

2. Super Timelines- Looking at women and their role throughout history. Have students create a timeline of women and their role in history followed by a timeline with female superheroes throughout super hero history. Discuss the connections in the timelines. 3. Mapping Superheroes- Discussing where people live across the world, discuss the different superheroes across the world. Where the superheroes live, where have they been, where have your students been and visited. Mark this on a map in front of the classroom discussing the different continents and countries. 4. Reality vs. Fantasy- Discuss the different events that were occurring during WWI in the United States and Germany. Then have students look at Captain America and what was occurring in his life during the 1940's and WWI. Make connections of how the readl world affects what is happening in the Superhero world. 5. Superhero Government- Discuss and the three branches of government and what they do. Then pull up the Superheroes and discuss how they also have a government and what their government does. This helps make connections for how important it is to have a government in place and what the government is trying to do with the help of the people. 6. Superhero Demography- As a class collect data from the census website on the state you live in and discuss this information. Then have the students look at a number of different superheroes and have them create a census based on the same or similar information you obtained from the census website.

__**Other useful Social Studies comcis for the classroom:**__ __**[]**__ __**[]**__ [|**Superheroes and Gods: A Comparative Study from Babylonia to Batman**] by [|Donald LoCicero] []

3. Science
NYS Science Standards


 * Lesson Plans**

1. Superhero Animals- Discuss the different powers that some superheroes have. Have a list of animals that have superhero like strength have students research these animals and find the superhero like power. 2. Super Weather- Look at the different weather patterns across the world. Have students look at Storm and discuss the different weather conditions she uses when her powers. 3. Spiderman Senses- Look at Spiderman and discuss the different senses of his that help him be a superhero. Then discuss with the students the different senses and how different animals use senses to have superhero like powers. Discuss the importance of the different senses for different reasons. 4. Superman Simple Machines for humans- Discuss the different strengths that Superman has and then show students how we have Superman powers too when using simple machines. 5. Superheroes for the Planet- Look at different ways that Captain Planets team works together to protect the planet. Have students explore to see how they can help save the planet too. They can be superheroes for the planet too! 6. Super Elements- Look at the different superheroes and name some of the different elements that the superheroes use with their powers. Look at the different elements we as humans use to also help us in our daily lives. Look at the Periodic table of Elements.

__**Other useful Science comics to use in the classroom:**__ __**[]**__ __**[]**__ __**[]**__ __**[]**__ **also good for S.S. and other ideas**

=4. Music=

NYS Music Standards

Throughout history, music has incorporated superheroes because both music and superheroes are so pervasive in our culture. By using something as familiar as superheroes and comics, many students who do not feel comfortable expressing themselves through music may find themselves more likely to engage, perform, listen to and evaluate music because they have found something interesting to them that relates to music. Music has been incorporated into learning musical notation, lyric comprehension, connecting music to historical events and other basic skills that relate to the national standards.
 * __ Music Introduction __**


 * Music Texts **
 * ||  ||   Peer-reviewed   ||||||   ||
 * ||||  ||   Peer-reviewed   ||||   ||
 * ** The Superhero Piano Book: Superheroes Collection ** || [|Sarah Walker] || Faber Music Ltd, 2007  ||
 * ** Can rock & roll save the world? : an illustrated history of music and comics ** || Ian Shirley || London : SAF, 2005. ||
 * ** Tunes : a comic book history of rock and roll ** || [|Vincent Brunner]; [|Mathias Malzieu]; [|Molly Steven]s || New York : Universe, 2010 ||
 * ** Music and comics : file of clippings and miscellanea. ** || Russell B. Nye || Popular Culture Collection ||

http://genkienglish.net/superhero.htm http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=926
 * __Music lesson idea links__**

__http://rooktopia.wordpress.com/2007/09/25/top-10-songs-about-superheroes/__ __http://www.rhapsody.com/playlistcentral/playlistdetail?playlistId=ply.14424190__ __http://www.hypeful.com/2008/05/13/top-20-super-hero-songs/__
 * __Songs that incorporate superheroes__**

=5. Art=

NYS Art Standards

[] - Incorporating Superheroes into Art – Unit outline
 * Articles**


 * Books/Supplies**

[] - Superheroes remain the most popular genre of characters in comics and comics-inspired movies. Superheroes & Beyond by Chris Hart shows aspiring artists how to create a huge array of original comic book heroes and villains. The characters found within these pages are broken down into step-by-step constructions that help the student of comics visualize the basic forms and individual features of comic book superheroes.

[|http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Superheroes-Comic-Book-Characters/dp/057203072X/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1292273825&sr=8-9]- Creating Superheros and Comic Book Characters: Step by Step Instruction for Budding Artists

[] - Maybe you’ve noticed. Today’s superheroes and action heroes aren’t as brawny and muscular as they used to be. In fact, almost all the characters in comic books and on TV have a fresh, new look--simplified, streamlined, edgier, with a hint of anime/cartoon design, and appealing to kids and adults alike. Now Christopher Hart, the superhero of how-to-draw books, has come to the rescue of artists everywhere with //Simplified// //Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist.// Anatomy has always been a difficult subject, but for this book Hart uses his straightforward approach to show a simpler way. In clear step-by-step illustrations and text, he shows: how to draw streamlined figures in poses; body types and muscles; the mechanics of facial expression; how to know which muscles to eliminate in a simplified drawing; grouping muscles; muscle contours versus bone contours; muscles in classic comic-book poses like flying and punching; and more. Now artist can stop struggling with the fine points of anatomy and start creating modern looking heroes and heroines with help from //Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist.//

[] - Students create a new superhero and write a comic strip about the superhero! Can be used for any grade level
 * Lesson Plans**

[] - Sculpting lesson plan where students create their own superhero

[] - Students sing the "Primary Color Song" to remind them of the three most powerful colors. They are reminded that the primary colors can be used to make any other color. Students create images of "Primary Color Super Heroes" using cut paper and glue.

[] - creating comics blog – Projects, units, lesson plan for all grade levels. Information on superhero integration into various curricula.

[] -

This lesson is an extension of the superhero lesson plan, in which students used their knowledge of Greek and Latin Roots to create a superhero. In this lesson, students will be placed into groups and formulate a comic strip in which their superheros are the stars!

Read more: []

=6. P.E.=

NYS Physical Education Standards

http://www.creativity-portal.com/creativity-motion/lesson-plan-creativity-amongst-stars.html http://www.pecentral.com/LessonIdeas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=5895 http://nospinpezone.blogspot.com/2009/03/project-vacation-superhero-training.html http://www.liberty.k12.oh.us/lbtyhendrick/superheros/superheros.htm http://www.lessonplanspage.com/PENutrientSuperHeroesRoleInHumanBody23.htm
 * __P.E. lesson idea links__**

=7. ESL/FL=

NYS ESL/Fl Standards

Superheroes and comic books are not existent solely in the United States. Most cultures have heroes and heroines that exhibit super strength or powers. Using comic books and/or superheroes to teach English to non-native speakers is beneficial because they can make cross cultural connections. Because most ethnicities have these types of texts in their cultures, they may be easier for students to learn from than other literatures. The same is true for English speakers who are trying to learn a foreign language. Comic books and superheroes are an engaging, familiar text that students willingly and ably interact with. This genre of text can inspire reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, teach culture and cross cultural understandings and help students to understand other communities and their morals, all of which are national standards for FL and ESL programs in the United States.
 * __ESL/FL and Superheroes Intro__**

ESL/FL Helpful Texts ** Using comics in the second language classroom : a Master's thesis ** [|Jennifer Packard] Thesis (M.A.)--Soka University of America, 2006. **Whatcha gonna learn from comics? : how to use comics to teach languages** Steinberg, Jerry Pippin Pub, 1992. **Alter/native Heroes: Native Americans, Comic Books, and the Struggle for Self-Definition** C. Richard King Critical Methodologies, 2009, 9:214, 214-223 **Using Comic Books as Read-Alouds: Insights on Reading Instruction From as English as a Second Language Classroom** Jason Ranker The Reading Teacher, 2007, 61:14, 296-305
 * ** Going graphic : comics at work in the multilingual classroom ** || [|Stephen Cary] || Heinemann, ©2004. ||
 * ** Comic books used in the ESL/EFL classroom : superheroes in Russia ** || [|Rex Arthur Stewart] || Thesis (M.A.)-->

http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/35561.aspx http://strange-lands.com/2010/08/esl-worksheets-activities-games-comics-superheroes.html http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/teachers/abcLesson.html http://www.teachchildrenesl.com/filez8932/lesson%20plans/comic_strip.pdf P.E. Introduction Superheroes are primarily classified as have super strength and abilities. What better way can one think of than to incorporate this into a physical education class to compliment these themes? The study of strength, being healthy and movement are critical components of superheroes and students can learn to be healthy and strong through the study of this genre and its characters. Students can reenact scenes, mimic physical activities accomplished by these heroes and create their own "super strengths", which will encourage even the most reluctant students to become physically active. Students can monitor their own motor skills, growth and strength as they are reaching towards being real life superheroes and achieving national standards. National P.E. Standards Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities. Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities. Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity. Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings. Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.
 * __ESL/FL lesson idea links__**

P.E. Texts || <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">** D-man, deaf super-hero fights for good nutrition ** || [|Illinois School for the Deaf.] || [|Food and Nutrition], 1983 ||
 * <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">** Superhero Play: Making It a Part of Your Curriculum. ** || [|Beth Fonville]; [|Susan Afflerbach] || Texas Child Care, 1995, 19:2, 2-8 ||
 * <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">** Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero ** || E. Paul Zehr || John Hopkins University Press, 2008 ||
 * <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">**Why Can't I...Fly Like a Superhero?: And Other Questions About Movement** || Sally Hewitt || Chrysalis Education, 2004 ||
 * **[|Flash Fitness & the Incredible Physical Activities (A Super-Hero Approach to Meeting the National PE Standards in Grades K-5)]** || Kathy Ermler, Joella H. Mehrhof, Joan Carley-Brewer, and Bob FitzPatrick  ||  National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2010  ||
 * **The Light Look at a Heavy Problem: Superheroes** || Gary Egger, Suzanne Plater  ||  Obesity Reviews, 2009, 10:19, 109  ||

=8. Students with Disabilities=

[] – Article about how to incorporate students with disabilities into superhero curriculum.
 * Articles**

[] - //Superheroes Social Skills// is an evidence-based program that enhances the social competence of elementary students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), behavioral disorders, or developmental delays. //Superheroes// was specifically designed to improve the social skills of high-functioning children with ASD, but is also appropriate for any student who needs to learn to interact appropriately with peers and adults. //Superheroes// teaches 17 critical social skills.
 * Program**

[] – math game program - Subjects covered in the Mighty Math Calculating Crew using a fun, super-hero theme are: problem solving, inductive and deductive reasoning, estimation and rounding, 3D geometry and spatial thinking skills, 1 to 4 digit addition and subtraction with carrying and borrowing, 1 to 3 digit multiplication and division (concepts and facts through long division), money transactions (computing cost and making change), whole fractions, numbers, and decimals on a number line (Ordering, +, -, x, ÷). Children learn about multiplication and division of whole numbers and decimals, number line concepts, 3D shapes and their properties, and money transactions. In four activities, students recover hidden treasures, deliver essential supplies to a distant planet, and examine 2D shapes and 3D solids which children can then print - I especially love this part of the program - it's great for exercising visualization skills.
 * Integration**

[] – iPad apps for Students with disabilities

Depending on what subject and achievement level a student with special needs is working at, lessons can be altered to meet the needs of students at various levels. Looking critically at the objective and adjusting accordingly, students of all needs can participate in lessons and be successful while doing so.
 * Lesson Plans**

=//OTHER HELPFUL LINKS//=

www.comicbrush.com www.pixton.com
 * __Create your own Comic books__**

http://superhero.pazsaz.com/
 * __Superhero Cartoon Shows__**

http://shdictionary.tripod.com/pages/all.html
 * __Superhero Dictionary__**

http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/07/05/comics-in-the-classroom-100-tips-tools-and-resources-for-teachers/
 * __Comics in the Classroom__**

http://neelyville.k12.mo.us/~nhs/pride/SuperheroUnit.htm (art, music, drama, ELA)
 * __Multi-curricular lesson ideas__**

[] - The titles are selected for their relevance with an emphasis on curriculum-related graphic novels. Suggested reading levels are categorized by grades and interest levels are categorized by age. Canadian titles are placed at the top of the list and selected titles are categorized by subject. Although each title on the list has been placed in a specific subject, some of them are interdisciplinary and could support more than one subject of study. The books in the following list are some great examples of curriculum-related graphic novels that you can integrate into your ESL classrooms or ESL reading programs as well as your regular ones.

[] - Great article on should kids play superheroes

[] - article on graphic novels across the curriculum, incorporating comics (new literacies)

[] - Free comic generator. Very interactive, easy to use. Students can create their own comics. Can be used for any subject area