Laura Biffar’s Grade 1 class at Duzine Elementary School recently created their very own superheroes after concluding a learning unit dedicated to the topic. Students were encouraged to dream up a superhero to illustrate, and to describe their creation’s  “supertraits” and heroic qualities. Students chose to create superhero portraits of family members, themselves, animals, or figments of their imagination. The young artists shared the superhero depictions with each other to explain their creations and answer each other’s questions or comments. 

Elia the Cat had powers to make string and was touted as caring and confident. Super BunBun was said to be kind, to love people, and to shoot hearts out of its chest to anyone who is not being “just” to send them love and “make them just.” One student depicted his father as a superhero, attributing to him the powerful qualities of being “helpful, ‘loveful,’ and respectful.” Laser eyes, the ability to speak with animals, wisdom, speed, and the practice of “helping to water plants” were some acclaimed superhero traits. Students signaled their delight between the presentation of each project with American Sign Language applause (i.e., shaking their hands in the air). One student was called upon to express her opinion of the superhero Zaylani, the Queen Unicorn: “It’s bee-uuu-tee-full!” she exclaimed.