[ MY HERO ]
Aperte o PLAY +
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Here you will find: ► Illustrations ► Story (text, audio, video) ► Lesson plan
TEACHER SAMIRA'S CLASS WAS IN A FLAP. April 28th, known as International Superheroes Day, was approaching. Boys and girls alike were counting the minutes and the seconds for this moment. Their teacher had promised to let them dress up as their favorite superheroes. And she had also asked them to think of the superhero each of them identified with the most! So there was Spider Man here, and The Incredible Hulk there…
Lino was quiet, even thoughtful. He looked at the comic books, browsed on YouTube, and realized there weren’t many superheroes like him. Nina saw her friend in a corner and went up to him.
— What’s up, Lino? Don’t you like superhero stories?
— I surely do, Nina. It’s just that I haven’t been able to find a superhero like me, you know?
His friend gave a start and said:
— Lino! You haven’t seen the movie Black Panther, have you? He’s just like you! Strong, brave … he’s the King of Wakanda!
— A king? asked the boy. So he’s a king and a superhero at the same time? I’ve never seen that before…
Nina gets up and resolutely says to her friend:
— Today you’re coming to my place. We’re going to ask our moms to let us watch that movie together! By the 28th we’ll have designed a costume for you! It’ll be amazing!
The bell rang and they both left the school in a hurry. Their mothers, who are friends and neighbors, let the children spend the afternoon together, watching the movie and eating popcorn. Lino couldn’t believe what he saw on TV. He was mesmerized by the King of Wakanda. Each scene of the movie made him even more impressed.
— You see? I told you you are like him, didn’t I? said Nina.
At the end of the movie, all Lino could say was:
— I am Black Panther! Wakanda forever!
The two friends hugged each other and started running around the house, mimicking the scenes of the movie. They asked their mothers to help them create a costume for Lino. While he was searching for costumes, it suddenly dawned on Lino that his friend hadn’t told him which superhero she had chosen to take to school.
— I’m still in doubt about it. I was going to dress up as Tempest, you know? My mom even found a wig for me. But I really wanted to go as Zacimba Gaba.
Lino was at a loss for words, but then he asked if that was a hero from another movie that he hadn’t seen. Nina burst out laughing and said no, and added that that might not be a bad idea after all, having a movie all for her, Zacimba - the Warrior Princess.
— She isn’t a movie superheroine because she was a real person. And knowing this makes me like her even more! Zacimba was an Angolan princess who was forced to come to Brazil, like many other African people. She never accepted her condition and fought for her freedom and the freedom of her people, waging war against the Portuguese in Brazil. And she made it! She founded a Quilombo community and, uniting the black people, fought against slavery. Can you believe that she even boarded ships in order to set people free? A warrior princess!
Lino listened to the story Nina told him and thought how smart she was!
— Nina, I’m beginning to think that you’re my heroine, you know? They say that heroes appear to fight evil and to change our lives for the better… and I think you’re changing my life! Do you have any more stories to share with me?
Nina smiled, hugged her friend and said:
— Together we can change the world! Wakanda forever!
How about you? Which superhero would you choose?
[ LESSON PLAN AND RESOURCES ]
[ LESSON PLAN AND RESOURCES ]
PEDAGOGICAL AIM
PEDAGOGICAL AIM
TO TAKE CARE OF THE OTHER ONE
A sense of belonging.
Socioemotional skills
I help build spaces where black people have a sense of belonging because:
I communicate effectively and take into account the perspectives of people of African descent;
I resolve conflicts constructively and respond to negative social pressure;
I value being in an environment that embraces Afrodescendant culture;
I assist others and seek support when needed;
I suggest ideas to improve projects that promote well-being in racial relationships around me;
I provide resources to support my team members;
I ensure that black people around me feel strong, secure, and happy when sharing their stories.
Maker skills
Calming the gaze and seeing possibilities;
Making considerations and observations based on evidence;
Recognizing the needs and perspectives of others;
Seeing connections and opportunities;
Expanding the repertoire of ideas and conceptions to create;
Comparing what you knew with what you know about an idea, object, situation, or challenge.
The environment
The school as a space for the well-being of racial relations.
1) ACTIVATE TO ENGAGE:
Celebrating Wakanda! ! Take the class to a cozy place, preferably in nature, and let the children play freely. After a while, gather the children and ask for the names of all the superheroes they know. Make a list - being the class scribe.
Suggest other games:
Charades
Divide the class into smaller groups and assign each group the name of a superhero in secret. Make movements that represent your pop culture superhero. The group members have up to 1 minute to identify which hero or heroine is being imitated;
Who Am I?
Create cards with the names of superheroes and let the child choose which one they want to be. The child needs to conceal their identity. The other children need to guess by asking questions that can only be answered with yes or no, limited to 5 questions, to figure out which superhero the child is. For example: Am I African? Am I Black? Am I represented in movies? Am I very fast?
Dress-up!
Provide materials in a box or trunk (such as fabrics, ribbons, bracelets, capes, feathers, leaves, etc.) for children to play dress-up. To encourage them, say: Pretend to be one of the characters. Play with other children who are pretending to be other characters. How do you think these characters could work together to save the world or protect someone in danger?
Super Powers
To enhance their senses, ask: What senses do humans have, and what senses are heightened in superheroes? What can we feel with our touch? And with our sight? Our hearing? Smell? And taste? Did you know that humans also have other senses? What are they? Allow them to make their hypotheses and add to the list (if necessary). Humans also have the senses of balance, temperature, pain, and hunger - all of which are our tools for protection.
>> Before the story:
When the children start to get tired, tell the group that you are going to tell a story called "My Hero!" Introduce the illustrations available on the Aperte o PLAY+ website.
Explore the illustrations with the children:
Who are the characters?
How do they feel? Why do they say that?
What do they see? What do they think?
How do they imagine the story will be?
What is the title of the story?
What are stories? Where do they come from?
Do you think everyone feels heard and represented in the story?
LET’S SIT DOWN BECAUSE HERE COMES A STORY!
Time for Apertar o PLAY! Choose between telling the class the story or presenting the audiobook with the dubbed version of the story. These are different challenges to the readers: listening to the audiobook without the images, or holding a story-telling session performed by the teacher with illustrations. There is a third option: press play for the story, either in English or in Portuguese, and at the same time present its scenes. Choose the option that will suit your class best!
>> After the story:
Hold a reflection session with questions:
Is the story similar to what we imagined?
How do the children support each other?
Which are the children’s most developed senses in the story?
How do they perceive the other children’s needs and feelings?
What if you were a superhero?
What would your superpower be? Why do you say so?
2) PLAY TO CREATE:
2) PLAY TO CREATE:
Time to celebrate Wakanda Forever! Let’s watch the film together!
If this is not possible, ask: Who has watched the film and can tell us the story? Who are the characters? What costumes do they wear? Which are their sharpest senses? Talk to the children about the characters of the movie Black Panther:
Black Panther (T'Challa)
Black Panther (T'Challa)
Black Panther has heightened senses, which means he can see, hear, smell, and feel things more strongly than most people. He is also very strong and fast, and has a special suit that can absorb energy.
Nakia
Nakia
Wakanda’s mole, she uses her senses to gather intelligence and remain in hiding. She is also skilled in combat and uses her agility to move quickly.
Zuri
Zuri
a wise old man who lived in Wakanda for many many years. He is T’Challa’s mentor and has a strong connection with Nature.
Shuri
Shuri
T'Challa’s sister and a skilful inventor. She uses her intelligence to create amazing technology for Wakanda, such as the special costumes and weapons used by Black Panther.
M'Baku
M'Baku
leader of the Jabari tribe, he lives in the mountains in Wakanda. He is very strong and uses his senses to hunt and survive in the wilderness.
Erik Killmonger
Erik Killmonger
the villain who wants to gain control over Wakanda. He has a special costume that makes him stronger and faster, and he is highly skilled in combat.
Okoye
Okoye
leader of Dora Milaje, the female elite warriors that protect Wakanda. She is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and uses her senses to be aware of whatever is happening around her.
T'Chaka
T'Chaka
the previous Black Panther. He was a wise, respected leader and had the ability to communicate with the spirits of his ancestors.
Rainha Ramonda
Rainha Ramonda
T'Challa’s mother and queen of Wakanda. She is a very powerful and wise leader who shows deep love for her family and her people.
Our super senses! Tell the children that computers and robots use sensors to feel. Show them a few photos (or the sensors you might have in your school or your cell phone):
Accelerometer: detects acceleration.
Magnetometer: detects direction like a compass.
Gyroscope: detects orientation.
Light sensor: detects brightness.
Humidity sensor: detects if the phone is wet.
Biometric sensor: detects fingerprints.
Depth camera: detects facial mapping.
GPS: detects position on Earth.
Our Challenge of the Day!
We have received a great chest to play with! And we are going to improve it together!!! Choose one of the Wakanda characters and design a sensor to enhance its powers…
Image: Magic Ears Sense Music | Source: SunsetSparkNYC
Imagine - your sensory device. What will it detect? What data can it capture? What will it look like? Write or add drawings to help describe it. Consider using features from nature in your design. Consider integrating the activity with animal adaptations, using characteristics from nature in creating your sensor.
Create - with the help of other children, create a physical version of the sensing device for the chosen character using materials such as cardboard, fabrics, ribbons, beads, clay, etc.
Play - Wakanda Forever! Imagine that you will spend the day in Wakanda. Choose one of the characters from the movie that you think is most like you. You can choose what the adventure will be, but here are some challenges:
[ Invention Challenge ]
[ Invention Challenge ]
Together, create an incredible invention to help protect Wakanda.
[ Fight Challenge ]
[ Fight Challenge ]
Learn about capoeira and some basic moves. Train your defense skills. Or, create a maze with obstacles, as if you were on a secret mission to gather information for Wakanda.
[ Hunting Challenge ]
[ Hunting Challenge ]
Help M'Baku - look for imaginary animals using your heightened senses. Or, hide small toy animals or ones made from natural materials in different places in the garden using your eyes, ears, and nose. Or, create an obstacle course - where you need to jump over obstacles, pass through tunnels, balance and crawl to reach the hidden animal.
[ Wisdom Challenge ]
[ Wisdom Challenge ]
Help Zuri - learn about the plants and animals of Wakanda and how they adapt to the environment. Use books, videos, or photos to learn about different species, and then create your own Wakanda plant or animal using clay or modeling dough. Explain how your creation adapts to the environment and what makes it unique.
HOT TIP!
Both here and in the activation games, when talking about superpowers, stimulate imagination by bringing up references from the animal world and their senses:
Did you know that different animals use their senses in very special ways to survive in their habitats? For example:
The bat uses its hearing to locate insects in the darkness of the night by emitting sounds that echo back when they hit an object.
The octopus uses its tentacles to sense the environment and detect prey, along with having a highly advanced sense of vision that helps it find food and avoid predators.
Wolves use their sense of smell to find prey and communicate with other members of the pack.
Some birds have a keen sense of vision that allows them to find food from great distances.
3) REFLECT TO SHARE:
3) REFLECT TO SHARE:
Allow the children to showcase their creations to the class or school community. Encourage them to explain how they arrived at the presented results.
Ask: Look at everything we've created. How can we improve our sensors? How can we encourage more children to learn about and celebrate Wakanda?
Create posters, drawings, play tips, and discuss how and where they can display them and invite others to celebrate Wakanda!
[INDO ALÉM]
“It's time to blacken the references," as stated by Lélia Gonzales, philosopher, anthropologist, intellectual, and activist in the black and feminist movements. That's why we've created a GALLERY for children, bringing in prominent black figures and references that need to be present in schools. We come from a Eurocentric education, and decolonizing is a complex process. It's important to see and recognize your body, your hair, and your peers; to see successful black individuals; to understand their potential. Every time you, as an educator, are building a project, choosing a story, introducing new references, how about reflecting on these questions:
What representations do we present to our children when we tell them a particular story?
Do the stories I tell portray black characters in secondary or supporting roles? Have I ever told a story with black people as protagonists in prominent positive roles in society?
Bearing in mind these questions and the urgent need to enrich children's repertoires and references with black representation, we created Aperte o Play. And the Gallery is one of the actions we developed.
Click >>HERE<<
to download the Gallery kit.
Inside, you'll find the scenery to set up with the children. The scenery, of course, is the school, the space we want to transform! The kit includes various toy art characters. Each illustrated personality allows the children to play with it, introducing and valuing new representations.
In this round, our featured character is King T'Challa, the Black Panther, in Wakanda.
[ Who was Rei T'Challa? ]
King T'Challa, more commonly known as Black Panther, is a fictional character, king and protector of Wakanda, a fictitious, advanced African nation. Played by the late Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther became a powerful symbol of strength, intelligence, and leadership. His story is inspiring not only due to his courage and outstanding abilities, but also for the representation of a strong, just black leader committed to the well-being of his people and the protection of their culture.
Image: Rei T'Challa with changes | Sources: Disney
Print the toy art from our kit and build King T’Challa's little doll with the children. They will be collectible toy arts, and each student can have their own. The teacher may also suggest that it be a collective collection.
Present the toy to the class and ask if anyone knows that personality. Encourage conversation by asking if they can imagine what he does in life. What does he work with? Why is he important?
Right after that, present the real story of the character in question, always valuing his contribution to the world.
With this activity, we want to put into practice, in a playful way, what the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para Educação das Relações Étnico-Raciais e para o Ensino de História e Cultura AfroBrasileira e Africana (National Curricular Guidelines for Education in Ethnic-Racial Relations and for the Teaching of Afro-Brazilian and African Culture) say:
[...] “to strengthen, among blacks, and awaken, among whites, the sense of black awareness. Among blacks, they can offer knowledge and security to take pride in their African origin; for whites, they can allow them to identify the influences, contributions, participation, and importance of the history and culture of blacks in their way of being, living, and relating to other people, notably blacks.”
(2004, p. 16-17)
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