The Science Behind Superpowers

The world of comic books is full of heroes, villains, challenges and triumphs — and the heroes need help! Ready to see just what it takes to be super? In this freshly redesigned favorite, students answer the call for aid by dissecting superhero skill-sets to uncover the science behind super powers.

Through 12 days of hands-on exercises in biology, engineering and technology, students fly alongside Superman, sling webs with Spider-Man and recognize the real-life heroes of our world. Dive head first into the pages of comic books where collaboration, communication and community awareness reign supreme.

Grades: 1-3
Students: Up to 30
Contact Hours: 12+

Subject Targets:

Physical Science, Life Science, Engineering Design, Math Connections 

Recommended Settings: 

• Summer camps
• Elementary school classrooms looking for hands-on STEM experiences
• After-school programs 

Each Activity Includes:

• Schedule
• Opening & Closing Discussion
• Step-By-Step Activity Instructions
• Topic Background & Vocabulary
• Materials List

Curriculum Topics:

1. The Origin Story
2. The Man of Steel
3. The Amazonian Princess
4. The Caped Crusader
5. The Web-Slinger
6. Super Senses
7. The Star-Spangled Avenger
8. Forces of Nature
9. Superhero Training Camp
10. The Prince of Puzzles
11. The Ace of Knaves
12. Superhero Hall of Fame

Reusability:

• Refill Kit Available. This product offers affordable consumable refill kits. See the materials tab for details.

Product Orientation:

• Half hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $500+
• One hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $1000+
• Additional training available for purchase

Complete Program Includes:

• Instructor Guide: 1
• Printed Student Pages: 15 sets
• Curriculum Digital Download: 1
• Storage tub: 1
• Small storage containers with lids: 8
• Balloons: 50
• Ping pong balls: 8
• BrickLAB Classic BrickPACKs: 4
• Brick separators: 8
• Mesh bag (for cleaning bricks): 1
• Tape measure: 2
• Colored pencils (12 pk): 5
• Dry erase markers: 15
• Dry erase pockets: 15
• Headbands: 3
• Magnets: 16
• Painters Tape (60 yards): 1
• Paper clips: 200
• Pencil sharpeners: 6
  
• Post-it-Notes (100 ct): 1
• Scissors: 1
• String (475 ft): 1
• Toothbrush: 8
• Wheel, Tire and Axle Set (450+ parts): 1
• Yarn (256 yd): 1
• Straws: 30

Curriculum Digital Download includes: Instructor Guide only, which includes master copies of all student pages.

Refill Kit:

Looking to use your Science of Superpowers Camp for the next group of super-students? This refill kit will surely have their spidey senses tingling!

• Balloons: 50
• Colored pencils (12 pk): 5
• Dry erase markers: 15
• Masking tape: 1 roll
• Paper clips: 200
• Post-it Notes: 100
• String: 1 spool
• Yarn: 1 skein
• Printed SuperHero Self Portrait Templates: 30

Habits of Mind:

16 thinking habits developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick to empower students to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment.

• Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
• Creating, Innovating, and Imagining  
• Listening with Understanding and Empathy
• Finding Humor
• Gathering Data through All Senses
• Listening with Understanding and Empathy
• Managing Impulsivity
• Questioning and Posing Problems
• Persisting
• Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
• Responding with Wonderment and Awe
• Striving for Accuracy
• Taking Responsible Risks
• Thinking about Thinking
• Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
• Thinking Flexibly
• Thinking Interdependently

21st Century Skills:

A set of widely-applicable abilities essential for success in the information age.

• Communication and Collaboration
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Information, Media, and Technology Literacy
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Leadership and Responsibility
• Productivity and Accountability
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

© 2018 Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21), p21.org. All Rights Reserved. P21 was not involved in the production of this product and does not endorse it.

International Society for Technology in Education:

• ISTE-S.3.d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
• ISTE-S.4.a Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
• ISTE-S.4.c Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
• ISTE-S.5.a.c Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
• ISTE-S.6.b Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
• ISTE-S.7.c Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

© 2018 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). All Rights Reserved. ISTE was not involved in the production of this product and does not endorse it.

Next Generation Science Standards

• NGSS 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
• NGSS 2-PS1-3 .Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
• NGSS 3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
• NGSS 3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
• NGSS 3-PS2-3. Ask questions to determine the cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
• NGSS 3-PS2-4. Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.5. Count to tell the number of objects.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.C.4. Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1. & CCSS.MATH. CONTENT.1.MD.A.2 Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.0A.A.1. Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1. Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.

© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

BETH SCHADD

Hailing from Wisconsin, Beth Schadd moved to Idaho in 2008 in search of adventure and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Education from the University of Idaho. As an educator, she has worked with children of all ages in the outdoors and the classroom, as well as coaching various sports. Beth has developed experiential curriculum for science centers, museums, day camps and outdoor programs. In 2013, she traveled to China to lead outdoor and adventure camps. Prior to moving to Idaho, Beth worked in labs studying mosquitoes and environmental health, and managed clinical trials. Though she will always be a Cheese Head at heart, she has embraced the great outdoors of the West, enjoying snowshoeing, mountain biking and backpacking, and has become an avid stand up paddleboarder.

Click links below to view files:

• Flyer
• Spec Sheet
• Catalog & Brochures