Design a Superhero –

Think like a SuperheroThis is the recommended second step in the ‘Feel’ stage of the Design for Change process ,the aim of which is to engage the kids in the process, get their creative sides onboard, and also to help them really get thinking about issues that matter to them, and away from buzz words they may have heard on the news, or from other adults. It also leads into the first stage of the ‘imagine’ process.

Engages the kids by asking them to put their hands up to talk about who their favourite superhero’s are. This should be the easy part! Ask them what powers the Superhero’s have,

and ask them if they think the superhero’s they are talking about have more empathy or apathy. Hopefully it will be the former! Ask them to ask what kind of people the superhero’s try

to help, and what kind of problems they try to solve.

STEP 1

Split the class up into groups(this is important as these are the groups they will be infor most of the process) and get them to start thinking of what kind of superhero they couldcreate themselves. Tell them to think of all of the talents that they have (I’m really good atlistening, I’m great at computer games, I’m really good at English, Art, Dancing etc...) andmake a list of all the ones and put them on a big flip pad sheet of paper. Tell them that assoon as they put their talent on the page it becomes a talent/power for their whole team,not just for them, tell them their superhero will be way more powerful if they share all oftheir talents.

STEP 2

Get the kids to draw their superhero, making sure he/she(could be an issue in a mixed group!) reflects all of his/her powers – this part will have to

supervised quite a bit as we all know what kids are like when asked to draw something together...Once the kids have their superhero drawn they pick one

person from their group who explains to the rest of the class who their superhero is, what their talents are, and how they’re going to make the world a better place!

The kids go back into their groups and are told to come up with what bothers them, all the things they think should change in the world, and they should feel suitably empowered having just created a superhero to think of lots of different issues. Again,

keep getting them to think of problems that they can do something about. Once they have written down lots of different ideas on their big flip pad paper, go round the class and get kids to stand up and say what bothers them about the way things are, and if they think they, and their teams superhero, can do anything about it. After this, you should be ready to go transfer fully into the imagine stage of the process.

STEP 3

STEP 4

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