This week, second graders continued their work on their Dogzilla-inspired superhero projects. Here’s a quick recap: We read Dav Pikley’s epic graphic novel Dogzilla together as a class, discussing vocabulary, characters, and setting. From there, we brainstormed some of the super powers WE think are the coolest in both heroes and villains – I never would have guessed, but the ability to read minds would be wildly popular among Johnson second graders!

Once our brainstorm had students feeling super inspired, they started on creating their own superheroes. The English Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools state that second graders should be writing stories, and including descriptive detail while they practice their writing. Students work on their superheroes and super villains while chatting with their table mates, explaining their projects and sharing ideas with each other. This fun atmostphere not only encourages teamwork and collaborative work, but students are also working towards SoLs in oral language as they go: like creating stories to share with others, participating in dramatic activities, clarifying and explaining words and ideas orally, and sharing stories orally with an audience.

Next week, we’ll be taking our Super projects even farther by using our homemade characters to create acrostic poems. These poems will push students’ vocabularies, and really encourage them to use creative and imaginative language. Plus, I’m giving them lots of extra space to create a battle scene between their super heroes and super villains!

Below, please enjoy a few samples of second grade students’ work on their super hero graphic novel projects.