Grade 6

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

We know how Spider-Man got his superpowers, but what kind of powers would a barnyard animal give a brand-new superhero? In our Farm Justice League unit we came up with our own unique answers to that question by thinking about the adaptations for farm animals. We then took those adaptations and applied them to our own superheroes. From Goat Girl to Duck-Pool to Super Bunny, our superheroes all had their special characteristics which made them super. Each superhero had their own logo, comic origin story, and onomatopoeia pop art. Of course every superhero needs their own hideout, so we also created Superhero Lair dioramas based on each superhero's needs and wants.

Alberta Curriculum Connections

This unit was mostly based in our LA subject block. We wrote several journal entries about animal adaptations and the adaptations they have for their shelters before creating our superheroes and their lairs. We also reviewed onomatopoeias as we tackled creating pop art that was reminiscient of the old Batman TV show. Picking out an appropriate and relevant superhero theme song was another important aspect of the unit, as was creating a comic strip that shared the origin story of each superhero.  Incorporating Art was easy in this unit, as we created pop art and dioramas, as well as designed superhero costumes. Finally, we used our Social knowledge to consider the rights and responsibilities that superheroes would have in society. 

Charter Connections

1. I can describe characteristics and features of animals in our farmyard. 

2. I can understand the health of animals in our farmyard and the procedures for the care of animals in our farmyard (as they relate to shelter) 

We put some of our beet harvest to use by boiling them down to create natural dyes. Rather than keeping to just one vegetable, we tried to incorporate other colours as well. The spinach seemed promising, but turned out to be rather disappointing as the deep green colour did not transfer well to the fabric. The onion skins created a nice rust colour. On Take Me Outside Day we tried two different methods of dyeing our fabric - painting and dip-dye. While some of us were quite proud of the results, others were less enthused. Despite this, we were all able to better understand the phase changes in matter that we've been studying in Science. 

Alberta Curriculum Connections

This project connected to our Science unit on Matter by helping us better visualize phase changes in our vegetables as they were boiled. While the vegetables didn't change completely into a new state, they were altered through the process in unique ways. Obviously our Art skills also came into play as we dyed our fabric swatches in different ways. Our LA abilities were also important in that we needed to follow oral directions clearly in order for both the dye to be made and for the dyeing process to work. 

Charter Connections

1. I can describe the basic needs of my plant 

   • I can plant and harvest my own crop 

2. I can identify my crop’s use in society

   • I can make recipes that use my crop

   • I can demonstrate food safety practices