With Avengers Assemble, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises coming to cinema screens this summer, comic book fever is imminent. Use mrwatt1‘s lesson pack to heat up your classroom. Although it might seem strange to ditch Dickens for Marvel or Shakespeare for DC, there’s more to these popular publications than meets the eye. Comic books and superhero films explore the culture of our time, just as great novelists delved into the social issues of theirs.

What is it?

A full scheme of work for key stage 3 English and media pupils exploring the comic book format, characterisation, themes and settings. Highlights include:

clips suggested from blockbuster films;

ready-to-use presentations and accompanying worksheets;

an illustrated explanation of comic book conventions;

the differences between real-life heroes and fictional superheroes;

a detailed blog describing the process topic by topic.

What do teachers say?

“I wanted something fun and interesting for a mixed-ability Year 8 and this is awesome,” says rainey23.