Create your own Superhero Identity
Activity Guide. June 2024.
Rediscover thanks Alex Wilensky, María José Urrestarazu, and Hannah Dahl for their contributions to our curriculum library, including this project! Get inspired by stories of superheroes in action and history. Thinking of superheroes you look up to and the skills and powers you admire in them, we will be creating a superhero mask and emblem that reflect your own superhero identity and traits.
Read any of the titles recommended below for stories about heroes in history, extraordinary kids, and superheroes:
- What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan by Chris Barton
- Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy by William Boniface
After reading, ask yourself these questions:
- How do superheroes help their communities?
- Who are some local superheroes or heroes in history?
- Who is a hero in your life? Who do you look up to, and why?
STEP 1 - If you were a superhero, what would your super powers be?
What would your emblem look like? What would your superhero mask look like?
Using paper and pencil, plan out your superhero identity, considering traits and characteristics. What are your superhero skills or powers? What motivates you? Who do you help?
Draw out plans for emblem and mask.
Draw out plans for emblem and mask.
- Do you want a partial mask that covers half your face or something that goes over your whole head? How will it t and stay on your face or head?
- What colors?
- What images or symbols represent their hero?
- What materials will you use?
STEP 2 - Gather your Materials
After planning out your superhero identity, gather some materials. We recommend the list below:
Tools
- Cardboard Scissors
- Screwdriver
- Tape
- Hot glue gun and gloves
- Brads
- *Optional: Hot Glue Gun & Glue
Many of these tools can be found in our Tinkering Toolkit.
Materials
- Cardboard - cut into smaller pieces Scrap paper
- Scrap fabric
- Ribbon
- Corks / Bottlecaps
STEP 3 - Put them all together and make your superhero identity!
Using your sketch as a guide, create a wearable mask and emblem to show your super powers. Use recycled materials such as cardboard, paperboard, and other trinkets. Explore dierent textures from picking cardboard apart, ripping paper, or using colorful spam mail in unexpected ways, you can create a really exciting costume or prop.
*PRO-TIP: Use cardboard strips to create wearable items that t around parts of your body. You can glue materials directly onto the cardboard as well.
Emblem
Superheroes are sometimes recognized by emblems. Emblems show qualities of heroes that are unique to them, usually visually referencing their values and code of morals.
ADULT HELPERS
For any tips on how to use specific tools safely, visit our YouTube library for Tiny Techniques.
RESOURCES
Visit the Techniques tab in reDiscover Center's Pedagogy Resources to access our Tiny Techniques videos and get tips for working safely and efficiently with tools.Once you have finished your mask and emblem, share your superpowers with the world! Show them to your friends, telling them about how you made them from recycled materials. When you use scraps and recycled materials, it means no new plastics or materials were taken from natural resources. Great job! If you want to share a picture on social media, be sure to tag @RediscoverCtr. We'd love to see what you made!
Guide by Alex Wilensky, Hannah Dahl, and María José Urrestarazu.
Originally published on 3 June 2024.
