Secret Identity: Comics, Culture, and Chromosomes - STEM

Introduction

This expedition allows students to analyze how hereditary traits and genetic concepts are represented in comics. They'll understand how these scientific principles influence the creation of characters, from superpowers to personal challenges, linking these ideas back to real-world genetics and hereditary science. All the while, they’ll ask questions like “Could that really happen?” and “How scientific is that?”

Discussions and activities will encourage students to reflect on their own identities and the factors that shape them, drawing parallels between themselves and the fictional heroes they study. By bridging the gap between art and science, this expedition provides a comprehensive understanding of how cultural expressions such as comics can influence and reflect societal values and scientific understanding.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students are highly encouraged to enroll in both the Humanities and STEM expeditions of “Secret Identity: Comics, Culture, and Chromosomes”

Essential Questions

• How does my identity evolve? 

• What biological and environmental forces shape us?

• How do different parts of our identity combine to make us who we are? 

• How can we use comics to better understand the science of heredity and adaptation?

Learning Objectives

• Students will have an applied understanding of DNA

• Students will have an applied understanding of chromosomes and inheritance

• Students will have an applied understanding of natural selection, adaptation, and evolution

• Students will be able to identify biological and environmental forces that have shaped their identity

• Students will be able to use comics to effectively express their ideas