St. Mary's Clinical Experience

Students will learn that everyday objects, such as food, can be transformed into imaginative superheroes that express personal identity. By using color, shape, composition, and symbolism, students will communicate their superhero’s powers, personality, and story through a visually compelling poster.

In this learning segment, the standards and objectives support my big idea that everyday objects, like food, can become imaginative superheroes that connect to personal identity. Each part of the lesson helps students look at art, make their own work, and think about why their choices matter.

1. Interpreting Art

I begin by having students look at different superhero posters and food-inspired artworks. This ties directly to standards that focus on analyzing how artists communicate meaning. When students pay attention to color, shape, composition, and symbolism, they start to understand that artists make intentional choices. This helps them think about how they want their own characters to look and what messages they want to communicate.

2. Developing Works of Art and Design

The objectives also encourage students to experiment and revise their ideas. When they start brainstorming foods that relate to their identity, they begin shaping the concept for their superhero. Sketching, adjusting shapes, planning layouts, and choosing color palettes all connect to standards about generating and developing artwork. Students learn how to problem-solve visually and refine their ideas rather than just going with the first sketch.

3. Relating Art to Context

I also want students to see that their lived experiences matter in art. Asking them to choose a food that represents something about who they are supports standards that focus on connecting art to personal and cultural meaning. Students think about why this food is important and how it reflects their background or personality. This helps them see artmaking as a way to tell a story about themselves.

4. Student Choice and Voice

Throughout the project, students make decisions that give their work a personal voice. They decide the food they want to use, the powers, the symbolism, the color choices, and the style of the poster. These choices support standards that value creativity, independence, and expression.

By structuring the lesson this way, I help students move through the full artistic process. They learn to interpret how art communicates, create their own symbolic superhero, and understand how art connects to their identity. This supports the big idea and helps students see how everyday objects can become meaningful through thoughtful design.

Central Focus

Conceptual/Cognitive Objectives:

OBJECTIVE I: Given examples of comic book covers and superhero posters, students will analyze design elements and incorporate bold composition, dynamic poses, and visual storytelling into their work. Given a variety of foods and superhero inspirations, students will successfully and creatively design a mutant food character by brainstorming, sketching, and exaggerating traits.

OBJECTIVE II: Given a variety of foods and superhero inspirations, students will effectively and creatively design a mutant food character by brainstorming, sketching, and exaggerating traits.

OBJECTIVE III: Given the opportunity to share their work, students will clearly articulate their design choices and explain how color, shape, and exaggeration communicate their mutant food superhero’s powers and personality.

1.2 Artistic Skills Objectives:

OBJECTIVE IV: Given poster paper, markers, or drawing materials, students will skillfully apply color, shape, and pattern to communicate their superhero’s personality and powers.

OBJECTIVE V: Given poster paper and layout tools, students will effectively compose their superhero character and supporting elements to create a visually balanced and engaging poster.

OBJECTIVE VI: Given time for refinement, students will clearly and neatly finalize their poster, demonstrating careful craftsmanship, layering, and attention to detail.

OBJECTIVE VII: Given opportunities to create and discuss their artwork, students will successfully reflect on and explain important information about their personal artwork in an artist statement.

Visual Board and Resources

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Introduction

Teaching the Mutant Munchies: Hero Identity Poster lesson gave me a chance to see how seventh graders respond to a project that blends identity, symbolism, humor, and creativity. I went into this lesson wanting students to genuinely see themselves in their work, not just draw something “cool.” Throughout the three class sessions, I found myself reflecting constantly on what helped them feel confident, where they needed more support, and how my own choices as a teacher shaped the classroom environment. My goal in this reflection is to think honestly about what went well, what surprised me, and what I would shift in the future to strengthen both engagement and learning.

Overall Teaching Surprises

One of the biggest surprises was how much the students depended on structure. I assumed the combination of superheroes and food would immediately spark ideas, but many students needed a lot more scaffolding than I expected. The think-sheet, which I originally viewed as a simple warm-up, ended up becoming one of the most important tools in the entire lesson. Students referred back to it constantly—almost like a script—to stay organized and make decisions with purpose.

Another surprise was how personal the students allowed the project to become once they felt secure. A few of them picked foods tied to their family backgrounds or memories, and even though the final superheroes were playful, their explanations revealed deeper layers. I realized how powerful it is when middle-schoolers are given an opening to talk about themselves in ways that feel safe and fun.

Finally, I was surprised by how much they struggled with time management. Even with three full work days, many students underestimated how long outlining, coloring, and refining takes. This helped me see the importance of clear checkpoints and daily mini-goals.

Best in Each Section

A. Student Responses

Students were most successful when connecting their identity to their food choice. Their responses on the think-sheet showed real introspection—many described traits like being “protective,” “creative,” or “funny,” and they translated those traits into powers or symbols. I saw them light up when they realized they were allowed to exaggerate traits and turn everyday food into something meaningful and humorous.

B. Questions/Dialogue

My guiding questions worked better than I expected. Asking things like “How would this food move?” or “What colors match your personality?” helped students shift from literal thinking to symbolic thinking. The dialogue also encouraged peer-to-peer connections. Students naturally wanted to share their ideas, which created an energetic and collaborative atmosphere.

C. Problem & Solving

Students demonstrated strong problem-solving during the sketching phase. When they got stuck, they were surprisingly willing to revise. A few students redrew their character multiple times to adjust proportions, add symbols, or test out different poses. They also brainstormed solutions with peers, which helped them take ownership over their designs.

D. Organization

The folder system, supply bags, and clear routines were highly effective. Students knew exactly where their materials were and what needed to be turned in each day. Cleanup was smooth because the expectations never changed. This structure helped minimize behavior issues and kept the room calm, especially at transitions.

E. Quality of Student Work

Overall, the quality of student posters exceeded my expectations. Many students produced thoughtful compositions with strong focal points, clear outlines, and intentional color choices. Their artist statements showed that they understood how symbolism, color, and design choices connected back to identity. Even students who struggled with drawing were able to communicate a clear message.

Ideas for Improvement in Each Section

A. Student Responses

Some students still defaulted to simple answers or struggled to articulate why certain traits mattered to them. In the future, I would incorporate a short identity warm-up discussion, or even a gallery walk of foods from different cultures, to give them more inspiration before starting their think-sheet.

B. Questions/Dialogue

While my guiding questions worked well, I noticed that students relied heavily on me for clarification. I want to improve by teaching them how to generate their own questions during brainstorming. A question bank on the whiteboard or table tents with prompts might help them develop more independence.

C. Problem & Solving

A few students froze when they encountered challenges, especially with drawing proportions or designing poses. Next time, I would include a “mini drawing demo” station with simple templates or reference sheets so they have tools to solve problems without feeling stuck or embarrassed to ask for help.

D. Organization

The only organizational issue was time. Many students needed more structure during the workday. In the future, I would add checkpoints such as:

“By 10 minutes: finish outlining your character.”
“By 20 minutes: begin background colors.”
This would help students break down the workload and avoid rushing at the end.

E. Quality of Student Work

Although most students produced thoughtful work, some rushed their coloring or skipped opportunities to refine details. Next time, I would model what “strong craftsmanship” looks like by showing side-by-side examples. I also want to build in a small mid-project critique so students can revise earlier.

Differentiated Teaching

Throughout the lesson, differentiation happened naturally through flexible entry points. The think-sheet and planning booklet supported students who needed more structure, while more confident artists enjoyed the freedom to exaggerate and stylize their characters. Choice was one of the strongest differentiators—students chose food, powers, symbols, colors, and layout, which helped meet a wide range of needs and comfort levels.

For students who needed extra support, I provided one-on-one check-ins, simplified drawing steps, and verbal rephrasing of instructions. Students who needed enrichment were encouraged to play with dynamic composition, patterning, and detailed backgrounds.

In the future, I would like to include more language supports, such as sentence starters for artist statements or labeled visuals of comic elements, so that all students—especially CLD learners—can access the reflection portion with more confidence.

Conclusion

Teaching this extended lesson reinforced how much middle-school students thrive when creativity, identity, and structure come together. This project challenged them to think symbolically, make design decisions with purpose, and communicate who they are through visual storytelling. It also challenged me to be flexible, patient, and intentional with my scaffolding. If I were to teach this lesson again, I would add more checkpoints, visuals, and opportunities for guided revision. Still, the students’ engagement and final artworks showed me that the lesson successfully supported both artistic and personal growth. It reminded me why I love art education—because it gives students space to see themselves in new ways and feel proud of what they can create.