education

Disabilities: X-Men (Movie) Est. Time: 2 Hours Viewing/45 Minutes Class

The contents of this case study were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, #H325F060003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Shedeh Hajghassemali.

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IRIS CENTER

 Activity

Synopsis X-Men movie series tells the story of a team of super-powered “mutants” who are ostracized by the “normal” humans they have sworn to protect. Separated from society and educated in a special school administered by Charles Xavier (Professor X), the X-Men wage a secret war against Magneto and his band of evil mutants who have sworn revenge against the government and the people who have turned their backs on mutants everywhere.

Activity View the movie or movies listed below and be prepared to discuss the questions below in class:

Titles: X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) Studio: Twentieth-Century Fox

Questions/Discussion Topics 1. Though the students at Xavier’s school would not necessarily be considered to have

disabilities, they certainly have special needs. Many students with disabilities use accommodations or assistive technology in the classroom setting to help them access the curriculum. Can you identify some of the accommodations or assistive technology used by the X-Men?

2. Charles Xavier uses a wheelchair. Describe how his disability is conveyed in the movie. Was it a focal point of the plot, or was it portrayed as just another of his many characteristics?

3. Do you think perceptions of Xavier would be different if he weren’t a mutant? Would they be different if he didn’t use a wheelchair? Explain your answer.

4. In what ways does the depiction of the public’s reaction to the mutants mirror real-world attitudes about people with disabilities? In what ways is it dissimilar?

5. Comic books and super hero movies often involve portrayals of disabilities or disease as a means through which characters become heroes. Why do you think this theme is so prevalent?

6. If possible, name other heroes or pop culture characters who are either portrayed as having disabilities or who have fictional conditions that mirror real-world disabilities.