This resource includes both an engaging 36-slide PowerPoint AND a multiple-page graphic organizer to follow along (in PDF and MS WORD, with answers, too)
 
Even if students don't know the plot, you can teach Medieval African History and the Epic of Sundiata (the Lion King of Mali) with elements of Marvel's Black Panther film. Relevance, engagement, and critical thinking guaranteed!
 
What if Marvel’s Black Panther narrative wasn’t completely an original idea? To be fair, many themes from modern superhero narratives have borrowed ideas and archetypal characters from older epics such as Beowulf, The Odyssey, The Iliad, or stories from the Bible. In this lesson, you will find out that there is a centuries-old famous story of Sundiata, the Lion King of Mali. You will also find that there are dozens of connections between the story of Sundiata and the Black Panther story. Can you find them?
 
Learning Goal: Students will be able to summarize the plots of Sundiata and Black Panther, then draw comparisons between the two stories
 
Task: Students will read (on the slides or on their paper) each of the 8 sections of the Epic of Sundiata, summarizing them in their own words on the graphic organizer. After each section students will consider a description of similar plot details from the *Black Panther film. Students will discuss similarities and differences between the two storylines. Possible answers will be revealed and they write them down on the graphic organizer.