‘Why?’ is one of my children’s favorite questions. When they were little, they asked, “Why is the sky blue?” As they have gotten older, they wonder, “Why are some people hungry?” and “Why aren’t people doing something about pollution?” They look for answers that will help them understand and change the world.
The animated sci fi film Transformers One tries to answer some similar ‘whys’. On the surface, the movie is about the origins of the arch rivalry between Megatron and Optimus Prime, but underneath it tries to explain why Cybertron is the way it is. After watching the movie, use one or more of the following activities with older elementary children to explore the movie’s social justice themes.
Miner changes. The Miners are treated badly because they are unable to transform. They are made to do dangerous jobs that require long hours and cannot participate in the Iacon 5000 race. Invite children to take turns pretending to be a Miner or one of their bosses. Encourage them to act out scenes where they try to ‘flip the script’ from the bosses being mean and the Minors taking it to the Minors speaking up and the bosses rethinking how they should act.
Good leadership. The original Primes used the Matrix of Leadership to help guide and shape Cybertron. Orion Pax learns that it can only be used by someone the Primus deems worthy of it. Ask children: What qualities do you think make Orion Pax a good leader? Make a list of all the character traits they identify. Then ask: What other traits might a good leader need? Add these additional ideas to the list. Finally, ask: Which of these traits do you have? How might you use them to help shape your community for good?
Rethinking things. Orion Pax, D-16 and others believe Sentinel Prime’s version of Cybertron’s history. When they realize he has been lying, they question everything they thought they knew about Cybetron and themselves. Invite children to recall a time when they learned something they believed wasn’t true. Say: Close your eyes and picture that experience in your mind. (pause) Who was involved? (pause) What did they say or do? (pause) How did you feel? (pause) What did you say or do? (pause) How did this experience change the way you think about yourself or the world? (pause) Encourage children to share their stories with one another if they are comfortable doing so.
Hopeful visions. Elita tells Orion Pax that he is able to see a different and better future than the one in front of him because he has hope. Invite kids to draw a picture of the kind of world they hope will exist someday. Encourage them to use Orion Pax’s vision as inspiration.
Sparking transformation. Alpha Trion says that the spark inside each bot is what controls their transformations. Megatron’s spark was shaped by his anger and desire for revenge. Optimus Prime’s spark was shaped by his hope and love for other bots. Invite children to create a sculpture that illustrates the ‘spark’ that drives them to be their most authentic self. Encourage them to use whatever materials are readily available, such as natural objects, building blocks, paper and tape, 3D digital tools, clay, etc.
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