Todd EricksonENG697Final Project

A Unit for Departure:Shaun Tan’s The Arrival as an Analytical and Thematic Introduction

Grade Level: 11th Grade International Baccalaureate (IB) Literature

Duration: Ten 66-minute Periods (approximately two weeks of classes)

Objectives:Overarching IB objectivesStudents will be able to demonstrate:

an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature.

an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.

Specific objectives for individual class periods:The students will be able to:

display an understanding of the “What-How-Why” approach to a work of art. define the term “analyze” and have a basic understanding of some

terminology to be used in analysis of graphic novels. apply a definition of “curiosity” to develop thematic questions as a during-

reading strategy. build, utilize, and complete a reading log in thorough, specific, and reflective

manner. determine thematic developments based on author’s choices. determine the thematic relevance of two structural components of the story. complete informal commentary on a given section of the work. apply during-reading strategies to comment on the author’s use of specific

techniques. determine a thematic idea of the work and components of the story that

convey it, citing specific examples from the work. create a diagram to display a work’s depiction of a thematic idea. present information to the class in a clear and organized manner.

Materials: Copies of The Arrival Lined paper Blank (drawing) paper Drawing utensils Projector and internet connection

Context within the course syllabus:

This is a ten-day unit plan that uses Shaun Tan’s The Arrival as the first major unit of my two-year International Baccalaureate Literature course. It will follow the initial summer work presentations and a brief reading diagnostic activity, and precede a mini unit on Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue,” which will then be followed by the first quarter of the course syllabus, which focuses on three Works in Translation.

In this sequence, the unit is meant to provide an introduction to the analysis of art as creation with a purpose as well as an introduction to themes that are common amongst the first three written novels of the year: identity, culture, one’s relationship to place, and language. Both the analytical process and the consideration of content (themes) is something that will continue throughout the remainder of the course. As a note regarding these themes, being that they are somewhat universal and no doubt overlap with and influence one another, the specific ideas developed regarding these themes will be left to the discoveries of the students as the unit progresses and the work is read, allowing for both the analytical process and its findings to be authentic.

Rationale for Use of Comics and The Arrival:

This unit is created for use within a curriculum at a school that, as yet, has not incorporated graphic novels at all. I offer the following rationale in an attempt to reduce the reluctance that can sometimes come along with teaching a “new” genre in a literature class, teaching within the comic genre (which has often been subjected to unfavorable stereotypes), and teaching with a graphic novel that has no understandable written language. The following rationale is extremely brief in comparison to the amount of academic writing espousing the benefits of teaching literacy through this genre.

In Comics and Sequential Art, Will Eisner cites the following quote from Tom Wolf’s 1977 piece in the Harvard Educational Review, seeming to indirectly justify its use in academic settings:

“For the last hundred years, the subject of reading has been connected quite directly to the concept of literacy…learning to read…has meant learning to read words…But…reading has gradually come under closer scrutiny. Recent research has shown that the reading of words is but a subset of a much more general human activity, which includes symbol decoding, information integration and organization….Indeed, reading—in the most general sense—can be thought of as a form of perceptual activity. The reading of words is one manifestation of this activity; but there are many others—the reading of pictures, maps, circuit diagrams, musical notes…” (2).

Eisner follows this by saying that “Wolf’s reconsideration of reading is an important reminder that the psychological processes involved in viewing a word and an image are analogous. The structures of illustration and prose are similar” (2). An understanding of the similarities between words and pictures, both in

structure and in how they are received and perceived by readers, makes the use of comics (which often use both words and images) in literature classes not only a practical but a meaningful choice. The transfer of skills that so often seems to go unnoticed, isn’t taught explicitly, or simply doesn’t happen can be made clear through the use of a medium such as comics, through which one can prove that the analytical thinking required in reading novels, stories, and poems is, can, and should be applied to various other areas of life. Additionally, the common complaint of students that such analysis “ruins” the stories that they read can be rebutted with the act of reading a challenging comic that might appear to be simple but in fact requires analytical thinking to understand the artist’s manipulation of elements such as sequence and space on the page.

On what sometimes seems a more obvious level, the use of comics or graphic novels in an English Language Arts makes sense due to its visual content, which can provide an alternative to texts with only the written word. Although it might be a common thing to label certain students as “visual learners,” Bakis actually applies this trait to most of the population: “As I tell my students, ‘Anyone who has sight is a visual learner.’ Humans are wired to learn visually, and the image-text interface will always be a means of learning, recording, sharing, and knowing” (viii). Along with this reasoning, Bakis provides an excellent list of specific reasons for why graphic novels are worthy subjects of study, supported by citing a variety of scholarly articles. To reiterate all of these would be academically redundant, but it may be worthwhile to point out the following as it pertains to the purpose of this unit. Bakis writes that, “Because of the interpretive nature of pictures, graphic novels facilitate instruction on the participatory and active, constructive nature of reading…students avoid one authoritative answer, creating a more democratic classroom” (3). Here, the emphasis on the possibility of multiple reasonable interpretations of a piece connects clearly with the emphasis on a personal response to literature necessary for genuine commentary on a work. It is never the case whether one’s interpretation or commentary is correct or incorrect, but that the ideas can be supported through relevant textual evidence. For this and seemingly countless other reasons, graphic novels or comics can be used in logical and meaningful ways in an English Language Arts curriculum as either primary or supportive texts.

Regarding the specific choice of graphic novel, in addition to its thematic content, Shaun Tan’s The Arrival is ideal due to its being “wordless.” This trait allows for several things: 1) a variety of chances to consider the effects of language should it be applied to the work, 2) a chance to perform the kinds of thinking necessary for thoughtful analysis without necessitating the time to read a longer text, and 3) avoiding any preconceptions that students might arrive with concerning written texts, which might act as barriers to gaining an understanding of the conceptual framework being introduced. Perhaps most importantly, it requires students to think about their thinking as they read the work, something which Bakis clarifies: “the all-graphic text demands attention to self as a reader as an active participant rather than considering text as primary or superior…[it can be used to demonstrate] how reading is a constructive and process-oriented act requiring rereading and reconstruction” (34). Overall within the context of my course, students will ideally be able to see that the same kinds of thinking applied to

understanding visual texts can be applied in understanding written texts. Considering thematically similar works in different mediums allows for various connections to be made as well, hopefully engendering depth in understanding of certain themes.

General Overview of Objectives and Unit Plans:

I. The overall purpose of the unit is to introduce students to the process of personalized commentary on a work of art. The overarching objectives of the unit, taken from the IB curriculum of the school is that students will display “an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner which reveals a personal response to literature” and “an ability to engage in independent textual commentary on both familiar pieces of writing.” Ultimately, students will be able to provide written commentary on The Arrival that considers how particular ideas about certain themes are conveyed in the work via certain choices of the author. This ultimate goal is broken down into smaller objectives that are assigned to each day of the unit. It is important to note that it is assumed that students have some familiarity with the concepts of character, conflict, plot, structure, and theme.

In an attempt to enable students to become comfortable with such an approach to art, the unit is grounded in two conceptual frameworks. The first of these is that of a “language of thinking,” defined as “the words in a language that refer to mental processes and mental products” or “words that describe and evoke thinking” (Perkins 7). This concept is one of the pieces of a framework for teaching that aims at creating a “culture of thinking” within a class, as explained in detail in Tishman, Perkins, and Jay’s The Thinking Classroom. I also discuss it further in the “pedagogical credits” section of this plan. Specifically, the focus in this unit on the “thinking words” of analyze and synthesize, as well as the dispositions of specificity, thoroughness, curiosity, and reflectiveness has been determined with the process of considering, analyzing, and responding to art in mind. The processes of analysis and synthesis, as well as the habits of being specific, thorough, curious, and reflective are all relevant to the task of developing personalized commentary in response to a work of art, be it visual or written.

The second conceptual framework is one created by myself, but which is too common to deserve any copyright. In an attempt to convey the content of commentary, I abbreviate the process as “The What, How, Why.” It is a simplified way to communicate the task of determining what an artist is creating, how the artist creates it, and why the artist creates it. For example, in writing, an author may create certain aspects of character (the “what”) through specific methods of characterization or language (the “how”) in order to ultimately, in combination with other aspects of a story, convey concepts about a certain theme (the “why”). This is not meant to serve as a means of organizing writing (an issue that sometimes has to be overcome later on), but to organize one’s thinking in response to a work.

These first two conceptual frameworks are introduced early in the unit (Day One), and are followed by an admittedly brief overview of some of the techniques comic artists use in the medium to create meaning. This is then followed by additional pre-reading activities concerning the cover and the initial pages of the

comic, before moving into the body of the work and applying during reading strategies through group and individual work with a reading log and other activities. After finishing the reading, students work in small groups to create and present “theme trees,” or a visual depiction of a chosen thematic idea with information about how it is conveyed. Finally, individual summative assessment is accomplished through each student’s choice of one of the following:

1. A written analysis of a dominant thematic idea conveyed by The Arrival with explanation of how it is developed through the author’s use of various effects, citing and analyzing several specific panels or pages of the piece.

2. Creation of an additional page to be incorporated into The Arrival, with specific intent to aid in conveying a particular thematic idea. Accompanied by written justification of artistic choices.

3. Written analysis as with #1 but with student’s choice of other work.4. Creation and analysis of students’ own work, displaying ability to both apply

and analyze effects of various techniques and strategies of this art form (this would take a bit longer)

Written work will be graded using an IB rubric. Ultimately, students should be able to not only state what the artist is attempting to create, but the means by which s/he creates it, as well as reasoning why s/he creates it, connecting to universal themes of identity, language, culture, and perhaps even class.

Pedagogical Credits:

Although the use of “thinking words” and “thinking dispositions” is not necessarily copyrighted, and although the short activities which I use to introduce some of the “language of thinking” are of my own creation, I cite the work of Shari Tishman, David Perkins, and Eileen Jay in The Thinking Classroom as providing the inspiration for incorporating a “language of thinking” as a foundation for my classes. I have found this approach to teaching my classes to have excellent results. For the past two years, I have used this experimented teaching and using a foundational “language of thinking” in an explicit way with my freshman classes; this year I aim to incorporate it into my IB class. While I do not incorporate it to the extent that is described in The Thinking Classroom, it has become an important part of the culture and atmosphere I try to create.

The during-reading log was partially inspired by, but consists of considerable alteration to, Maureen Bakis’ “Reader Response Prompts” concerning Chapter One of The Arrival, the only chapter of the work that she uses in her class. While her prompts consist of summarizing, metacognitive considerations, determining mood, analyzing use of a technique, and choosing one interesting or confusing panel, I have made significant changes. For instance, I decided to combine analysis of a technique and its effect/s instead of having students determine mood and one technique; ideally, this encourages greater variety and opportunity for student interpretation. Likewise, though I chose to have a section on metacognition, the metacognitive aspect also consists of additional prompts (as metacognition itself needs to be

taught more explicitly, and part of this is through the use of questions). Finally, so that the during-reading would be better aligned to the purposes of the unit in understanding theme and its development, I added a section focusing on that concept.

Additionally, the use of the “Think Before You Ink” activity is taken from page 14 of Bakis’ The Graphic Novel Classroom, and is in fact an idea she borrows from James Sturm. This is somewhat similar to the activity on the first day in which students are asked to draw and describe a “snapshot” depiction of a character from a story they’ve read, but works not as an introduction to the “What-How-Why” concept, but rather an introduction to the tools that graphic novel artists can use in comics. Similarly, the task of adding words to the images in The Arrival is taken from Bakis’ own short unit plan using the first chapter of The Arrival.

Hesitations:

I have hesitations that are common to teaching—developing and trying out unit plans—as well as hesitations specific to using this particular genre. I am concerned that some of the work in the middle of the unit may become redundant for the students as it is set up, despite the variation provided by the content of the comic. Although the reading log that we complete can be varied, I am interested in developing further specific activities geared for certain sections of the piece, as well as making adjustments for improvement to the ones that are in the plans right now. Of course, such developments are simply a part of teaching a new work—one tries one thing, makes changes aiming at improvement, and then tries it again. It will be important to remember that the unit itself is a bit of an experiment.

Specific to The Arrival and the comic genre, although the initial excitement of the idea to use this graphic novel as both a conceptual and thematic introduction to the first year of this course remains, I discovered while reading the critical texts in the bibliography, that comics need not be an addendum to a course—they are a medium well-deserving of their own course and in-depth focus as a form of literature. While reading, I became a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of criticism, analysis, and knowledge that the medium has. While this is always true of any domain (one must learn the jargon), it became a puzzle for me to determine to what extent I needed to delve into the subject in order to make the best use of the text. I was unsure of how much time would need to be spent exposing students to certain visual vocabulary as well as how to go about doing that—Maureen Bakis, for example, has her class read the entirety of McCloud’s Understanding Comics, something which I clearly wouldn’t have enough time to do. On that same note, I didn’t know whether ten days would be enough (or too much) time to spend on the work in light of other requirements of the syllabus. Remembering that the mantra “not enough time” is often a killer of amazingly effective pedagogical adventures, I found some solace in Joseph Witek’s essay, “Seven Ways I Don’t Teach Comics”:

I don’t worry about what I’m not teaching. While the pedagogical temptation to chase the chimera of coverage can be almost overwhelming, the study of sequential art manifestly is and

interdisciplinary field…Whether the course is a broad survey or a focused topic, my concerns remain the same: the specific techniques and conventions of comics, the critical concepts required to analyze them, and the historical range of textual practice in comics form. For me, that agenda is more than enough …I don’t get bogged down in definitions. Comics scholarship is a growing field, and its critical vocabulary is in constant flux. (218-19).

Although I may not be teaching a course specifically on comics, the gist of the comments remains helpful: one cannot cover everything, and it is the quality of the thinking going on that ultimately matters, anyways. In light of this, I have tried to remind myself throughout the planning of the unit how exactly I am using The Arrival—as a thematic and conceptual introduction—and that such an experiment might be a great way to first consider the use of graphic novels in the classroom. Likewise, it occurred to me that the same could be said in response to similar anxieties concerning depth of knowledge of jargon in my use of other visual art in prior years: there are whole books written on Picasso’s Guernica, such depth of knowledge about composition, perspective, light, and so on is not the goal of my use of the artwork in class. Rather, it is an understanding of what it means to approach and consider and comment on a work of art. It is getting used to thinking about art as a form of communication with a purpose, and a basic introduction to the appropriate jargon might well suffice.

In this sense, too, my own investigation of this work and its possible use in my class is, in and of itself, a kind of “arrival.” I have been made aware that comics, something that I have read periodically since I was a child, can in fact be rather foreign territory for me as a teacher. Comics are not only something worth exploring in a serious and academic manner, but also something that can significantly change how literacy is taught, possibly allowing for the important work of understanding storytelling to continue to exist in an atmosphere that seems to be emphasizing comprehension of visual information and various forms of non-fiction (such as instruction manuals, informational texts, and so on, many of which have visual components).

Works Cited

Bakis, Maureen M. The Graphic Novel Classroom: POWerful Teaching and

Learning With Images. New York: Corwin, 2011. Print.

Eisner, Will. Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the

Legendary Cartoonist. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985.

Print.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper

Collins, 2004. Print.

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. Singapore: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007. Print.

Tishman, Shari, David Perkins, and Eileen Jay. The Thinking Classroom.

Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1995. Print.

Witek, Joseph. “Seven Ways I Don’t Teach Comics.” Teaching the Graphic

Novel. Ed. Stephen E. Tabachnick. New York: Modern Language

Association of America, 2009. 217-22. Print.

Plans for Ten Day Unit—Plans are Tentative, Prone to Adjustments due to time…and better ideas!

Note: IB objectives are long term, specific objectives are those that are day-to-day building towards the larger IB objective.

Day Plans / ObjectivesOne IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary

criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.

Specific Objective: The students will be able to display an understanding of the “What-How-Why” approach to a work of art.

1. Opener: On a blank piece of paper students answer prompt from overhead: Think of a character from a book you read last year or over the summer. Make a sketch of one snapshot of that character that represents the most important aspects of that character; then describe your snapshot, explaining the choices you made in composing it. Consider: What would be in the background? What would s/he be doing in the photo? What or who else would be in it? What expression would be on the character’s face? Are there any articles or props you would include?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share opener response with neighbor and then share out with class. Explain:

what students have just done is similar to what an author does—created a “picture” of a character in such a way as to represent or emphasize certain aspects of that character. Sometimes we think of characters as real people, but they aren’t: they are creations, the products of choices made by the author; they are works of art, created with purpose, intent. In the best of these works, all the smaller pieces come together to accomplish a purpose that is in some way universal, a purpose that is significant to all of us, but which is not always so easy to perceive or find the language for. Likewise, a work may have multiple purposes, depending on how one reads and understands it. What we want to always keep in mind are: WHAT the artist is creating, HOW the artist is creating it, and WHY the artist creates it, or the “What-How-Why.” This is one way of responding to a work. This upcoming unit will serve as an introduction to this concept and a chance for us to apply it in consideration of one visual work in particular, The Arrival, a graphic novel or comic. This will allow us to practice the kinds of thinking such a response needs before we begin reading the three novels. Before we begin The Arrival, however, we need a short introduction to some of the language and techniques of comics.

4. In pairs, students read pages 26-31 of Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, looking for A) a panel or page that somehow connects to the idea of art as a creation, B) a panel or page that highlights some aspect of comics as a creation, and C) one favorite panel. Be prepared to explain your choices.

5. Share out findings and discuss.6. Explain homework.

7. Closer: In what ways is a What-How-Why approach to a work different from how you have read in the past? Share out.

HW: Try applying our concept from today’s class to Edvard Munch’s The Scream. In 1-1½ pages, state what mood you think Munch tries to create in his painting, and describe with specific references to the painting how he uses various elements to create that mood. As an extra challenge, consider what purpose/s Munch may have in creating such a mood (for this, you may use outside research).

Two IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to define the term “analyze” and have a basic understanding of some terminology to be used in analysis of graphic novels.

1. Opener: Intro to the terms “analysis” or “analyze”: Have you ever taken something apart? What was it? Why did you take it apart? How did you do it? What did you find?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. In small groups of four, students briefly share their homework findings. Each

group chooses one significant point to share with the class.4. Through further sharing of results, as a class apply the “What-How-Why”

approach to The Scream. Teaching helps to highlight artist’s use of lighting, color, composition, creating a list of elements Munch uses to create mood in his piece.

5. Share out opener answers. Consider: What does it mean to analyze something? Develop definition as a class; e.g. to take something apart to understand how its different pieces work together. Explain: We have just, thinking in a “What-How-Why” framework, analyzed the mood of Munch’s work, and to do that we discovered some specific vocabulary, some awareness of the techniques involved in painting. Before we begin reading The Arrival, we also need some understanding of the vocabulary of the techniques of comic artists.

6. To gain some appreciation for the need for such terminology, we’ll do a brief activity. Using same groups of four, each group elects one student to wait in the hallway. The remaining three members of each group are given a scene to depict (e.g. a giraffe frustrated in a home improvement store’s checkout line). Students return from the hall and, taking turns from group to group, the student who provides the most accurate description of his/her group’s picture wins. Following each member’s guess, the group is asked to describe how they tried to convey meaning in the picture.

7. As we can see, pictures are clearly a means of communication. But how do we describe what we did in our pictures? Is there certain language that would be helpful to know?

8. Students watch second half of Scott McCloud’ s TEDtalk on comics, writing down any vocabulary that they think might be useful. Distribute sheet with glossary of terms and examples. Share out findings following video.

9. Closer: In your own words, define what it means to “analyze” something and

explain how today’s class will aid your analysis of The Arrival.HW: In a page, analyze the cover of The Arrival: What does Shaun Tan seem to create? How? For what possible reason/s?

Three IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.

Specific Objective: The students will be able to use curiosity to develop thematic questions as a during-reading strategy.

1. Opener: Based on the cover art, list three possible themes that The Arrival might concern. What about the cover hints at these themes?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. In small groups, students share their opener answers and homework results.

Each group shares out with the class what they believe will be the dominant theme of the work and what in the cover supports this.

4. Before we read more of the work, we need to discuss a key thinking disposition: being curious! Students are brought to the front of the class to consider three different odd objects and are asked simply to ask whatever questions come to mind (e.g. why is it that color? how heavy is it? where is it from? how much does it cost?). After questions run out, the item is explained.

5. Returning to desks, the class discusses: what does it mean to be curious? Determine definition and create Thinking Disposition glossary.

6. Introduce with examples the four main kinds of questions we’ll be asking as we progress: Discovery questions (like those that were just asked), Discussion questions (that incorporate thinking words (such as “Analyze the mood of this painting”—a prompt), Well-developed questions (longer questions with textual evidence and background), and Big questions (thematic questions, such as “In what ways are power and greed connected?”).

7. In small groups, students read and consider the inside of the front cover and the first three pages of the story. Groups develop a list of five Discovery questions and three Big questions.

8. Groups share out questions, class creates and students write down list of Big questions. These will be revisited and adjusted as we progress with the reading.

9. Closer: Which of our Big questions do you find most related to the titled, The Arrival?

HW: Consider closely the first page of the story proper (the first one with nine smaller panels). Sketch three images that you think could be added to this page to emphasize its meaning, providing an explanation for each one as to why it would be a meaningful addition.

Four IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to build, utilize, and complete a reading log in thorough, specific, and reflective manner.

1. Opener: Considering the work that we’ve done so far this week, what are

during-reading strategies or activities that we should have as part of our reading log? Why?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share out opener answers and develop as a class a reading log, using tentative

reading log content as a default. Be sure to include thematic and metacognitive component.

4. Before using the reading log, let’s consider a few more dispositions to be added to being curious: being thorough, specific, and reflective. Discuss what these terms might mean, situations outside of class in which they might arise or could help, determine definitions and add to glossary. Determine which parts of the reading log would benefit most from each disposition.

5. In pairs, student read chapter one and begin reading log.6. Closer: In what ways did focusing on being reflective help you in your reading?HW: Finish the reading log for Chapter One.

Five IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to determine thematic developments based on author’s choices.

1. Opener: How did you interpret the last page of Chapter One? What effect/s do the author’s choices produce? What themes does it seem to connect to or develop?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share out opener and Chapter One reading log results. Are there any

adjustments that should be made in the reading log? If so, why?4. In different pairs, students choose one Big question to consider as they read.

In pairs, students read first ten pages of Chapter Two, writing down ways in which that Big question is or isn’t answered. Pairs share out with class.

5. Pairs choose a different Big question and a panel that they believe is most relevant to the question. For the panel, the pair determines what language could be added to the illustration to aid in development of the theme that the Big question concerns.

6. Pairs present their choices, audience attempts to determine what the theme of the pair’s Big question was based on the choices.

7. Closer: At this point in the work, what do you consider to be the dominant theme of the story? Why? What are two major components of the work that help to develop ideas about that theme?

HW: Complete reading and reading log for Chapter Two.

Day Plans / ObjectivesSix IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary

criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.

Specific Objective: The students will be able to determine the thematic relevance of two structural components of the story.

1. Opener: Sometimes authors will incorporate a story within a story, or a playwright will have a play within a play. For what reasons might an author do such a thing?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share out opener answers.4. In small groups of three, students read the first nine pages of Chapter Three

and then develop an explanation for why the story about the minor character’s daughter is included. What purpose does it serve? What effect/s does it have? In what ways is it thematically relevant?

5. Small groups share out their answers. Revisit Big questions and determine how this segment of the story connects or answers any of them.

6. Students continue to read Chapter Three, completing reading log.7. Closer: A second element of structure, a flashback, is included in the second

half of the chapter. What role does this story play thematically? Share out and discuss.

HW: Complete reading and reading log for Chapter Three.Seven IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary

criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to complete informal commentary on a given section of the work.

1. Opener: What kind of work do you think you would be able to find in a place where you did not know the dominant language? Why?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share out homework findings for end of Chapter Three, followed by opener

answers.4. In small groups of three, students read the first ten pages of Chapter Four.

Focus: Trace the ideas that are being communicated through the character’s interactions with his environment as well as the techniques used by the author. Also, each group is assigned one page to complete a close analysis of: what is being created, how does the author create it, why?

5. Pairs share out findings, making connections to themes and Big questions.6. Closer: Turn five pages ahead and consider the pages to which you are now

opened. Predict a storyline that happens in the pages you just flipped that could lead to what you see here. What themes do we see at work here that we have seen before?

HW: Re-read and complete reading log for Chapter Four.Eight IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary

criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.

Specific Objective: The students will be able to apply during-reading strategies to comment on the author’s use of specific techniques.

1. Opener: We have seen stories from three minor characters now. What commonalities do you see amongst these characters and their stories?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.

3. In small groups, students read Chapter Five and complete the reading log for the chapter as well as commenting on the effects of author’s use of at least three techniques on an assigned page (such as sequence, size variation of panels, use of perspective, etc.).

4. Each group presents on one component of the reading log (e.g. summary, thematic development, etc.) and its assigned page.

5. Closer: Based on thematic developments thus far, what do you expect to see in Chapter Six? Explain.

HW: Read Chapter Six. In 1 -1½ pages, summarize what happens in the chapter and explore some reasons for its inclusion or purpose in the work.

Nine IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to: 1) determine a thematic idea of the work and components of the story that convey it, citing specific examples from the work. 2) create a diagram to display a work’s depiction of a thematic idea.3) present this information to the class in a clear and organized manner.

1. Opener: Why do you believe the author chose to have the last panel be what it is? In what ways is it thematically relevant?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Share out opener.4. Display the difference between a theme and a thematic idea using examples.

Show that thematic ideas are in fact also answers to our “Big questions.”5. Explain “theme tree” project. In small groups, students choose a particular Big

Question from our class list. The group then determines what answer The Arrival seems to provide for the question as well as specific elements that the author uses to convey this answer/thematic idea, supported by specific references to examples from the graphic novel. Display and consider sample.

6. Students work in groups to complete a rough sketch of a theme tree.7. Closer:HW: Read over the description of the summative assessment, apply a decision-making strategy to determine which option you want to choose, then begin brainstorming and planning. Also bring any questions about the assignment to class tomorrow!

Ten IB Objective/s: 1) Students will display an ability to engage in independent literary criticism in a manner that reveals a personal response to literature. 2) Students will display an ability to engage in independent commentary on familiar pieces of writing.Specific Objective: The students will be able to: 1) determine a thematic idea of the work and components of the story that convey it, citing specific examples from the work. 2) create a diagram to display a work’s depiction of a thematic idea.3) present this information to the class in a clear and organized manner.

1. Opener: In what ways does this project require you and your group to be specific, thorough, and reflective?

2. Go over agenda and objectives.3. Answer any questions regarding summative assessment.

4. Share out opener answers.5. Students work in small groups to finish creation of theme trees and practice

presentations, to be presented next class.6. Closer:HW: Finish brainstorming and planning, due next day of class. Due date of project is _________.

Tentative Reading Log Content/Instructions

1. In no more than a few sentences, summarize what happens in the story in this section of the reading.

2. Describe some of the thinking that you did while reading in order to develop an understanding of this part of the story. In what ways did your comprehension of the story change and how did your thinking affect this? Were there particular decisions made? How did you focus your attention? Were there questions you asked?

3. Describe one example of a technique used by Shaun Tan at some point in this section of the work. Explain what effect/s the use of this technique had in the story and/or on your response to it (e.g. creation of mood or other aspect of setting, character development, development of conflict).

4. Choose one favorite, most interesting, or most confusing panel. Describe the panel in detail and explain your reasoning for choosing it.

5. State one theme (topic) that you believe is being developed in this section of the story. Describe two ways that the author is developing that theme, and possible ideas about that theme that are being developed.

Sample Theme Tree using A Separate Peace (May be adjusted.)

Thematic idea: Insecurity shows itself in many ways, and these are

often destructive.

CHARACTER: Supported by Gene's insecurity and lack of self-esteem

Example #1--goes along with anything Finny says even though he doesn't necessarily want to, such as

jumping out of the tree the first time

CONFLICT: Supported by Gene's internal conflict of Finny as friend

vs Finny as enemy

Example #1--sees Finny's plans to go to beach as a way to distract him from his studies, yet idolizes Finny

as a creative genius in Blitzball

Example #2--jounces the limb when standing upon it to make

Finny fall

PLOT: Supported by a series of events that result from Gene's

actions

Example 1. Finny is put in a situation in which he must deny the

truth to himself--he refuses to accept the fact that Gene jounced the limb--he even apologizes for

even considering this idea

Example 2. Gene is put on trial in Brinker's search for truth, Finny is forced to face the truth of Gene's

actions

Example 3. Finny falls down marble stairs and breaks leg again in his

rebellion against the truth of Gene's actions

Final Assessment Options

Choose one of the following:

1. A written analysis of a dominant thematic idea conveyed by The Arrival with explanation of how it is developed through the author’s use of various effects, citing and analyzing several specific panels or pages of the piece.

2. Creation of an additional page to be incorporated into The Arrival, with specific intent to aid in conveying a particular thematic idea. Accompanied by written justification of artistic choices.

3. Written analysis as with #1 but with your choice of a different graphic novel / comic.

I encourage you to attempt the creation and analysis of your own work of sequential art, displaying ability to both apply and analyze effects of various techniques and strategies of this art form. This, however, would take a good deal longer than the options above, so you would need to speak with me if this is an option you’re interested in.

The Arrival Project Rubric0 1 2 3 4 5

Criterion A: Understanding and interpretationHow well does the student’s interpretation reveal understanding of the thought and feeling of the work?How well are the ideas supported by references to the work?

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors.

There is a basic understanding of the passage but virtually no attempt at interpretation and few references to the passage.

There is some understanding of the passage, with a superficial attempt at interpretation and some appropriate references to the passage.

There is adequate understanding of the passage, demonstrated by an interpretation that is supported by appropriate references to the passage.

There is a very good understanding of the passage, demonstrated by sustained interpretation supported by well-chosen references to the passage.

There is excellent understanding of the passage, demonstrated by persuasive interpretation supported by effective references to the passage.

Criterion B: Appreciation of the author’s choicesTo what extent does the analysis show appreciation of how the writer’s choices shape meaning?

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors.

There are few references to, and no analysis or appreciation of, the ways in which author’s choices shape meaning.

There is some mention, but little analysis or appreciation, of the ways in which the author’s choices shape meaning.

There is adequate analysis and appreciation of the ways in which the author’s choices shape meaning.

There is very good analysis and appreciation of the ways in which the author’s choices shape meaning.

There is excellent analysis and appreciation of the ways in which the author’s choices shape meaning.

Criterion C:Organization and development

The work does not reach a standard

Ideas have little organization; there may be a superficial

Ideas have some organization, with a recognizable

Ideas are adequately organized, with a suitable

Ideas are effectively organized, with very good

Ideas are persuasively organized, with excellent

How well organized, coherent and developed is the presentation of ideas?

described by the descriptors.

structure, but coherence and development are lacking.

structure; coherence and development are often lacking.

structure; some attention is paid to coherence and development.

structure, coherence and development.

structure, coherence and development.

Criterion D:LanguageHow clear, varied and accurate is the language?How appropriate is the choice of register, style and terminology? (“Register” refers, in this context, to the student’s use of elements such as vocabulary, tone, sentence structure and terminology appropriate to the commentary.)

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors.

Language is rarely clear and appropriate; there are many errors in grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction, and little sense of register and style.

Language is sometimes clear and carefully chosen; grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction are fairly accurate, although errors and inconsistencies are apparent; the register and style are to some extent appropriate to the commentary.

Language is clear and carefully chosen, with an adequate degree of accuracy in grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction despite some lapses; register and style are mostly appropriate to the commentary.

Language is clear and carefully chosen, with a good degree of accuracy in grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction; register and style are consistently appropriate to the commentary.

Language is very clear, effective, carefully chosen and precise, with a high degree of accuracy in grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction; register and style are effective and appropriate to the commentary.