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INTEGRATION

>F KNOWLEDi.

> <& IPEAS

CRAFT <§ STRUCTURE

rALIGNING GRAPHIC NOVELS TO THE COMMON CORE STAN PAR PS

AN EXCITING ANP UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR

TEACHERS ANP SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

RANGE 0\

REAPINC Kat ie M o n n i n

k.monnin@unf.edu

to Know Graphic

«s i

"WE SHOULP STRIVE TO WELCOME CHANGE ANP

CHALLENGES BECAUSE THEY ARE WHAT HELP US GROW.

WITH OUT THEM WE GROW WEAK. WE NEEP TO CONSTANTLY

BE CHALLENGING OURSELVES IN ORPER TO STRENGTHEN

OUR CHARACTER ANP INCREASE OUR INTELLIGENCE."

- H. G. WELLS, THE TIME MACHINE

Th e t i t l e o f t h i s a r t i c l e is s i n c e r e .

C o n t e m p o r a r y t e a c h e r s a n d

s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n s a r e , i n d e e d ,

l i v i n g a n d t e a c h i n g d u r i n g a

u n i q u e t i m e — t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g i n

t h e h i s t o r y o f l i t e r a c y e d u c a t i o n

( B u c k i n g h a m 2 0 0 3 ; K i s t 2 0 0 4 ,

2 0 I 0 ; K r e s s 2 0 0 3 ; N e w L o n d o n

G r o u p 1 9 9 6 ) . M o d e r n l i t e r a c y

s c h o l a r s h i p c l a i m s t h a t we h a v e

n e v e r b e f o r e b e e n c h a l l e n g e d t o

r e d e f i n e o n s u c h a m a s s i v e s c a l e

t h e ways i n w h i c h w e t e a c h r e a d i n g .

A n d , t o s t r e n g t h e n n o t o n l y o u r

o w n c h a r a c t e r , as M r . W e l l s s u g g e s t s ,

b u t a l s o t h a t o f o u r s t u d e n t s ( a n d

t h e i r f u t u r e se lves a n d t h a t o f

t h e i r c h i l d r e n a n d g r a n d c h i l d r e n ) ,

c o n t e m p o r a r y l i t e r a c y e d u c a t o r s

m u s t i n c r e a s e t h e i r k n o w l e d g e a n d

a w a r e n e s s o f t h e u n i q u e n e s s o f

o u r o w n c u r r e n t t i m e a n d p l a c e i n

h i s t o r y . H a p p e n i n g d a i l y , p r o b a b l y

d o w n t o e a c h a n d e v e r y s e c o n d

t h a t p a s s e s , o u r m o d e r n l i t e r a c y -

l e a r n i n g w o r l d is q u i c k l y m o v i n g

f o r w a r d a n d a d v a n c i n g ; m o s t l i k e l y ,

s o m e t h i n g a b o u t l i t e r a c y h a s b e e n

u p d a t e d w h i l e y o u j u s t r e a d t h a t

l a s t s e n t e n c e ( K i s t 2 0 0 4 , 2 0 I 0 ) .

I n t h e m i d s t o f w h a t h a s b e e n

d e e m e d t h e g r e a t e s t c o m m u n i c a t i o n

r e v o l u t i o n o f a l l t i m e , e d u c a t o r s —

i n c l u d i n g s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n s — d o ,

i n d e e d , h a v e t h e u n i q u e a n d

e x c i t i n g o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e s p o n d

t o a n d r e d e f i n e t h e ways i n w h i c h

m o d e r n r e a d e r s a n d w r i t e r s w i l l

l e a r n t o r e a d a n d w r i t e i n a s h i f t i n g

l i t e r a c y c l i m a t e ( K r e s s 2 0 0 3 ; C a r t e r

2 0 0 7 ) . S e c o n d h i s t o r i c a l l y o n l y t o

t h e 1 5 t h - c e n t u r y i n v e n t i o n o f t h e

u s e o f m o v a b l e t y p e i n p r i n t i n g , o u r

c u r r e n t c o m m u n i c a t i o n r e v o l u t i o n

is t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t , f o r i t is n o t

d r i v e n by o n e s i n g l e i n n o v a t i o n

( l i k e t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f m o v a b l e

t y p e a l l o w i n g s h a r p l y r e d u c e d

p r i n t i n g c o s t s ) b u t , i n s t e a d , b y a n

u n q u a n t i f i a b l e s u c c e s s i o n o f l i t e r a c y

a d v a n c e m e n t s ( B u c k i n g h a m 2 0 0 3 ;

K r e s s 2 0 0 3 : H o b b s 2 0 0 7 ; N e w

L o n d o n G r o u p 1 9 9 6 ) . N o m a t t e r

w h e r e y o u l ive i n t h e w o r l d , l i t e r a c y

n o w m e a n s t o s i m u l t a n e o u s l y r e a d

a n d c o m p r e h e n d b o t h p r i n t e d t e x t

a n d g r a p h i c m e t h o d s o f p r e s e n t i n g

i d e a s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n . T o h e l p

m y s e l f b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d j u s t

w h a t t h i s m e a n s f o r l i b r a r i a n s

a n d l a n g u a g e a r t s e d u c a t o r s I

l i k e t o p i c t u r e w h a t I r e f e r t o

as " T h e N e w L i t e r a c y S t a g e . "

I n t h e p a s t , t r a d i t i o n a l l i t e r a c i e s

h a v e b e e n t h e s t a r o f t h e s h o w . B u t

w h y ? W h o m a d e t h i s d e c i s i o n ?

A l m o s t o n e h u n d r e d a n d t w e n t y

y e a r s a g o , i n t h e 1 8 9 0 s , a c o m m i t t e e

n i c k n a m e d " T h e C o m m i t t e e

o f T e n " was f o r m e d . T h i s g r o u p

o f i n d i v i d u a l s was c h a r g e d w i t h

d e c i d i n g w h a t a l l y o u n g a d u l t s

s h o u l d r e a d , e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e

s t u d e n t s w h o w i s h e d t o p r e p a r e

f o r a c a r e e r o r c o l l e g e . U l t i m a t e l y ,

t h e c o m m i t t e e ' s d e c i s i o n a n d

r e c o m m e n d a t i o n r e s t e d i n t h e

h a n d s o f t h e i r c h a i r p e r s o n , t h e

p r e s i d e n t o f H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y ,

D r . C h a r l e s E l i o t , w h o f e l t t h a t t h e

a n s w e r was s i m p l e . A f t e r a l l , h e

w a s a s c h o l a r a n d h a d c l i m b e d t h e

a c a d e m i c l a d d e r l i k e so m a n y y o u n g

1 9 t h - c e n t u r y s t u d e n t s n o w w a n t e d

t o d o f o r t h e m s e l v e s . I n h i s o p i n i o n ,

e v e r y s i x t h - t h r o u g h t w e l f t h - g r a d e

l a n g u a g e a r t s s t u d e n t s h o u l d b e

r e a d i n g — b o t h i n t h e l i b r a r y a n d

d u r i n g s c h o o l h o u r s — t h e t i t l e s o n

t h e five-foot b o o k s h e l f h e h a d i n h i s

v e r y o w n o f f i c e . A n d a l t h o u g h D r .

E l i o t p r o b a b l y h a d g o o d i n t e n t i o n s

a n d s t u d e n t s ' b e s t i n t e r e s t s i n

m i n d , h i s five-foot b o o k s h e l f

p l a c e d a v e r y n a r r o w p e r s p e c t i v e

o n w h a t b e g a n t o b e c o u n t e d as

a c c e p t a b l e a n d v a l u a b l e l i t e r a t u r e

i n A m e r i c a n s c h o o l s a n d l i b r a r i e s .

T o d a y is a n e w day , h o w e v e r , a n d

c o n t e m p o r a r y l i t e r a c y e d u c a t o r s

a n d s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n s m u s t c o n s i d e r

t h e p r o l i f i c n u m b e r o f l i t e r a c i e s

n o w a v a i l a b l e t o o u r s t u d e n t s b o t h

i n a n d o u t o f s c h o o l ( H u l l a n d

S c h u l t z 2 0 0 2 ) . I n e s s e n c e , n e w

l i t e r a c y s c h o l a r s h i p h a s b e g u n t o

l o o k b a c k i n t i m e a n d q u e s t i o n t h e

c o m m i t t e e ' s five-foot b o o k s h e l f

r e c o m m e n d a t i o n . A s we d o s o , w e

find n u m e r o u s c a l l s t o w i d e n D r .

E l i o t ' s five-foot b o o k s h e l f : t h e

Volume 41, No. 3 | January/February 201 3 51

RECOMMENPEP RESOURCES-A d a m s , D . 2 0 0 4 . The Hitchhiker's

Guide to the Galaxy. New York : C r o w n .

A m i r , Kha l i l . 2 0 I I . Zflhra's Paradise. New York: First S e c o n d .

A u s t e n , J . 2 0 0 I . Pride and Prejudice. New York: N o r t o n .

Butzer , C . M. 2 0 0 9 . Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel. New York : H a r p e r C o l l i n s .

C a r r o l l , L. 2 0 0 0 . Alices Adventures in Wonderland. Seat t le , WA: C r e a t e S p a c e .

C h a u c e r , G . 2 0 0 5 . The Canterbury Tales. New York : P e n g u i n .

Co l l i e r , J . L. 2 0 0 5 . My Brother Sam Is Dead. New York: Scholast ic .

Co l l in s , S. 2 0 0 8 . The Hunger Games. New York : Scholas t ic .

D i c k i n s o n . E. 1976- The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. New York : Back Bay Books .

Fies. B. 2 0 0 9 . Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? New York:

A b r a m s .

F rank , A. 2 0 I 0 . The Diarj of a Young Girl. New York : Everyman ' s L ib ra ry .

F r a n k l i n . B. 2 0 0 3 . The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York : T o u c h s t o n e .

H i n t o n , S. E. 2 0 0 7 . The Outsiders 4.0th Anniversary Edition. New York : V ik ing J u v e n i l e .

K i b u i s h i , K . 2 0 0 8 . Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper. New York: Scholast ic .

K i n g j r . , M a r t i n L u t h e r . 1992 . I Have a Dream: Writing and Speeches that Changed the World. New York : H a r p e r O n e .

K u p e r , P., a n d F. Kafka . 2 0 0 4 . The Metamorphosis. N e w Y o r k : T h r e e Rivers.

La i rd , R. , T . N . La i rd , a n d E. A. Bey, 2 0 0 9 . Still I Rise.-A Graphic History of African Americans. New York: S te r l ing .

Lee. H . i 9 6 0 . To Kill a Mockingbird. New York : W a r n e r .

L i n c o l n , A. 2 0 I 0 . The Gettysburg Address. N e w Y o r k : P e n g u i n .

Mei tzer , B. , B. Mora les , a n d M. Bai r . 2 0 0 6 . Identity Crisis. New York : D C C o m i c s .

Mil lar , M . . et al. 2 0 0 4 . Superman: Red Son. N e w Y o r k : D C C o m i c s .

M o o r e , L . , J . R e p p i o n , a n d A. C a m p b e l l . 2 0 0 9 . Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1, The Trial of Sherlock Holmes. R u n n e m e d e , NJ : D y n a m i t e .

1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know

PAIRING THE STUPY

TEXT-ONiy BOOKS WITH GR API

EVERY STUPENT ANP

'LP ALL STUPENTS LEARN ANP GROW.

1911 f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e N a t i o n a l

C o u n c i l o f T e a c h e r s o f E n g l i s h ,

r e a d e r - r e s p o n s e t h e o r y o f t h e

1 9 2 0 s a n d 1 9 3 0 s ' r e a d i n g t h r o u g h

c r i t i c a l a n d c u l t u r a l t h e o r e t i c a l

l e n s e s d u r i n g t h e 1 9 5 0 s a n d 1 9 6 0 s ,

a n d a n e v e r - g r o w i n g i n t e r e s t i n

t e a c h i n g film a n d t e l e v i s i o n — a l o n g

w i t h o t h e r m u l t i m e d i a - b a s e d

o r s c r e e n - l i k e l i t e r a c i e s — i n t h e

1 9 7 0 s , 1 9 8 0 s , a n d 1 9 9 0 s . T o d a y

t h i s d i s c u s s i o n o n r e n o v a t i n g a n d

r e b u i l d i n g t h e s t a n d a r d five-foot

b o o k s h e l f is e v e n m o r e s i g n i f i c a n t .

T o d a y ' s t e a c h e r s a n d s c h o o l

l i b r a r i a n s a r e t h e first g e n e r a t i o n

o f e d u c a t o r s t o se t t h e s t a g e f o r

d e f i n i n g w h a t w i l l c o u n t as v a l u a b l e

l i t e r a t u r e f o r g e n e r a t i o n s t o c o m e .

A l o n g w i t h a h o s t o f o t h e r n e w

l i t e r a c i e s a n d f o r m a t s ( s u c h as

i d e a s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n d e l i v e r e d

v ia t h e I n t e r n e t , t e x t m e s s a g e s ,

z i n e s , v i d e o c o m p o s i t i o n s , m e d i a

l i t e r a c i e s , o n l i n e g a m i n g , a n d so

o n ) , t e a c h i n g w i t h g r a p h i c b o o k s

is r e a d y t o a u d i t i o n . B e c a u s e t h e y

r e l y o n b o t h t r a d i t i o n a l p r i n t - t e x t

l i t e r a c i e s a l o n g s i d e m o r e v i s u a l ,

i m a g e - b a s e d l i t e r a c i e s , g r a p h i c

n o v e l s a r e s t r o n g c o n t e n d e r s

f o r e d u c a t o r s ' c o n s i d e r a t i o n .

W i t h t h a t s a i d , h o w e v e r , I a m o f t e n

a s k e d , " U n d e r m o r e a n d m o r e

s t a n d a r d i z e d m a n a g e m e n t f r o m

t h i n g s l i k e t h e C o m m o n C o r e

S t a n d a r d s , h o w c a n we fit a n e w

l i t e r a c y f o r m a t l i k e t h e g r a p h i c n o v e l

i n t o o u r 6—12 c l a s s r o o m p e d a g o g y

a n d c u r r i c u l u m d e m a n d s ? "

F i r s t o f a l l , t o t e a c h t o t h e s t a n d a r d s

d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t we m u s t t e a c h

o n l y t o t h e s t a n d a r d s . I n f a c t , t h e

f o u n d a t i o n a l t e x t t h a t d e f i n e d

s t a n d a r d i z e d m a n a g e m e n t , R a l p h

T y l e r ' s Basic Principles of Curriculum

and Instruction ( 1 9 6 9 ) , a d v o c a t e d t h a t

t e a c h e r s e m b r a c e m o r e t h a n j u s t o n e

m e t h o d o f i n s t r u c t i o n a l a s s e s s m e n t ,

s u c h as t e a c h i n g t o s t a n d a r d s , a n d ,

i n s t e a d , e m b r a c e a h o s t o f f o r m a l

a n d i n f o r m a l a s s e s s m e n t s . A n d

b e l i e v e it o r n o t , t h e g r o w i n g

i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e C o m m o n

C o r e S t a n d a r d s fits e x t r e m e l y we l l

w i t h t e a c h i n g a r e a l i s t i c s h a r e d

l i t e r a c y . C o m b i n e d p r i n t - t e x t

l i t e r a c i e s a n d i m a g e l i t e r a c i e s , l i k e

t h o s e f o u n d i n g r a p h i c n o v e l s ,

a r e r e f l e c t e d a n d v a l u e d i n t h e

C o m m o n C o r e S t a n d a r d s .

T o h e l p t e a c h e r s a n d s c h o o l

l i b r a r i a n s b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d

j u s t h o w f r i e n d l y t h e C o m m o n

C o r e S t a n d a r d s a r e t o p r i n t - t e x t

l i t e r a c i e s a n d t h e i r n e w c o s t a r s o f

n e w l i t e r a c y , g r a p h i c n o v e l s , l e t ' s

t a k e a l o o k a t t h e f o l l o w i n g t a b l e .

/

Graphic Novels

LESSON I PEAS THAT LINK GRAPHIC NOVELS TO TRADITIONAL LITERARY PAIRINGS ANP THE COMMON CORE REAPING STANPARPS.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR READING

IN GRADES 6 - 1 2

Key Ideas and Details Key Ideas and Details Key Ideas and Details

STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO...

Read closely to determine what

the text says explicitly and to

make logical inferences from it;

cite specific textual evidence

when writ ing or speaking to

support conclusions drawn from

the text.

Determine central ideas or

themes of a text and analyze

their development; summarize the

key supporting details and ideas.

Analyze how and why individu-

als, events, and ideas develop

and interact over the course of a

text.

TWO SUGGESTED 6 - 1 2 GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR

TEACHING SPECIFIC CCSs

Identity Crisis

by Meltzer, Morales, and Bair

The Homeland Directive

by Venditti and Huddleston

Creature Tech

by TenNapel

Foiled written by Yolen and

illustrated by Cavallaro

Crogan's Loyalty

by Schweizer

A. D.: New Orleans after

the Deluge by Neufeld

TWO SUGGESTED 6 - 1 2 TRADITIONAL LITERATURE

PAIRINGS TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING A SHARED MULTI-LITERACY

STAGE WITH THE CSSs

Alice in Wonderland

by Carroll

Native Son

by Wr ight

The Hitchhiker's Guide

to the Galaxy by Adams

Pride and Prejudice

by Austen

My Brother Sam is Dead

by Collier

The Hunger Games

by Collins

BRIEF EXPLANATION AND LESSON IDEAS FOR LINKING

THE COMMON CORE READING STANDARDS WITH

SUGGESTED GRAPHIC NOVELS Ithe highest-selling

contemporary and multi-literacy text for young adultsI

The suggested graphic novels

and traditional literacy pair ing

listed beside the CCSs both

present teachers with high-quality

texts for teaching inference,

especially reliance on textual

evidence that builds to support

plot twists and turns.

That said, I would recommend

that teachers and school

librarians develop a T-chart

handout for their students. On the

left side of the T-chart ask

students to list the "INFER-

ENCES" they are forming as they

read. Then, on the right side of

the T-chart, students can list the

"TEXTUAL EVIDENCE" that

supports their inferences.

As students read the graphic

novels or traditional literary

pairings, ask them to make a list

of the top five themes or central

ideas they notice in the texts.

Then ask students to work

collaboratively in small groups, a

team-building endeavor.

Ask each team to review their

lists and develop a graphic

organizer that lists their top five

central ideas or themes.

Alongside their themes or central

ideas, students can next

summarize and present the key

supporting details from the text

by noting the developments in

the texts and rationales for

students' choices of themes and

main ideas.

For this CCS I encourage

students to complete the

fol lowing activity:

Draw a picture and write a

description of the two most

important characters.

Next to each drawing and

description, ask students to list

the events and ideas related to

this character.

Finally, have students write

reflective paragraphs that

explain how these characters,

events, and ideas interact over

the course of the text.

Volume 41 , No. 3 | January/February 201 3 53

LESSON I PEAS THAT LINK GRAPHIC NOVELS TO TRAPITIONAL LITERARY PAIRINGS ANP THE COMMON CORE REAPING STANPARPS.

COMMON CORE Craft and Structure Craft and Structure Craft and Structure STANDARDS FOR READING

IN GRADES 6 - 1 2

STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO...

Interpret words and phrases as

they are used in a text, including

determining technical, connota-

tive, and figurative meanings,

and analyze how specific word

choices shape meaning or tone.

Analyze the structure of texts,

including how specific sentences,

paragraphs, and larger portions

of the text (e.g., a section,

chapter, scene, or stanza) relate

to each other and the whole.

Assess how point of view or

purpose shapes the content and

style of a text.

TWO SUGGESTED 6 - 1 2 GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR

TEACHING SPECIFIC CCSs

Shakespeare's The Merchant of

Venice adapted by Hinds

Sherlock Holmes: The Trial of

Sherlock Holmes, Volume I

by Moore, Reppion, and

Zahra's Paradise

by Amir and Khalil

The Last Dragon

by Yolen and Guay

Superman: Red Son

by Mil lar et al.

Take What You Can Carry

by Pyle

TWO SUGGESTED 6 - 1 2 TRADITIONAL LITERATURE

PAIRINGS TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING A SHARED MULTI-LITERACY

STAGE WITH THE CSSs

Shakespeare's

Merchant of Venice

The Adventures of Sherlock

Holmes by Doyle

A collection of

Emily Dickinson's poetry

Gulliver's Travels

by Swift

The Canterbury Tales

by Chaucer

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

BRIEF EXPLANATION AND LESSON IDEAS FOR LINKING

THE COMMON CORE READING STANDARDS WITH

SUGGESTED GRAPHIC NOVELS Ithe highest-selling

contemporary and multi-literacy text for young adults)

Before your students read any of

these texts, review and pull out

all of the words and phrases you

feel are important to overall

meaning or tone of the story.

Provide this handout to students

and ask them to read the text on

their own and brainstorm why

these words a n d / phrases may

be so significant.

As a class, brainstorm what the

word "structure" might mean in

terms of storytelling. Next, ask

students to read one or more of

the assigned texts and take notes

on any unique structural

decisions that they feel influence

the story.

Present students with a blank

four-square boxed handout (if

needed, present each student

with a couple of these handouts).

Before they read, ask students to

brainstorm—at the top of the

handouts—what they think the

title of the text might tell them

about point of view. Next, while

reading, ask students to place a

character's name in each box

and explain that character's

point of view. Finally, as a class, discuss the

students' ideas, being sure to

also clarify the significance of

any words or phrases students

may have missed. Visit AASL's Essential

Links <http://aasl.ala.

org/essentiallinks> to

find additional resources

on the Common Core

State Standards (CCSS).

1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels

Integration of Knowledge Integration of Knowledge Integration of Knowledge Range of Reading and Level

and Ideas and Ideas and Ideas of Text Complexity

Integrate and evaluate content Delineate and evaluate the Analyze how two or more texts Read and comprehend complex

presented in diverse media and argument and specific claims in address similar themes or topics literary and informational texts

formats, including visually and a text, including the validity of to build knowledge or to independently and proficiently.

quantitatively, as well as in the reasoning as well as the compare the approaches the

words. relevance and sufficiency of the authors take.

evidence.

Whatever Happened to the Amulet Maus 1 Still 1 Rise: A Graphic History

World of Tomorrow? by Fies by Kibuishi by Spiegelman* of African Americans

by Laird , Laird, and Bey

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes The Metamorphosis Superman Birthright

by Talbot and Talbot by Kafka and adapted by by Waid , Yu, and Alangui lan* Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel

The Bluest Eye To Kill a Mockingbird The Outsiders "1 Have a Dream" speech

by Morrison by Lee by Hinton by King

The Giving Tree The Metamorphosis The Diary of a Young Girl The Autobiography of Benjamin

by Silverstein by Kafka by Frank Franklin by Franklin

Each of these texts has its own Ask students to use a Perfect for pair ing a graphic Each of these suggested texts

unique way of presenting its Know-Wonder-Learn (KWL) novel with a traditional text-only are rich in information and

message or content. To help chart as they list what they novel, this CCS is best handled literary complexity. To make

students notice each of these K N O W about the claims being by encouraging students to sure students grasp the

unique formatting choices, take made in the text. Then, have create a Word or Excel importance of the information

a book-walk as a class, students explain what they document that highlights the and complexity of the texts, ask

pointing out each time you WONDER about the validity of themes or topics found in each students to first read

noticed a unique formatting each claim, and, finally, ask text. When their Word or Excel independently and then as a

choice. Students should be students to list what they documents have been complet- class. Whi le the class reads

encouraged to take notes on LEARNED about the relevance ed, ask students to write an together, note on the board

each of your examples. Then, and sufficiency of each claim essay that compares that the students' questions and

as students read the texts on and its validity. approaches of each author. comments about the information

their own, ask them to go on a in the text or its literary

treasure hunt of their own, complexity. Wri te out and

searching for even more unique * This graphic novel is part of a series. discuss each of these points on

formatting choices and the board, and encourage

decisions made by the author. students to take notes as you

As a class, have students share move through the text together.

and explain their finds and

rationales.

Volume 41 , No. 3 | January/February 201 3 57

M o r r i s o n , T . 2 0 0 7 - The Bluest Eye. New York : Vin tage .

N e u f e l d , J . 2 0 0 9 . A. D.: New Orleans after the Deluge. N e w Y o r k : P a n t h e o n .

Po tok , C . 1996. The Chosen. N e w Y o r k : Ba l lan t ine .

Pyle, K . C . 2 0 1 2 . Take What You Can Carry. N e w Y o r k : H e n r y H o l t .

Schweizer , C . 2 0 1 2 . Crogan's Lojaltj. P o r t l a n d , O R : O n i .

Shakespeare , W. 2 0 I I . The Merchant of Venice. N e w Y o r k : S i m o n Sl B r o w n .

Shelley, M. 2 0 I 2 . Frankenstein. New York: N o r t o n .

Si lvers te in , S. 2 0 0 4 . The GivingTree, 40th Anniversary Edition. New York : H a r p e r C o l l i n s .

S m i t h . J . 2 0 0 5 - Bone: Out from Boneville. N e w Y o r k : Scholast ic .

S p i e g e l m a n , A. 2 0 0 3 . Mausl. New York: P a n t h e o n .

S p i e g e l m a n , A. 2 0 0 3 . Maus II . New York : P a n t h e o n

Swift, J . 2 0 0 4 . Gullivers Travels. New York : Barnes a n d N o b l e .

Ta lbo t , M . M. , a n d B. Ta lbo t . 2 0 1 2 . Dotter of Her Father's Eyes. Milwaukie , O R : Dark H o r s e .

T e n N a p e l , D. 2 0 I 0 . Creature Tech. Berkeley, C A : Image C o m i c s .

Vendi t t i , R. , a n d M. H u d d l e s t o n . 2 0 1 2 . The Homeland Directive. Mar ie t t a , GA-. T o p She l f .

Waid, M . , L. F. Yu , a n d G . A l a n g u i l a n . 2 0 0 5 - Superman: Birthright. N e w Y o r k : D C C o m i c s .

Wright , R. 2 0 0 8 . Native Son. N e w Y o r k : N o r t o n .

Yang. B. 2 0 I I . Forget Sorrow. N e w Y o r k : N o r t o n .

Yo len , J . , a n d R. Guay . 2 0 I I . The Last Dragon. Milwaukie, O R : Dark H o r s e .

Yo len . J . , a n d M. Caval la ro . 2 0 I 0 . Foiled. N e w Y o r k : First S e c o n d .

Visit <www.alo.org/aasl /

knowledgequest> to register for

Katie's complimentary webinar for

AASL members "Aligning Graphic

Novels to the Common Core

Standards." The webinar, based on

this feature, will take place Feb. 16

at 7 p.m. EST.

F u r t h e r T h o u g h t s o n P a i r i n g G r a p h i c Nove l s w i th T r a d i t i o n a l T e x t - O n l y L i t e r a t u r e a n d t h e R e a d i n g C C S s f o r G r a d e s 6 - 1 2

A l t h o u g h s o m e t e a c h e r s c r i n g e a t t h e

w o r d " s t a n d a r d s " a n d m a y u n j u s t l y

s t i g m a t i z e t h e C o m m o n C o r e

S t a n d a r d s , t h e C C S s a r e b r o a d l y

a n d u n i q u e l y w r i t t e n . T h e y p e r m i t

a w i d e r a n g e o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n d

c r e a t i v i t y . F o r t h i s r e a s o n , t h o u g h I

a m a n a d m i t t e d o p p o n e n t o f m y o w n

s t a t e ' s o v e r - r e l i a n c e o n ( o r a s I l i k e

t o s a y " a d d i c t i o n t o " ) s t a n d a r d i z e d

m a n a g e m e n t , I ' v e c o n c l u d e d t h a t

t h e C C S s m a y a c t u a l l y b e a s t e p

f o r w a r d . A s w e w o r k t o g e t h e r t o

i m p l e m e n t t h e s e s t a n d a r d s , t h e y

c a n s e r v e a s a m i d d l e g r o u n d w h e r e

p r o p o n e n t s a n d o p p o n e n t s o f

s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n c a n c o m e t o g e t h e r

a n d c r e a t e a n e n t i r e l y n e w w a y o f

m a k i n g s u r e t h a t n o c h i l d is l e f t

b e h i n d . I n t h e p r o c e s s , w e c a n a l s o

e n s u r e t h a t a l l t y p e s o f l i t e r a c i e s a n d

s c h e m a t i c e x p e r i e n c e s h a v e a h o m e .

P a i r i n g t h e s t u d y o f t r a d i t i o n a l

t e x t - o n l y b o o k s w i t h g r a p h i c

n o v e l s c a n s u p p o r t o u r e f f o r t s t o

e n g a g e e v e r y s t u d e n t a n d t o h e l p a l l

s t u d e n t s l e a r n a n d g r o w . A s S t a n

L e e , t h e w r i t e r o f t h e S p i d e r - M a n

s e r i e s f a m o u s l y s a i d , " W i t h g r e a t

p o w e r c o m e s g r e a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . "

K a t i e M o n n i n

is not only the proud

parent of two wiener

dogs, but also an

assistant professor of

literacy at the University of North Florida.

While not pampering her dogs and treating

them like children, she has managed to

write numerous articles on teaching with

comic books and graphic novels. She has

also, in her spare time, written four books

(published by Maupin House) about

teaching with comic books and graphic

novels: Teaching Graphic Novels (2010),

Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic

Novels (2011), Using Content-Area

Graphic Texts for Learning (2012), and

her favorite book (but don 't tell the others)

Teaching Reading Comprehension with

Graphic Texts: An IllustratedJourney

(2 013). Her fifth book proved she has too

much time on her hands and is entitled Get

Animated! Teaching Children's Cartoons in

Grades 1- 6 (2013).

Works C i t e d :

B u c k i n g h a m , D. 2 0 0 3 . Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary Culture. M a i d e n , MA: Polity.

C a r t e r , J . B. 2 0 0 7 . Building Literacy Connections w.ith Graphic Novels. U r b a n a , IL: N C T E .

H o b b s , R. 2 0 0 7 . Reading the Media: Media Literacy in High School English. N e w Y o r k : Teachers Col lege Press.

H u l l , G . , a n d K . Schul tz . 2 0 0 2 . School's Out: Bridging Out-Of-School Literacies with Classroom Practice. New York : Teachers Col lege Press.

Kist , W. 2 0 0 4 . New Literacies in Action: Teaching and Learning in Multiple Media. N e w Y o r k : Teachers Col lege Press.

Kist , W. 2 0 1 0 . The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age. T h o u s a n d Oaks , C A : C o r w i n .

Kress , G . 2 0 0 3 . Literacy in the New Media Age. N e w Y o r k : Rou t l edge .

Lee, S. 1962 . A m a z i n g Fantasy # 15: I n t r o d u c i n g S p i d e r - M a n . New York : Marvel .

New L o n d o n G r o u p . 199^- "A Pedagogy of Mul t i -L i t e r ac i e s : D e s i g n i n g Social F u t u r e s . " Harvard Educational Review 6 6 (1): 60—92.

Tyler , R. 1969 . Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. C h i c a g o : Univers i ty of Ch icago Press.

Wells, H . G . 2 0 1 2 . T h e T i m e M a c h i n e . N e w Y o r k : T o r Books .

1 2 Knowledge Quest | Getting to Know Graphic Novels

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