Using Comics to Teach History

Corinne HatcherUIWP, 2011

Why?

Cooperating teacher found nonfiction graphic novels in our collection

Students were finding in too easy to plagiarize

Making graphic novels is fun

Librarian Support

Mentioning-s of Librarians

Library Media Specialists have been on the forefront advocating graphic novels (Schwarz, 2006).

Graphic novels are the perfect meeting place of words and pictures [. . .] Teacher-librarians picked up on this a long time ago and have been adding graphic novels to their collection in ever increasing numbers (Crilley, 2009)

Graphic Novel Collection @ Central High SchoolCollection: 283 books (2009) 605 books (2011)

Circulation: Sept. 2010 552(gn) vs. 361(f)

Contention 1

Scott McCloudReinventing Comics, 2000

Scott McCloudUnderstanding Comics, 1993

Contention 2

Both traditional, alphabetic literacy and literacies such as information, visual, and media literacy can be well served by classroom engagement with the graphic novel (Schwarz, 2006)

Graphic novel compositions highlight composition processes, and a natural outcome of reading graphic novels is composing them. When students are given the opportunity to marry words with images, they create new knowledge for themselves. Writers with few skills experience a level of success they may not have ever had before, and advanced writers refine their skills in writing for precision. Graphic novels and prose texts do not replace one anotherthey foster deeper understanding of both. (Frey and Fisher, 2010)

Contention 3

[Mentor texts are] invaluable models of outstanding writing. They can be used for writing instruction (Ehmann and Gayer, 2009)

Mentor texts serve to show, not just tell, students how to write well (Dorfman and Cappelli, 2007)

Pixton

What the project looked like this year?

Introduce the project

Look @ picture books

Find 3 anecdotes

Find information from another source

Sketch out at least 9 panels

Work with Pixton

112316+

What the project looks like after UIWP?

Introduce the project

Look @ picture books

Find 3 anecdotes

Find information from another source

Sketch out at least 9 panels

Work with Pixton

112316+Lesson on Pixton Tools

Look at a Nonfiction G. N.

Structures of a GN: Text to Panel

211

Discuss with a partner. . .

Is there evidence that the author did research to create the book?

Be specific about what you notice about how the drawings help or hurt the story.

How does the author/reader tell the characters apart? What techniques does the author use so that the reader knows who is who?

What do you like/dislike about the way the words are placed with the drawings?

Aspects of Comics

Glossary of terms: bleed, caption, figure, grid, gutter, border, layout, lettering, motion lines, panel, splash page, speech or thought balloon, symbol, caption, narratory block.

The importance of conflict

Use of dialogue to reveal character

Closure (observing the parts but perceiving the whole)

Use of line

Panel to Panel Transitions

Time transitions

Frame's relationship to text

Using color

Text Sequential Visual Art

Read the text you have been given.

How can you can represent the paragraph in 9 panels or less?

What is hard or easy about this?

Assessment

How might you grade these?

What elements do you assess?

What problems do you see in assessing them?

How can you use comic creation in your classroom?

Make an instruction manual

Make a comic where you are the hero

Correct grammar to allow comic to make sense

Illustrate an interview

Illustrate a current event

Learning languages other than English

Reflection tool

Practice sequencing

Add dialogs to photos

Check for understanding

Learning new vocabulary

Adapt a poem

More ideas. . .

With a little help from Tap into Comics 2: http://www.slideshare.net/shend5/tap-into-the-world-of-comics-2comic-version

Works Sited

Crilley, Mark. "Getting Students to Write Using Comics." Teacher Librarian 37.1 (2009): 28-31. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 June 2011..

Dorfman, Lynn, and Rose Cappelli. From "Chapter 1." Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2007. 1-30. Stenhouse Publishing. Web. 21 June 2011. .

Ehmann, Susan, and Kellyann Gayer. Introduction. I can Write Like That!: A Guide to Mentor Texts and Craft Studies for Writer's Workshop, K-6. By Ehmann and Gayer. N.p.: International Reading Association, 2009. N. pag. International Reading Association. Web. 21 June 2011.