Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Support Higher Level Thinking
Maria Selke West Chester Area S.D. [email protected] @mariaselke Our Comics Life... Clearing the Air Comics are for Everyone ● Select titles with your target age in mind Comics & Graphic Novels win prestigious awards
● Caldecott - illustrations ● Newbery - middle grade ● Scott O’Dell - historical fiction ● Printz - excellence in young adult fiction ● Eisner - American comics industry award ● Pulitzer (Maus) Comics are a MEDIUM - not a genre Language of the Discipline
Sequential Art ● Comic Strip ● Comic Book ○ Trade Paperback ● Graphic Novel ● Hybrid Language of the Discipline Structure ● Reading order ○ (L->R and Up-> Down IF not manga) ● Panels ● Gutters ● Captions ● Balloons
Adventures in Graphica
- chp 4 Understanding Comics - McCloud pg 86 Higher Level Vocabulary Development
“As readers navigate through a piece of graphica, they are exposed to a great deal of new and interesting words. In fact, some studies suggest that comics utilize even more rare words than many forms of traditional text …” (Thompson, Adventures in Graphica, 2008)
Zita the Spacegirl - Hatke Inferencing In the Gutters...
Understanding Comics - McCloud Inferencing - Readers as Collaborators Analysis Literary Devices - ● How does the creative team show….? (flashbacks, imagination, personification, imagery) Compare and Contrast - ● Same story, different format (e.g., A Wrinkle in Time, MacBeth, Wizard of Oz) ● Same creator/ different book (Nathan Hale) ● Same archetypes, different format (Hero’s Journey) ● Conventions in graphica vs. other formats ○ “Translate the Transfer” - Comics make it visible (from Adventures in Graphica) Evaluation
Creative Team Effectiveness -What helped you construct meaning? What hindered your understanding? ● Illustrations ● Panel styles ● Lettering ● Coloring ● Captions
Adventures in Graphica - “Most Important” --> Thompson pg 69 Breaking Norms / Celebrating Diversity
Understanding Comics - McCloud Introducing and Exposing History Classics Science Tech
Aug 2016
Feb 2017 Creative Expression
Making their own comics ● Summarizing ● Sharing knowledge across content areas ● Collaborating with a team Many book resources for guidance ● DC Comics series ● McCloud Making Comics and Cartoons
Some online tools: ● Pixton http://www.pixton.com/ (adding animation) ● Read-Write-Think (Up to 6 panels, drag and drop style) http://www.readwritethink. org/files/resources/interactives/comic/ Help Your Students Join the Dance
Understanding Comics - McCloud Teaching Guides/ Resources
Resources http://cbldf.org/resources/raising-a-reader/ -- Excellent overall information on using graphic novels, including the benefits for readers. http://cbldf.org/2015/06/expand-your-comics-conversation-with-the-comic-book-club-handbook/ -- How to guide for starting a comic book club!
Teaching Guides http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/guide-using-graphic-novels-children-and-teens (great resource list and sources, includes activities useful for any comic/gn) http://www.scholastic.com/graphix/Scholastic_BoneDiscussion.pdf -- overall information including title recommendations. http://www.abramsbooks.com/pdfs/academic/GraphicNovels_TeachingGuide.pdf -- another overall guide with many titles. http://www.abramsbooks.com/pdfs/academic/El_Deafo_TeachingGuide.pdf -- a guide specifically for El Deafo. Where to Find Great Titles..
The book Adventures in Graphica includes many sites and sources in the appendix. http://noflyingnotights.com/ -- Frequent reviews of current titles. http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/ -- School Library Journal reviews http://www.cybils.com/ Bloggers choose the best titles in various age groups and genres. Go to the right and choose a year and there will be lists for middle grade and young adult graphic novels. http://www.txla.org/reading-lists -- Texas started including graphic novels http://maslmd.org/winners/ Maryland also started including graphic novels
Junior Library Guild - a subscription service, but they also list excellent upcoming and current titles http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/list?level[]=GE&instockorforthcoming=1 (elementary) http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/list?level[]=GM&instockorforthcoming=1 (middle school) Sources
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics:. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Print. Moye, Kellee. "Amulet Books Graphic Novel Teaching Guide." Unleashing Readers. N.p., 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 07 July 2015. Thompson, Terry. Adventures in Graphica: Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Teach Comprehension, 2-6. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse, 2008. Print. "Getting Graphic: Using Graphic Novels in the Language Arts Classroom." Getting Graphic: Using Graphic Novels in the Language Arts Classroom. N.p., 2012. Web. 07 July 2015. List of Books I shared (pt 1)
Aguirre, Jorge. Dragons Beware!. First Second, 2015. Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Amulet Paperbacks, 2012. Alphona, Adrian, and G. Willow Wilson. Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal. Marvel, 2014. Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite. Harry N. Abrams, 2012. Baum, L. Frank, and Eric Shanower. Oz: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Marvel, 2014. Fletcher, Brenden, and Cameron Stewart. Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside. DC Comics, 2015. Bell, Cece. El Deafo. Harry N. Abrams, 2014. Hale, Nathan. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad!. Harry N. Bendis, Brian Michael. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 1. Marvel, 2012. Abrams, 2012. Brown, Don. The Great American Dust Bowl. HMH Books for Young Readers, Hale, Nathan. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy. Harry N. 2013. Abrams, 2012. Brown, Jeffrey. The Phantom Bully. Scholastic Inc., 2015. Hale, Nathan. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor. Brown, Jeffrey. Star Wars: Jedi Academy. Scholastic Inc., 2013. Harry N. Abrams, 2015. Burks, James. Bird & Squirrel on the Run. GRAPHIX, 2012. Hale, Nathan. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood. Harry N. Abrams, 2014. Camper, Cathy. Lowriders in Space. Chronicle Books, 2014. Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale. Rapunzel's Revenge. Bloomsbury USA Cloonan, Becky, and Brendan Fletcher. Gotham Academy Vol. 1: Welcome to Childrens, 2008. Gotham Academy. DC Comics, 2015. Hatke, Ben. The Return of Zita the Spacegirl. First Second, 2014. Davis, Eleanor. The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook. Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2009. Hatke, Ben. Zita the Spacegirl. First Second, 2011. Deconnick, Kelly Sue. Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight. Marvel, Hennessey, Jonathan, and Aaron McConnell. The Gettysburg Address: A 2013. Graphic Adaptation. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013. List of Books (pt 2)
Hinds, Gareth. Macbeth. Candlewick, 2015. Maihack, Mike. Target Practice. GRAPHIX, 2014. Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Holm. Babymouse #12: Burns Rubber. Maihack, Mike. The Thief and the Sword. GRAPHIX, 2015. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2010. Martin, Emily, and Jeremy Whitley. Princeless, Book 2: Get Over Yourself. Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Holm. Squish #1: Super Amoeba. Random Action Lab Entertainment, 2013. House Books for Young Readers, 2011. McCloud, Scott. Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl. Dial Books, 2015. Graphic Novels. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2006. Kibuishi, Kazu. The Stonekeeper. GRAPHIX, 2008. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. William Morrow Paperbacks, 1994. Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute: Lunch Lady #1. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2009. O'Connor, George. Aphrodite: Goddess of Love. First Second, 2013. L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel. Farrar, Straus and O'Connor, George. Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess. First Second, 2014. Giroux (BYR), 2012. O'Connor, George. Hades: Lord of the Dead. First Second, 2012. Lendler, Ian. The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth. First O'Connor, George. Hera: The Goddess and her Glory. First Second, 2011. Second, 2014. O'Connor, George. Poseidon: Earth Shaker. First Second, 2013. Lendler, Ian. The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet. First Second, 2015. O'Connor, George. Zeus: King of the Gods. First Second, 2010. Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book One. Top Shelf O'Neil, Dennis. The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics. Watson-Guptill, Productions, 2013. 2001. Lewis, John, and Andrew Aydin. March: Book Two. Top Shelf Productions, Ottaviani, Jim. Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian 2015. Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. First Second, 2013. List of Books (pt 3)
Phelan, Matt. The Storm in the Barn. Candlewick, 2011. Remember - this is just a sampling. I tried to Runton, Andy, Chris Staros, and Robert Venditti. Owly, Vol. 3: Flying Lessons. Top Shelf Productions, 2006. include titles from a variety of genres and target Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. Pantheon, 2004. age ranges. Shanower, Eric, and L. Frank Baum. Oz: Ozma of Oz. Marvel, 2012. Spiegelman, Art. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began. Pantheon, 1992. Spires, Ashley. Binky the Space Cat. Kids Can Press, 2009. Spires, Ashley. Binky Under Pressure. Kids Can Press, 2011. Tamaki, Mariko. This One Summer. First Second, 2014. Telgemeier, Raina. Drama. GRAPHIX, 2012. Telgemeier, Raina. Sisters. GRAPHIX, 2014. Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. Graphix, 2010. Thompson, Terry. Adventures in Graphica. Stenhouse Publishers, 2008. Watterson, Bill. Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1992. Whitley, Jeremy, and David Dwonch. Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself. Action Lab Entertainment, Inc., 2012. Zahler, Thomas F. Love and Capes, Vol. 1. IDW Publishing, 2008.