Illustration courtesy of Archie Comics MS.GrUNDY’S riGHT! YOU CAN TEACH READING WITH... COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS Mr. Weatherbee, don’t blow your top. It’s actually a good thing. By Samantha Cleaver ot so many years ago, comic books in school were con- ILLUSTRATION: sidered the enemy. Kids caught sneaking comics between the pages of bulky—and less engaging—textbooks were T M & © 2008 likely sent to the principal. But now comics, including classics such as Superman but also their generally more A complex, nuanced cousins, graphic novels, are not only RCHIE regarded as educational tools by savvy teachers, they are also taken seri- C O M IC PUBLICATIONS, N ously as literature and an art form in their own right. Comic books can be a great way to pique reluctant readers’ interest and challenge those students who are fluent in more traditional literature. I NC. When fourth-grade teacher Kathy Campbell asked her class at Fruchthendler Elementary in Tucson, Arizona, what they wanted to study, INSTRUCTOR may/june 2008 29 best practice the response was unanimous: comic think that way, I think they’ll become facial expressions or imagining what’s books. At the time, Campbell, who much better writers. Their word choice happening in a description of a science works as a volunteer art teacher, didn’t is much richer, and their creativity is experiment. know a thing about comics. But after boundless.” Kids are at ease with combining studying Columbia University’s Comic visual and text information, and as new Book Project (www.comicbookproject COMICS AND THE NEW MEDIA LITERACY media becomes mainstream, comic .org), she formulated a plan. There’s been a stigma against comic books offer a way to reinforce tradition- Using the theme “If I were a super- books in America, says Wiley Miller, al grammar and spelling within a layout hero,” her students wrote and analyzed comic artist and author of the Ordinary that’s familiar to kids. “Every year there essays that they eventually used to cre- Basil series, whether because we don’t are new literacies,” says Bitz, and “when ate their own comic books. “They took recognize comics as appropriate or seri- you look at a comic book, you can see the written word and pulled it apart ous reading, or because we think other how it’s a storyboard for a film, or a sentence by sentence,” Campbell says. books are more valid. Either way, he Web-based media project. There are “They had to investigate how they would says, “trying to dissuade kids from connections to media literacy all along transform their writing into character reading comics is silly and juvenile—it the way.” Comics help 21st-century kids and dialogue.” At first, says Campbell, hurts kids.” relate to big themes and topics by tap- the kids had trouble visualizing their But today, comics are gaining respect ping into the way students are already stories, but in the end they produced in the educational community. “The learning naturally. creative work. idea of using comic books as an edu- “If we show kids how the written cational tool isn’t new,” says Michael THE STORY OF MY LIFE word actually has a visual component Bitz, founder of the Comic Book Project Creating comics brings the writing pro- to it,” she says, “and teach kids how to at the Columbia University School of cess full circle. “You’re a writer first,” Education. “What explains Miller. “You have something to is new is the larger say. Then, you’re an editor—you want TRYinG TO DISSuade embrace of comics to edit as many words as possible—and KIDS FROM readIng as literature.” then you’re an artist.” That visual orien- There’s more tation doesn’t take away from traditional COMICS IS SILLY and desire to bring reading and writing skills. “Comics are JUVENILE. focused on sequence: First leads to When KIDS read second. You have to imagine the story playing out in your mind, and between COMICS, they’re USIng the first and second panels there are VISuaL LIteraCY inferences about the characters.” Bitz was surprised that Comic Book SKILLS. Project students created stories and characters that reflected their own lives, the medium into the classroom than rather than superhero plotlines. Instead ever, agrees James Bucky Carter, of an excuse to draw Spider-Man, the Ph.D., author of Building Literacy project “became an opportunity to Connections with Graphic Novels: self-reflect,” says Bitz, “and explore self- Page by Page, Panel by Panel. “The identity.” institution of traditional education and Moreover, students known for behav- print-based education is still domi- ior problems during typical reading and nating, but I see more and more writing activities were the most engaged teachers asking how they can during comic book lessons. “Suddenly introduce comics.” these kids became leaders,” says Bitz. As literature, comics are “a lay- “They collaborated and started to work ering of text, visual and pictoral,” together to become part of education, From says Carter. And don’t think you can whereas before they were shut out.” Sonic the just skim a comic book. The words and Creating comic books is an opportunity Hedgehog illustrations are meant to be “read” for kids who struggle with reading to series together. “As long as you’re reading excel because, says Bitz, “it’s not about › comics, you’re using visual literacy speed. It’s about the story and about skills,” says Carter, whether how creative you can be.” that’s interpreting Batman’s (Continued on page 34) 30 INSTRUCTOR may/june 2008 best practice pow! here are SOME SUPer comics and Graphic novels TO KeeP KIDS enTranceD ALL SUmmer. Archie Americana series and Archie Laika Classics (grades 5+) brings back by Nick Abadzis (grades 5+) Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and is a historical graphic novel the rest of the lovable gang as they about a stray dog that joins become embroiled in silly hijinks. the Russian space program Watch the gals spar over Archie! See in 1956 and becomes the who shows up at the Big School Dance! first dog in space. Bone series by Jeff Smith (grades 2+) is a graphic novel series for the younger set. Marshmallow-like characters wander through a valley full of Amelia Rules! series magic, monsters, and dragons. The support- by Jimmy Gownley (grades ing characters, includ- 3+) tells the story of a girl ing rat creatures who who’s adjusting to life in a love quiche and the new school while living with minimalist Ted the Bug, a newly divorced mom and are fun and surpris- young aunt. Amelia and her ing. Smith’s stories are GASP friends (Gathering of funny, scary, exciting, Awesome Super Pals) tell and memorable. free-spirited stories from a kid’s point of view. Sonic the Hedgehog series (grades 4+) are zany adventures that American Born Chinese echo comic books of by Gene Yang (grades 6+) days gone by, but with is a graphic novel with kid-friendly villains, three parallel plotlines: heroes, and predica- a Chinese folk hero, ments. Each volume Monkey King, who wants contains several to rise above his humble stand-alone plotlines. roots; Jin Wang, an Asian-American middle school student who struggles to fit in; and Danny, an all-American character. Yang address- es issues of race, stereo- types, and acceptance in this story that was a finalist for the 2007 Mouse Guard National Book Award for by David Petersen (grades 5+) is a Young People. graphic novel that will appeal to the hero in your students. Realistically drawn mice defend their home like Knights of the Round Table. 32 INSTRUCTOR may/june 2008 best practice (Continued from page 30) or science experiment, for example. COMICS FOR EVERY CURRICULUM Download student-made comic Comics are a way to supplement what books at the Comic Book Project (www you’re already studying in class. Use .comicbookproject.org) and use these books from the Graphic Classics series books in class. This is good for after- (www.graphicclassics.com), which noons when time is running short but include graphic novels and stories from you still want a quick, satisfying project. H. G. Wells to Jack London, to expand Encourage students to make their on a unit about literature. Working on own comics over the summer. Give them character development? Try Spider-Man. a template that works for them—a few “The whole mythos of Spider-Man is boxes for younger kids, a small book for ‘with great power comes great respon- older students—and directions to follow sibility,’” says author Carter. “That’s over the summer (a theme, instructions a great message for kids.” In visits to for parents, and so on). Remind them schools, Carter uses Spider-Man as a that comics can even be about “ordi- springboard into discussions about nary” events. When they return, they identity with students who are entering can share their book with the class. How adolescence. about a dramatic reading? You may have to challenge some Use comic books to teach ono- assumptions before you use comics in matopoeia. Have students flip through the classroom, and make sure that you comics and identify words that imitate read every book before you use it in natural sounds, such as whiz. Have stu- class. Just because a book is a comic dents experiment with replacing these doesn’t mean that it’s appropriate for words with more mundane, descriptive young students. If you think it will be text, such as “flies past.” How does this 1/3 Vertical at all controversial with your class, change the story? Have students draw consider using an excerpt, selecting a their own panels using onomatopoeia.