+ Katie Subra English Language Fellow elfbelarus.wordpress.com Using Comics and Graphic Novels for Reading, Writing & Visual Literacy Activities

+ How can comics and graphic novels improve language abilities? Speaking Reading Writing Listening Vocabulary…but what about other Grammarliteracy skills?

+ Using comics and graphic novels can also increase: Cultural literacy: Discovering personal stories and national perspectives through graphic novels and comics Visual literacy: Reading colors, symbols, expressions, signs, icons… Civic literacy: Facilitating community building & group work

+ Example 1: Blankets Literacy Skill Targeted: Cultural – Personal story with religion, family life, teenage- angst, growing pains, first love, self-reflection… Literacy Skill Targeted: Cultural – Personal story with religion, family life, teenage- angst, growing pains, first love, self-reflection…

+ Example 1: Blankets by Craig Thompson Literacy Skill Targeted: Visual – Color, patterns, body language, facial expressions, setting, space, formatting (gutter, panel, dialogue & thought balloons, motion, sound effects… ) Literacy Skill Targeted: Visual – Color, patterns, body language, facial expressions, setting, space, formatting (gutter, panel, dialogue & thought balloons, motion, sound effects… )

+ Example 1: Blankets by Craig Thompson Literacy Skill Targeted: Civic – Creating a common, authentic dialogue in the classroom through group work and language skill practice Literacy Skill Targeted: Civic – Creating a common, authentic dialogue in the classroom through group work and language skill practice

+ Speaking Graphic Novels & comics provide excellent conversational material Pick out themes to discuss and compare Retell the story Describe the relevance of the visuals Predict the next panel/page Role play the story (You already know what it is supposed to look like, so why not reproduce it any way you want?) Try a dramatic reading of the text and assign roles

+ Reading Make graphic novels & comics required reading Compare Cultural themes in multiple personal narratives: Persepolis, Maus, Blankets, La Perdida, American Born Chinese, … (this may inspire some writing tasks) Start a graphic novel/comic book club Ask students to fill out a plot diagram Problemetize the plot diagram Read reviews of the novel Compare reviews to your students' own views Conduct reading comprehension quizzes

+ Writing Use both academic and free writing exercises to tackle many themes Do a character analysis Compare/contrast multiple characters or choose one to compare/contract with yourself Write a cause/effect essay describing the sequence of events in the novel or comic Write a review of the graphic novel/comic Fill in captions and dialogue based on visual cues

+ Grammar & Vocabulary 1.Find a comic strip or graphic novel appropriate for the target grammar/vocabulary. You can also use pictures or ads! 2.Remove the text. 3.Provide students with a list of required grammatical structures or vocabulary to use. ↵ Example: Question: Use a modal to fill in the speech bubble (should, can, would, must, ought, could…) Answer: "You shouldn't expect a note in a bottle to get you off a deserted island!"

+ Task-based instruction Creating an authentic project-based assignment that demonstrates the comprehension of the subject.  Create personal narrative in the form of a graphic novel or comic combining cut-out pictures or illustration skills with text (captions, dialogue/thought balloons, sound effects)  Or, create a storyboard about any course theme which can be described sequentially (history, cooking, science projects, …)  As a group task, each member can create one part of the plot which they fit into a one-page storyboard

Questions? Need more resources? – Crawford, Philip. "Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers and Promote Literacy." Library Media Connection. February, Volume 22, Issue 5, p26-8. Eisner, Will. Comics and Sequential Art. W. W. Norton & Company, August Little, Drego. "In a Single Bound: A Short Primer on Comics for Educators." March New Horizons for Learning. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. William Morrow Paperpacks, April Schwarz, Gretchen E. "Graphic Novels for Multiple Literacies." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. November Volume 46, Issue 3, p Weiner, Stephen. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing, November 2003.