Tag: comics in the classroom

What a better way to end the school year than with comics!  Throughout the year my class had dabbled in drawing (some of my classroom Genius Projects dealt with drawing) and the ever dwindling comic library was always around as a reading option.  So as we finished out our last literary unit, Fantasy focused on: Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales, and Folk Tales, comics fit right in (Superheroes being American Myths).  Full Disclosure:  My colleagues had done this last year so I was building a little off of their initial work, although I offered help throughout the process, both this year and last year.

I decided my students would have two two options when creating a comic page: A Super Hero Origin, or the retelling of a Fairy Tale (a Fractured Fairy Tale).  So we started by defining the scope of the project and what was needed.  The students were instructed to first write their story.  Step two was to take that story and write the main plot points in chronological order.  Step three take these main plot points and determine how many panels (pictures) would be needed to tell the story.  Students were then given sticky notes and a large sheet of paper to arrange the panels.  I reminded students that a panel is a moment in time, the size of the panel is determined by the importance of the event or the amount of time it takes.  We then talked about the importance of pictures versus text.  If the reader cannot figure out what is going on in the picture you will need text in the form of narration, a speech bubble, or a thought bubble to help them know what is going on.  I had a student ask if they could just do a comic like Owly (Andy Runton’s wonderful textless comic), My reply was “It is a lot harder than you think” and after a quick attempt she decided that text wasn’t that bad after all.  The hard part was getting the class to understand that if the reader can figure it out from the picture you don’t need text.  A drawing of someone falling down a hole doesn’t need narration saying “she fell down a hole!”  The sticky notes helped them to plan out the sequence.  Once they had a plan I handed them a non-photo blue pencil and a Blue-Line Comic Book Page and then stopped myself after seeing a few attempts.  I then divided the pages into panels (9, 12, and 16) before handing them out.  This way the panels and gutters were already drawn and all the students had to do was to draw.  They combined panels when needed.  They started by defining the space needed for the text, going back to their original story for exact wording.  They would write this out in blue pencil and then draw the pictures needed underneath. When they finished the blue line, they would finish it in regular old pencil.  I then took the finished pages to the copier and copied them to remove the non-photo blue.  Throughout the project we took time to work on Pin-ups of our characters and to talk about the Comic Con which was our celebration at the end.

As for my example, it was done step by step in front of the students.  I used this as an example as they worked, I worked.  Having a little more experience this still gave me time to walk around and conference (education-speak for chat) with students.  As for the story, the other classes were focused on a fractured fairy tale with their super hero… For me that was a little complex for time we had, but I decided I would try it.  So “Mr. Gizmo” was born and a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (based on a true story) was created.  I actually had an elderly relative who would just drag the open program off the screen (out of sight, out of mind) so when I would come over to visit I would reboot the computer closing all open instances of a program and amazingly enough the computer would work again.  I wish I had examples to show, but since time ran out so the kids didn’t get a chance to color them I don’t want to share unfinished student work.  I will say one story I liked (from a rather reluctant student) was retelling the three pigs in which they all live in a brick house, the wolf comes along tries to blown down the house, gets tired and goes home.  The pigs return to living with their mother.  Parents beware, kids these days obviously don’t think being independent is that important. 🙂

As for the Comic Con I divided my room into different areas and the class was allowed to wander around.  Those students that didn’t come in costume, had the chance to make one in the Cosplay Corner which was filled with large pieces of card stock, Sharpie markers, and Duck Tape.  I pulled out all the individual issues from my comic book library, along with some items I had picked up over the years at conventions and set up an Exhibit Hall.  They really liked going through the Heroclix I had and organizing them.  Other were interested in the original artwork I had brought in.  I played the 1940’s Superman cartoons in the “Screening Room.”  We had a gaming area, for students to play fairy tale based games by IELLO.  Finally, although I never made it there I had set up my Artist Alley booth in the Artist Alley area.  I was busy helping kids finish their comics and other year-end tasks.  It was fun, but it was chaos.  I’ve decided that I’ll keep the format, but divide the kids into groups and have them rotate through each area.

What else did I learn?  I’m going to start comics earlier and in a more structured way next year.  There is too much to teach dealing with the process to try to squish it into a short unit in the middle of testing, and getting all the end of the year stuff done.  I’d like to see drawing become a larger component in my class (since we don’t have an Art class).  Use some of the comics in the Unshelved Book Club as examples, although I have found that the jokes go over the kids heads since sarcasm is now a dirty word in the school environment.  I’ll probably only offer one choice for the project.  As I rework the project I’ll post resources for those interested.

 

 

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1965

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Bruce
1965OOK! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a drone! It’s MINIon #1965! My classroom is just starting (after a few false starts) its end of year unit on Fantasy which heavily relies on a study of comic books. In the end I hope the class will cosplay their own characters, but what should I dress up as? In the past when asked to attend comic book related events at school, I tend to go with the “fanboy” look or what I wear at a comic-con, but since I’m kind of in charge of a group I figured I need to model correct superhero attire. So I’m thinking about going as “The MINIon” my superpower being to manipulate technology and not be afraid to push buttons… it might work, but then again I might change my mind or the costume colors because I can’t find the right shoes.
No, this doesn’t mean of off hiatus, although it will be more sooner than later as the school year is winding down.  This comic is actually the sample I produced to get my third graders starting to think about graphic storytelling.  This is a science comic so we all started off with the same experience- dissecting a cow’s eye.  The kids were able to see and feel the various parts, but adults did the cutting.  We started the entire lesson by learning the parts of the eye and how they work, we watched a Bill Nye video, used an app from the Exploratorium about how the eye sees color, and watched a video about the dissection, besides a few other activities.  After the dissection, we gathered together and talked about what we saw and how it could be put into a script for a comic.  Another teacher had already laid out the comic page into panels so that decision was made for the kids, all they had to do was figure out what goes in each panel.  We scripted out each panel including some thumbnails.  The style I used for my sample is what I call my “quick comic” style.  I drew in non-photo blue pencil and then instead of inking used a good old #2 pencil to letter and go over the drawings.  I then photocopied the original to allow the pencil to scan properly. Being their first attempt we worked together to come up with a basic script.  Some students didn’t deviate from that initial plan copying it word for word.  In the end, as time was running short, my draft page was passed around as a sample to give the class something to work off of.  Students were shown how the non-photo blue pencil works, but for this first attempt we stuck to using a regular pencil.  As for layout the students were directed to consider the top 1/3 of each panel for text (nice review of fractions).  As students started to finish they were asked to peer edit which (as many know) can lead to mistakes not being caught- all part of the learning process.  The penciled original pages were then photocopied and the students colored their pages with crayon.  In the end I divided the finished works into piles and had small groups go through each one to vote on the “best.”  The top two were supposed to be published here- I decided to go with the top four.  Please understand that we do not have an Art teacher, so these students have never had formal instruction in drawing, they are in third grade, and I did not go over any of these with the students.  Except for some large group instruction on basic character design and reminders to add details, this is completely the students doing it on their own (I’m a constructivist).  Being their first try I wanted to see where they would go with the idea.  For our next project I plan on conferencing with each student using their own Cow Eye Dissection comic as a starting point so they can learn from their own work as they tell their next story. Here are the comics voted on by my classsroom in no order- the names were removed to protect the innocent. click on the image to see it larger coweye1 coweye2 coweye3 coweye4

EdCamp Indy 2013 – Comics in the Classroom #edcampindy

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Bruce
Today was EdCamp Indy!  I know you’d be amazed to know I talked about  Comics in the Classroom,  here’s the basics of my presentation including things that I had completely forgot since I was presenting off the cuff. reminding me that I really need to get a basic comics in education presentation done and put it on the cloud for just such occasions… The Basics of Comic Creation- Have the students consider using non-photo blue pencils.  I recommend Prismacolor Verithin which can be found at most art supply stores or online.  What this allows you to do is draw your artwork then ink over it (I use various sized Micron pens) and when you scan your artwork (in black & white- bitmap) the blue line disappears so it’s like having a magical eraser.  You can introduce the concept of chromakey to older students at this time. Many companies produce “comic book paper” which has the margins in blue line. Right now I use Photoshop Elements to color and add words to my comic-  it is fairly inexpensive (comes free with most scanners).  “Comic Life” is a great place to start and is available in Mac or PC (Learn something new every day) if you want to discuss balloon placement and layout since you can use photographs.  Manga Studio was also mentioned as a PC program for comic creation. But I Can’t Draw!- Just like any skill, drawing is something that comes with time and practice.  The more you do anything, the better you get.  My suggestion to start would be to use Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad in your classroom for some quick drawing lessons.  These are basic and can replace a day or two of penmanship lessons in the lower grades since it will actually help the students gain more fine motor control than just making a page of lower case d’s.  There are 180 lessons in the book so it fits almost perfectly with a school year.  He also has switched to lessons online which shows just how old I am, I used Mark Kistler with my first graders.  For real simple basics try Ed Emberly books.  For specific characters you can always use some the Walt Foster “How to Draw” books.  For classic Superheroes How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way or Ty Templeton’s How to Draw the DC Universe (unfortunately some of these might be out of print and therefore really pricey). As for putting together a comic look at Comic Book Design by Gary Spencer Millidge Project Ideas- You can start with something simple like taking a scene from a story and having the students recreate that in comic book form.  As readers they will need to focus on the details in the descriptions so those are included in the illustration.  What color was Laura’s dress?  her hair?  What happened when she filled her pocket with the smooth rocks from the shore of the lake?  All of these need to be included to help tell the story. Go to Unshelved.com and look at the entries in their book club while as this became popular they added more reviews many are still done in Comic Book Form like these examples from Gregor the Overlander  or The Lightning Thief .  Have the students do a comic form review of a book. Have them use a comic to illustrate a science experiment or a scientific principle. One school I work with has their 6th graders create a superhero based on the powers and abilities from an animal adaptation. The students then create a secret origin and draw the comic version, sharing it with other students at a school “Comic-Con.” Resources- Reading With Pictures– Online 501c3 promoting comic books in the classroom.  The group has an online community for sharing lessons.  After the success of their Kickstarter campaign for their Anthology, they have completed another campaign for the “Graphic Textbook”  which should be available in late 2013.  The textbook is an experiment in how to use comics to deliver classroom content.  It includes such stories as “Abraham Lincoln: Action President, and a brief explanation of Newton’s laws of motion. Diamond Bookshelf– the online (and print newsletter from Diamond Comics which is the company that distributes comics to all those comic shops everywhere.  The newsletter is focused on the benefits of comics in libraries and classrooms. Classroom Comic Library elementary to middle school (or at least a start)- Use the A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids Comics as another resource or find your nearest comic shop and chat with them. Bone by Jeff Smith Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley Mouse Guard by David Petersen  Legends of the Guard is a great way to look at how various writers and artists deal with working in the same “universe” The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young The Dreamland Chronicles by Christian Scott Salva This is originally a webcomic so you can read the entire thing online. Little Guardians by Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis Also a web comic Ed & Lee are from Indianapolis and I’m sure would love to chat with kids about the process. Solution Squad by Jim McClain & Rose McClain Jim is a middle school math teacher who uses his heroes to help his students understand math concepts.  He has done some great presentations on using comics in the classroom. -I know a lot of this is in the genre of fantasy… sue me, it’s what I like. Questions?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?- I have addressed a few of the questions already but one that came up that needs to be addressed was “Do you let your reluctant readers read comics?” While many people would say “No,”  I have a different viewpoint in my classroom.  When the year starts off and I give them tour of the classroom we stop at the graphic novel section of my classroom library and I let the students know the rules of what you can and cannot read in the classroom.  Comics BOOKS are fine reading material, comic STRIPs… not so much.  A comic book follows the rules of any story-  there are characters, setting, plot, and other pieces determined by the specific genre of the piece… a comic STRIP, not so much.  A comic STRIP (Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes, etc.) is kind of like reading a joke book.  Three panels then the punchline… so unless you are working on just phonics, sequencing, or vocabulary skills, a student isn’t going to get anything out of it.  A comic book, or trade paperback,  encompasses a story arc,  and deals with things I can talk to the student about in a conference.  Orson Scott Card once told the story of when he was a graduate assistant (and I paraphrase) Everyone else was using great works of literature in their classes, he looked at what the students needed to know and created a reading list in which he could teach those topics… instead of Hamlet he had the class read The Princess Bride. The students weren’t bogged down by the language and actually could see the concepts he wanted them to know.  If I want my students to understand the “Heroes Journey” I won’t have 4th graders read Beowulf, but I might have them read Gregor the Overlander which is engaging to them and has the same concepts or maybe Binky the Space Cat is an even better choice to start off with. So What do I do Next?- Go out to your local comic shop and talk to them about what they think would be good ideas for your classroom or library.  Ignore the concept of “Comic Book Guy” from the Simpson- if he exists his comic shop is soon to go bankrupt. Remember to celebrate Free Comic Book Day the first weekend in May and the little known Halloween Comicfest–  it happened last year, haven’t heard yet about it going on this year. Check out your local Comic Book Convention!  Fort Wayne has one, Kokomo has one, Indianapolis is getting one in March.  This is just a sampling of what’s available. Just remember- to check out every comic you put in your library,  just because it’s a comic doesn’t mean it is safe for your classroom.  Only you know what your community will allow.