GRAPHIC NOVELS

IN THE CLASSROOM

COMICS VS. GRAPHIC NOVELS

What is the difference between a comic book and a graphic novel?

Length

Types

Panels- Boxes where the pictures and words appear. Panels read in a sequence (often left to right).

Told through Sequential Art (combo of text, panels and images)

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL (CONT’D)

GN’s are like chapter books they have plot, characters, etc.

Dialogue

PARTS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL (CONT’D)

Captions

TEACHING, PARAGRAPHING,& OUTLINING

BRIDGING THE GAP

“Graphic novels can be used as a point of reference to bridge what students already know with what they have yet to learn.”

http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

WORDLESS GRAPHIC NOVELS

TEMPTING RELUCTANT READERS &

ENCOURAGING UNMOTIVATED READERS

GREAT FOR ESL STUDENTS AND

RELUCTANT READERS

MERGING OF GRAPHIC NOVELS AND CHAPTER BOOKS

BOOKS THAT USE BOTH TEXT AND GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT TO TELL A STORY

GREAT FOR RELUCTANT READERSLOW LEVEL-HIGH INTEREST

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Captain Underpants Stink Amelia’s Notebook

MAKE BELIEFS COMIX

Make Beliefs Comix is a fun and easy website that you can use in the classroom or as an assignment with kids to make their own comics.

Offers a teachers resource page Great for ESL-Offered in several languages www.makebeliefscomix.com

EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS

A GOOD NON-FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL SHOULD HAVE:

Background information Glossary Table of contents Additional resources such as discussion

questions Bibliographies, websites, and writing prompts The purpose of the book is to inform the learner

about curriculum-based or content-based topics, using the graphic novel format to present the information.

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLISHERS

Capstone Press offers the Graphic Library line of books

Elementary and Middle School

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLISHERS

Stone Arch Books is a sister company of Capstone. Currently, they offer five series:* Graphic Quest* Graphic Revolve* Graphic Sparks* Graphic Trax* Ridge Riders

EXCEPTIONAL PUBLISHERS Rosen Publishing NY publishes six series of

nonfiction that are all suitable for elementary and middle school readers:

Graphic Civil War Battles, Graphic Mysteries,Graphic Mythology, Graphic Nonfiction Biographies, Jr.Graphic Mysteries, Jr. Graphic Mythologies

GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION

1. Does the art support the text? Does the art assist the reader?

2. Do the colors support the text and storyline or do they conflict with each other?

3. Are the word balloons, thought bubbles, and captions placed correctly and in a fashion that is logical?

4. If it is a nonfiction graphic novel, are the facts reliable and accurate?

5. Does the book offer students additional information about the topic in the form of Web sites, references, maps, and suggested other readings (when applicable)?

6. By using these questions, educators can develop a sense of what is valuable for the classroom

http://www.forewordmagazine.net/articles/shw_article.aspx?articleid=187

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON COMICS

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Book-Length Comics by D. Aviva Rothschild (1995, Libraries Unlimited). This guide reviews over 400 graphic novels.

Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom: A Reference for Teachers and Librarians (1983, Libraries Unlimited). This book may be a bit dated, but it includes practical teaching suggestions across the curriculum.

The 101 Best Graphic Novels by Stephen Weiner; Keith R.A. Decandido, editor (2001, NBM). This excellent resource describes 101 graphic novels and rates them for age appropriateness. It also offers a short history of graphic novels and a bibliography.

Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. SeaStar Books, 2000.

Cray, Stephen. Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom. Heinemann, 2004.

Lyga, Alysson. Supplement Feature: Bringing Graphic Novels into the Classroom.http://www.forewordmagazine.net/articles/shw_article.aspx?articleid=187

FURTHER READING Perceptions and Use of Graphic Novels in the Classroom

(2009) Raechel B. Callahan http://www.cehs.ohio.edu/resources/documents/callahan.pdf

Implementing Graphic Texts into the Language Arts Classroom (Minnesota English Journal 2008) Doug Annett http://www.mcte.org/journal/mej08/Annet.pdf