Graphic Narratives as Teaching Tools

Creating a Graphic Novel From Source Material*

*these lessons are also for a teacher who wants to have the graphic novel done and ready for students to use while reading the source text as a supplemental resource and accompany the graphic novel produced for this unit: “YNI Meta of Manga DIY”

Standard(s)

These lessons can be for 3rd- 8th grade, but the standards here are for 5th. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.6, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.10, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.c,

Objective(s)

SWBAT identify themes, key moments, POV, and events in the story that move it forward or show the development of the character(s) IOT create a list of key words or summary. SWBAT curate or generate (via AI) coloring page images to match the keywords or events in the summary IOT sequence the images and add the summarized text in a comic template.

Lesson 1

YNI Meta of Manga DIY

DIY Comics

Students will get the guide and participate in reading YNI Meta of Manga DIY: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vShbAvRaOjVRUY6OIud9pUizo-HxHeyM4m-l82isxT1N3REyx3lqs_pViFg5YXBG0hQ46_D1lqfuN40/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000  and discuss and question the description of making a graphic novel. They will view examples of art and text from: American Born Chinese, Guts, Persepolis, Incogenero, Human Body Theater, The Cartoonists Club, and online creators Campos and Locklear. Students will discuss the pros and cons of detailed drawings, color palettes, and adding narrative versus traditional manga (no or very little narration). Students without computer access will get the guide DIY Comics.

Lesson 2

Students will participate in the reading of a passage. The class will identify and map on chart paper: main character, character traits, setting, key events, problems & solutions, foreshadowing, mood and theme. The class will use this map to write a brief summary (or choose 5-10 words to represent that part of the text for SpEd and ELL students that need a modified assignment). The story is then written by each individual student on a blank comics page. Alternatively, the teacher can provide a summary already on a comic page, divided into panels. Students draw (if you are using paper) or find coloring pages (if you want to print the books they make online in Slides) or images on the internet (if you want to make digital only books). For this initial lesson, students will talk about what kind of pictures they are choosing for the different events from the summary. For example, if the story explains sisters missing one another, might an image of girls with thinking bubbles of each other do the trick? Or if the character trait of hard working is to be revealed, might an image of the character doing a hard task convey that?

Lesson 3

Moving forward, students will do the same thing as in Lesson 1 or they can be tasked with writing their own summaries before transferring to the comic panels. As they do this repeatedly, encourage them to go back and add details: character talking or thinking in comic bubbles, choose to have some images fit into the panel and decide which ones should expand beyond, and think about which panels should have backgrounds if any (what purpose do they serve for this as a summary of a source text).

Lesson 4

Optional: If the comics are printed with coloring page images, students will need to add color to the comic. Students should be encouraged to choose a limited number of colors so that their color palette is thoughtful and has meaning. Consider exploring color palettes related to emotions or places. In that way, students may choose sad or ocean colors for different parts of their GN, depending.

Creating an Original Graphic Novel

Standard(s)

These lessons can be for 3rd- 8th grade, but the standards here are for 5th.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.6

Objective(s)

SWBAT use effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences IOT to develop real or imagined experiences or events into a narrative. .

Lesson 1

The Meta of Manga: A Graphic Novel About Writing Graphic Novels

DIY Comics

Students will get the guide and participate in reading The Meta of Manga: A Graphic Novel About Writing Graphic Novels and discuss and question the description of making a graphic novel. Students will discuss the pros and cons of detailed drawings, color palettes, and adding narrative versus traditional manga (no or very little narration). Students without computer access will get the guide DIY Comics.

Lesson 2

Students will outline or chronicle on a timeline, a narrative. Choices here include a fairy tale, the biography of a real or imagined person, a superhero origin story, or their own creation using a story template.

Lesson 3

Students will add their story to comic panels. Students will draw (if you are using paper) or find coloring pages (if you want to print the books made online) or images on the internet (if you want to make digital only books). Students may use avatar makers, StoryboardThat.com and apps like Bitmoji to create their main character(s) in multiple poses to add to the panels.