Graphic Novels as history

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Overview

 Information Inquiry Role.   
    Whiteland is starting a Comics course for students to take as an elective that will meet an English requirement.  Mr. Clawson is going to be the instructor.  Mr. Clawson is a novice teacher who has been in charge of our telecommunications program.  He is technologically literate, but he just became a licensed language arts teacher as well.  I approached Mr. Clawson to help him with his curriculum because he is writing the curriculum for this class.  I asked him what graphic novels to include and how he was going to teach the differing variations of graphic novels.  He told me that he is going to use The Complete Maus by Art Speigelman as his graphic novel as history subject.  Thus, began our collaboration. "Collaboration is a partnership that involves shared responsibility for designing and developing instructional materials as well as implementing instruction." (Lamb)
    Our approach to information fluency is by modeling it ourselves.  In The Blue Book, Callison refers information fluency as being able to be confident enough to move through processes by using different information tools such as databases and use a variety of technology. This unit uses a variety of technology and processes where students have to retrieve information, sort through its usefulness and present it in such a way that through the process the students become confident in their use of information resources and technology.  As Barbara Stripling indicates in Lamb's section of Mentoring Roles, the teacher and the media specialist will become catalyst for changing traditional curriculum so that learning is centered on inquiry. The media specialist is taking the opportunity to be a connector to the total curriculum and connect whenever there is an opportunity.  This is a new class so I am seizing the opportunity.   We will both be coach and caregivers to our students to encourage and motivate them to achieve their highest potential.  Comics class is not a traditional class offered in many schools.  However, it is relevant to today's teen. Rachel Marie Williams wrote in her article, "Comics offers an opportunity for students to scrutinize how interdependent images and words can create a strong sequential narrative.  These texts do not dictate what students notice first, how or what they 'read'." 
 
Complete Maus
 

The unit is titled Graphic Novels as History.  It has a constructivist approach in that it "draws on a range of teaching practices including inquiry -based learning, cooperative learning, and project-based approaches." (Lamb) The following is the outline for this unit:

 

I.              Lesson One: History of Graphic Novels.

II.             Lesson Two: Graphic Novelists

III.            Lesson Three:  Create your own graphic story.

 

The media specialist will show Mr. Clawson the finished design of her project and ask for suggestions that he feels were overlooked or omitted.  As a media specialist, one should get feedback from the classroom teacher that the lessons cover the important things the teacher deems necessary for students to learn and know for the future.

 

Blogging will be an important part of this unit.  Students will be able to journal their experiences and discuss new meanings to the Holocaust, Art Speigelman, and graphic novels. Blogs can be used to provide open comments and feedback to the students.  Teachers and media specialists can easily monitor student activities with the blog. (Callison, p.308)  It is a non-threatening way to facilitate authentic learning experiences.  The teacher and/or media specialist will take turns monitoring and formulating questions to stimulate thinking and discovery.

 

This particular unit will probably take approximately three-four weeks.

Standards Addressed in Unit:
 
    ACADEMIC STANDARDS
  • LIT 3.5: Analyze and evaluate works of literary or cultural significance in American, English, or world history that reflect a variety of genres in the respective major periods of literature, were written by important authors in each historical periods, reveal contrasts in major themes, styles, and trends in these historic periods, reflect or shed light on major philosophical, religious, social, political or ethical ideas of their time.
  • JRN 6.5: Create original graphics that accompany copy, enhance readability, and appeal to a variety of audiences.
  • 12.3.1: Structural features of literature: Evaluate characteristics of allegory: using symbolic figures and actions to express general truths about human experience.
    AASL 21ST CENTURY STANDARDS:
  • 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
  • 1.1.9 Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
  • 1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.
  • 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
  • 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
  • 3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
  • 3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic real-world contexts.
Information Inquiry Model.
Model lessons will be based on: Ian Jukes' 5 A's- Asking, Accessing, Analyzing, Applying, and Assessing.
 
Lesson One:  Mr. Clawson will discuss with students the elements involved with graphic novels and strive to get a better understanding of what constitutes a graphic novel or comic.  During this time is when the asking or questioning will be taking place.  This is very similar to Dr. Lamb's two steps of watching and wondering.  Students view political cartoons of Theodore Geisel's and discuss what they are talking about and brainstorm using a compare/contrast chart of what constitutes a graphic novel, cartoon, or comic. (12.3.1 & 1.1.2 & 1.3.4) How are they the same or different? Students will be involved with analyzing this topic. (See attached map)
 
Task given:  Then, the students will come to the media center and work on their decade poster as described in Lesson One. The media specialist will brainstorm keywords to be used in the search process with the students.   The media specialist and classroom teacher facilitate and support their research.  Students will be accessing information with regard to graphic novels and novelists throughout time. "A timeline is a chronological record of events helpful in establishing order and making comparisons." (Key Words, Lamb)
 
Then, the students will be applying what they found on their decade poster.  The class will come together for a culmination of assessing to see if our timeline is complete or if it needs more information.  Recursion could take place.  Did we cover everything? Do what is happening in comics reflect what happened in world history?  Students will write a short paragraph answering these questions and what they learned about graphic novels that they did not know. (3.1.1)
 
Students will be reading Maus throughout the next 3 weeks as assigned reading.  The media specialist will create a blog that students can discuss their readings and thoughts regarding this story. The media specialist or teacher will provide a discussion on the blog each day.  This will provide "scaffolded supports that are a necessity of deep learning." (Guild quoting Pitts)
 
Each day the teacher will model the inquiry process going over what we have learned to make sure we are all on the same page.
 
In order to understand historical graphic novels, one needs to look at the ones who write them.  So, Lesson Two will provide students a way to understand the thought processes that go into making a graphic novel.  Students in their exploration should provide the information listed in the handout given with a rubric. (See attached)  First, Ian Jukes indicates that "the Asking stage requires the ability to clearly define the problem, and in doing so, focuses on the mission."  The students will choose which novelist they wish to explore. (Lamb's Watching and Wondering) By giving the students the handout the students will be guided to what information they should seek on their author.  This is a time where Webbing and Wiggling takes place. (Lamb) Students are gathering the information they need and evaluating its content.  This is the same as Jukes' Accessing and Analyzing phase of the 5 A's model.  Then, the group will sift through the information Weaving and Wrapping synthesizing and creating the visual product. (2.1.4)  Students can create their final product either power point, PhotoStory, or script for press release by Applying the knowledge they have learned and presenting it to the rest of the class (Lamb's Waving).Students can use their final product comparing it with the rubric to Assess what they have learned, what worked and what didn't. (Lamb's Wishing)
 
In Lesson Three, the media specialist and the teacher's objective is to make graphic novels more relevant to today's world by examining personal accounts of September 11 or the Holocaust and having each student create that personal account in their own words. (3.3.4) It must be at least three pages in length.  The media specialist will instruct students on the use of Comic Life software. The teacher will introduce another graphic work by Art Speigelman called In the Shadow of No Towers, a 40 page board book regarding the terrorist attach on the World Trade Center. (JRN 6.5)
 

Students will need to conduct research to find personal stories from either the Holocaust or September 11.  We are giving students the choice according to their interest.  Terrorism has been a focal point on a lot of students’ minds the past few years, where it may feel better to them or safer to explore personal accounts from a time period far removed from their life. (LIT 3.5)

 

Using Comic Life to illustrate a personal account will hopefully stir some creative thinking and problem solving.  When a printer is setting the print for the newspaper, he has to make it fit so that it looks uniform and is easy to read.  Taking someone’s personal narrative and taking meaning from what that person says will help students to critically think or analyze the important points the narrative was getting across. (JRN 6.5 & 2.1.4)
 
Students will then be given the opportunity to reflect by writing a 3-5 paragraph on their thoughts regarding the unit. (3.1.1) The Blog will be worth 100 points.  Each students is expected to submit items to the ongoing discussion. 
 
The end of the unit will culminate with the teacher and media specialist sitting down for a period of reflection as pointed out in the Feedback and Evaluation portion of this unit.
 
Subpages (1): Lesson One: History of Graphic Novels