Comics in the Classroom | Recommended Nonfiction Titles | Recommended Fiction Titles | Sample Lesson Plans
Reflection & Defense | Additional Resources | References
From a low-brow adolescent distraction to a sophisticated art form and educational tool, comic books are finally having their moment in the sun.
Created by students for teachers, this movie shows students frustrated with the lack of visuals in the classroom. This video highlights the importance for educators to recognize the power behind visuals, not just from a visual message an image may contain, but how the science of visual literacy is used to neurologically and psychologically "manipulate" viewers by media specialists. Since our students are continually bombarded with visual imagery, it's time visually literacy was taught, not just as an extension of English and Language Arts, but in all curricular subjects.
Pulitzer Prize winning comic creator Art Spiegelman describes comics as, "A gateway drug to literacy." In this humorous and emotional talk, Illya Kowalchuk, M. Ed., discusses how comics can support the literary growth of all types of learners in all types of settings. Illya will reveal how comics posses superhuman potential to not only develop literacy skills, but also keep children out of jail.
Dav Pilkey draws and talks about the importance of graphic novels in the classroom.
The Periodic Table of Comic Books
Created by two Chemistry professors at the University of Kentucky, this website presents pages from classic American superhero comics that feature each element of the periodic table. While this site doesn't take advantage of comics as an educational medium in a meaningful way, it still can be used to enliven a science curriculum.
Brian Boyd, an English teacher in Thailand, created Grammarman as a way to engage his manga-obsessed students. With his trusty sidekicks Alpha-Bot and Syntax, Grammarman battles grammar mistakes around the globe as the star of Boyd's whimsical, well-drawn comic strip.
Gene Yang and Mosley the Alien created this comics-based learning unit for Algebra students in middle and high school. Factoring equations and expressions is one of the most challenging topics in the first year of Algebra. This unit seeks to capitalize on the educational potential of the comics medium to teach this topic in a clear, engaging manner.
National Association of Comics Art Educators
The NACAE features syllabi of existing courses, instructional units written by cartoonists and professors, and a message board facilitating an online community of comics art educators. These resources are invaluable to anyone interested in education through comics.
Comics in the Classroom | Recommended Nonfiction Titles | Recommended Fiction Titles | Sample Lesson Plans
Reflection & Defense | Additional Resources | References