Comic Strips in the Classroom
Comic Strips in the Classroom
Below are some resources for using comic strips in the classroom.
Comic Strip Creation Tools
Comic Strip Apps
Pixton
Pixton is a great tools which student can use to create comics strips. What is really cool about this tools is that it allows for collaborative cartoon creation and when using Team Comics, this can be done in the same time.
Site: http://goo.gl/jBchH
Make Beliefs ComixStudents can easily create their own comic strip. A variety of characters allows students the freedom to write about many topics.
Site: http://goo.gl/pZj4
SuperLame!
Upload your photo and add comic balloons and text to share your information. No sign-up required. Save final image as .jpg format.
Site: http://goo.gl/cAAlN8
Comic CreatorThis easy, online comic creation tool allows students to communicate their story using characters, speech bubbles, and props. Students begin by selecting how many panels for their comic layout. After adding characters, props, and text, students can print their comic. Consider printing to PDF driver to keep a copy of the comic.
Site: http://goo.gl/guJfM7
About Comic Creator: http://goo.gl/i3RIf
Comic Book
Realistic comic styling with a wide selection of: image filters, comic fonts, customizable captions, a library of classic comic graphics and dozens of multi-panel page layouts.
Price:$3.49
Site: https://goo.gl/QrYyYM
Comics Heads
The App is an easy to use self publishing tool and can be used to create storyboards, fun stuff, even business presentation or art! If you have an idea you can instantly create visually interesting content on the go. Get started quickly by choosing from our many templates and inbuilt art assets. Go viral with your ideas by sharing on Facebook, Twitter or email. You can also print them using AirPrint!
Price: $4.59
Site: https://goo.gl/808zQs
Toontastic
Toontastic provides a easy way to create your own animated films. Students choose the characters and setting for each scene, then just move the pieces around like they were playing with action figures, providing their own dialogue as the iPad records it all. They can then add a musical score with the appropriate emotional tone. The app doesn't just allow students to make their own cartoons, it also teaches the fundamentals of storytelling.
Price: Free
Site: https://goo.gl/p4Anj4
Comic Life
Comic Life, the award winning photo comic creation software, has been redesigned for iOS. It’s the funnest, easiest and fastest way ever to create photo comics on a mobile device. Your comics come to life with our integrated reader on brilliant iOS displays. Easily go from taking photos to creating full comics all on one device with full page templates and panel layouts. Bring in photos from Photobooth or your library, and use our powerful editing and design tools to get exactly the look you want.
Price: $4.99
Site: https://goo.gl/WTGtE
Moodboard Lite
Moodboard Lite is the free version of the bestselling app for creating mood and inspiration boards on your iPad. Each board is a blank canvas for organizing the things that inspire you. Add photos, text, color swatches, and special elements to your boards, then share them with friends and colleagues, anywhere, anytime.
Price: Free
Site: https://goo.gl/Fc8GHb
My Sketch
My Sketch is The Best sketch maker with more than 10 million amazing users! Some of the features it has include: 1)Turn your photos to Beautiful Realistic Sketch; 2) Create unlimited sketches; 3) Photos can be taken directly from Camera or Photo Album: 4) Choose 20 different type of Sketches; and 5) Sharing via Facebook,Twitter, Tumblr,Flickr and E-mail
Price: $1.99
Site: https://goo.gl/CmZmy
Art Studio
ArtStudio is the most comprehensive, sketching, painting and photo editing tool in the App Store. Completely re-designed from the ground up the new ArtStudio features a beautiful new user interface and a powerful new graphics engine to make creating works of art faster, easier, and more fun!
Price:$5.79
Site: https://goo.gl/vohUji
Strip Designer
Select one of the many included page templates. Insert photos into the cells. Add a couple of balloons with fun words. Add additional effect symbols (stickers) like "Boom", "Splash", or "Bang" to spice up the story. When you are happy with your new graphic novel, share it with friends and family.
Price: £2.29
Site: https://goo.gl/cJhr9i
Witty Comics
This is a great web tool that allows you to create your own comics using some pre-drawn characters, backgrounds, and dialogue boxes.
Site: http://goo.gl/h36jV
Strip Generator
Strip Generator allows you to easily draw your comic strips using characters and objects provided in their library.
Site: http://goo.gl/bkiz
ToonDoo
ToonDoo is a cool, comic-creating tool from Jambav, a fun site for kids.ToonDoo was the happy result of brainstorming session that was aimed at creating a new way of expression for those who do not have the talent to draw. You can now just drag-drop or click to create comic strips!
Site: http://goo.gl/aB2C
Chogger
Chogger has a comic builder that lets you draw your own comics, caption photos, take webcam pictures and add speech balloons.
Site: http://goo.gl/1dD4
Disney Comic Creator
Create and print magical Disney comics using your favorite characters, with Disney Comic Creator. You tell the story!
Site: http://goo.gl/lRGSC
LiveBinder of Online Comic Creators
More online comic creators can be found on this livebinder.
Site: http://goo.gl/c5Zy1c
Classroom Uses
Some more-specific uses for comics and cartoons in the classroom include:
An alternative book report: Students recreate a number of important scenes from a novel. See this link for more ideas from ReadWriteThink.
Problem solving: To help students devise a story, start with a problem that the characters need to solve and then have the characters resolve it.
Parts of a novel: Focus on character, setting and plot. Tell students: "Due to its condensed format, a comic strip highlights only the most important elements of its targeted topic. In this session, you will use character, setting and plot to retell and make up your own version of story events using a comic strip format."
Plot: Students learn and demonstrate that stories have a beginning, middle and end.
Understanding quotations: Student read a portion of a novel and put the quote in the bubbles showing who said what.
Prediction: Ask students: "What do you think might happen next in the story?
Tour guide: Students create comic strips in which characters ask questions and a tour guide answers, as they travel from place to place. Imagine exploring various countries around the world, ecosystems or biomes.
Sequencing: Students draw a cartoon on a key event from history.
Government/History: Students explain a process like how a bill becomes a law or the presidential election process in cartoon format.
Current events: Ask your students to show their understanding of current events by creating a cartoon or comic strip.
Art: Ask students to design their own character, such as a superhero, or to make a cartoon character of themselves.
Sample Lesson Plan - http://goo.gl/IeAJeB
Features to Consider
Features to consider when choosing a tool for you and/or your students:
Cost, if any
Ease of use
Simplicity versus features
Time to develop a cartoon/comic
Variety of backgrounds, props, etc.
Appropriateness of characters
Character pose-ability and emotion control
Ability to export and file size
Class management features
Software installed versus web-based (web can be access from home!)
Comic Maker HD
Design your own comics with a variety of layouts and characters.
Price: Free
Site: https://goo.gl/P7aWba
Andriod Comic Book App List: https://goo.gl/qNHz46
More Comic Strip Resources
Below are more great resources for using comic strips in education:
Level: 3- 12, College
Here's a rubric I authored that evaluates the form of a student-created comics project. I would suggest that teachers also create a separate rubric for the content of the comics, based on subject-related criteria. I've posted my rubric as a .doc file so that teachers can modify it in any way that they see fit.
The Periodic Table of Comic Books
Level: 9 - 12, College
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.
Level: 5 - 12, College
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.
Level: K - 12
Diamond Comics is America's largest comics distributor. The Diamond Bookshelf is the section of their website specifically dedicated to teachers and librarians. Here you'll find lesson plans, articles, and even some advice about how to catalog your graphic novel collection.
http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/Home/1/1/20/163
Level: 9 - 12, College
This website provides explanations of English-language comic strips to EFL/ESL (English as a foreign language) learners so they can understand and enjoy American humor.
This website offers teachers lesson plans based on specific cartoons that can be filled in and printed.
Encouraging Children to Write, Read, and Tell Stories by Creating Comics
This website offers ways to encourage children to write, read, and tell stories by creating comics.
This is a great resource for cartoons about education.
This site is like a directory packed full of educational cartoon resources. You can find links to lesson plans using cartoons, materials, and much more.
This is one of the most popular cartoon resources in the educational arena
This is a resource of comic strips for kids. It has cartoons for kids of all ages.
This website offer several tips and resources on teaching using comic strips and cartoons.
This site has links to some great resources on teaching using comics. It also has links to lesson plans and classroom activities using cartoons.
Creating Comic Strips with Google
There are many tools available for making comics, but a great one is Google Presentations. Learn how to use Google Presentations, including many of the newest features, for your students (and you) to create online comic strips.
Source: http://goo.gl/St8I10
Digitizing the Writing Workshop - Making Your Own Comics
This site highlights a mini-lesson that was conducted using comics.
