That Time I Used a Comic Book to Teach Writing
- Cameron Castaneda
- Dec 3, 2018
- 2 min read
Comics are a thing. They are huge! Even with the passing of Stan Lee, I don't see it going away any time soon. Between the Incredibles and the countless DC and Marvel dynasties, comics have made a huge comeback. In the summer, I get to teach a writing enrichment course titled, "Fantasy Fiction" where young writers don't earn a grade and writing is for the love of writing. Sounds idyllic. And it is.
The Materials- The first thing I had to do was get my hands on comics. Mentor texts are essential. Students needed opportunities to analyze how the text is organized and the author's moves. I also used short passages from (don't judge me) Captain Underpants. If I may digress, Dave Pilkey has an incredible personal story of his experiences with school, drawing, and designing comics. He uses some really excellent vocabulary, suspense, and dialogue. If you have reluctant readers, it's a great place to start. There are so many conversations to be had about frames and organization. Students need to carefully consider how to lay out their book.
The Beginning- We started with a Superhero trash can. I cut up miniature pictures that told a narrative but could also be inferred. This was the opening, my hook. In rotations, students discussed the clues and recorded their findings. Walking around the room, I heard different theories and they used the evidence that was collected to validate their point of view.
This brings me to my next part. The Lessons. Because I only have a limited time in this class (3 weeks) everything needed to be expedited and condensed. Using short frames and short close reading was ideal. It is perfect for teaching dialogue because that is the foundation of the story telling. This is also the opportunity to teach onomatopoeia and word choice. One of first lessons of the unit is teaching the hero cycle and we read origin stories for Batman and Spider man. We created a setting with descriptive language and what superhero doesn't need a headquarters. The developed their superhero and their villain using characterization. Students layered in the conflict and embedded suspenseful language.
The Extras- We watched Dave Pilkey do a demo on flip-o-rama and they practiced using the sunlight on the windows. Also we learned about Pop Art and they colored a page for their comic using the style of Roy Lichtenstein.
Other Considerations- Students had a writing buddy that met regularly to discuss their writing process and plot. Additionally, I met with individual students to conference and offer suggestions.
The Outcome- The possibilities are countless. Tweet me how you use comics in the classroom.
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