Do you use graphic novels (book-length comics) with your students?

Reading, writing and ESL/ESOL Colleagues,

In this recent International Literacy Association online article by Lauren Barack,  Marika McCoola, an illustrator, educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of Baba Yaga's Assistant., is  reported to argue that graphic novels and comics can be an effective literacy tool for English language learners because "the images provide contextual clues while also introducing visual culture.”  Do you agree? Do you use graphic novels with your students? If so, how and when do you use them? Do you use hard copy or online versions? Have you developed a lesson that incorporates (part of) an online graphic novel?

You can find a long list of online graphic novels at this Free Library of Philadelphia Graphic Novels page .

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Integrating Technology group

 

 

 

Comments

David, as most here know from reading my past comments on this topic, I am an avid supporter graphic novels and comics as alternative ways to engage learners in the reading and writing process.

I learned to read in Portuguese first, in school. I don’t remember anyone teaching me how to read in English, my home language. I think I taught myself through well-illustrated fairy tales and many English-written comic books that made their way to Brazil as I was growing up. I was glued to both venues, and I remember hiding comic books in a large bible that I was supposed to be reading on a daily basis… :)

As a college ESL teacher, I used to white out a number of Sunday strips from the newspaper, xerox handouts, and have students fill in the words. Now, of course, graphic novels at all levels abound and there are many comic-strip creators for students to develop, including our own  Bill Zimmerman’s MakeBeliefsComix.com.

You said  ”the images provide contextual clues while also introducing visual culture.  Do you agree?” I’m sure that it is true that some people don’t require or want visual clues. Vive la differénce culturel! However, it is a well-known fact that many beginning readers in the U.S. and elsewhere have not connected to what they read because they didn't  find themselves represented in what they read. Fortunately,  graphic novels now include a huge variety of people of all ages, beliefs, gender, neighborhoods, colors, dress codes, and living choices that provide ample choices to connect readers to content.

In my next life, I want to be an illustrator! Thanks for opening the discussion and sharing great resources. Leecy

Leecy Wise, Moderator
LINCS Reading and Writing CoP

Hi David, 

It depends on the background of the class.  I love using children's books, leveled readers, graphic novels, etc.  However, I have learned that there is a lot about reading a graphic novel that is culture-specific.  If I have students who have low levels of literacy in L1, then I generally avoid the graphic novel-style option until I introduce it.  One great way to introduce it is the readers that accompany the We Are New York series.  I then have non-text-dependent material (the video) and I can use that to support the transfer to the written word with the print novela that takes clips from the video we watched together.  

I also love to use political cartoons, especially for the first class of the new calendar year.  I love hunting for new ones to include every year, but, sadly, some of them can just be recycled year after year after year.  

Thanks for this topic!
Glenda

Thanks for mentioning the We Are New York website and instructional materials, Glenda. I've drawn on these materials for years. The videos and accompanying lesson plans and student handouts, including the picture stories are fantastic.

I'd love to hear how instructors are using these.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP

 

Glenda, helping native- and non-native English speakers work with political cartoons is a great contribution to helping them handle HSE exams and to think critically. 

To find free royalty-free images, including political cartoons, I often start with Google images. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, I enter the term (s) I want to find and click on Images to see those listed. There are tabs at the top that classify how images are shown. I then click on Settings from the Menu and select Advanced Search. Once Advanced Search is open, I scroll down to Usage Rights (last option) and select the rights I want, usuallyt the most open license:  “Free to share and modify even commercially. Once all of those images are posted, I still go to the site that publishes the image just to be sure.

I strongly support the use of Open Educational Resources on Creative Commons.  A search there on political cartoons brought up several lesson plans that encourage students to become adept in thinking that way. Thanks for bringing in the topic! Leecy