Some tips, tricks, and warnings about using Cartoons, Comic Books and Graphic Novels in the secondary classroom, featuring "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang.
10. Why use Graphic Novels?
Can help promote
complex reading
skills
Can play a role
similar to children’s
literature
11. Why use Graphic Novels?
Point of reference
to bridge what
students already
know with what they
have yet to learn
Making inferences
from pictures + text
Transfer this skill to
lessen the challenge
of a new book
12. Why use Graphic Novels?
Use as another kind of pop
culture
• Can address curriculum
standards
• Motivate students to
learn
• Enhance learning
• Provide additional
opportunities for those
who struggle with
literacy tasks
13. What makes it a Graphic Novel?
Structure
• Beginning, middle, end
• Climax
Character
• Main character develops
through conflicts
Artwork
• Text is both written and
visual
• Each picture aids in
interpretation of the text
14. Graphic Novel as a Tool
“For students who lack the ability to visualize as
they read, it provides a graphic sense that
approximates what good readers do as they
read.”
“ …it provides an excellent way for reluctant
writers to communicate a story that has a
beginning, middle and end.”
“…easy for the students to look at a short comic
strip and identify story elements.”
-- Rachael Sawyer Perkins
15. Graphic Novels as a Tool
“The brain…is a meaning-maker, constantly
searching for patterns, connecting bits of
new information to old, fashioning wholes
from parts and parts from wholes. It’s also
shamelessly self-centered. The brain makes
sense of the world in terms of personal
learner needs.”
-- Stephen Cary
16. Other ways to use Graphic Novels
Use wordless
graphic novels to
teach dialogue,
characterization,
voice and other
literary functions
17.
18. Other ways to use Graphic Novels
Emphasize critical
literacy – analyze,
read, and understand
the motive of the
author and accuracy
of the reading
19. Other ways to use Graphic Novels
Students are more capable
of understanding complex
issues than they’re capable
of accessing traditional
texts.
Graphic novels can reduce
cognitive load, while still
portraying sophisticated
concepts.
20. Using Graphic Novels
They give the teacher an opportunity to
bring youth culture into the classroom.
We care about their interests
- They contribute something of value
- Students see us as fellow learners
(their ability to read these texts usually
exceeds that of the teacher)
-
21. Things to watch out for…
Adaptations
They should be used as supplements, not
replacements for the original text.
22. Things to watch out for…
Superheroes
• Most superhero graphic novels assume the
reader has encyclopedic knowledge
• Are more implausible than “real world”
graphic novels
• Characters might be well-known through
movies or other media
23. Things to watch out for…
The same tools you use for analyzing
other literature can (and should) be
used for graphic novels
- Graphic Organizers
- Character Maps
- Sequencing
- Webs
- Compare/Contrast
24. Things to watch out for…
Content
•
•
•
•
Language
Violence
Sex
Alignment to curriculum
27. American Born Chinese
How does the structure of American Born
Chinese impact the reader?
How would the structure influence how
you might teach the novel?
31. American Born Chinese
How does the artwork underscore the
message of the text?
How would a different style of artwork
change the book?
32. Conclusions
Graphic Novels and Comics are seeing a
surge in popularity among young
readers, and can be a powerful tool with
students
Gaining academic acceptance is an uphill
battle with parents and some
administrators
Don’t sacrifice rigor because “it’s only a
comic book”