The document outlines an agenda for a workshop on introducing graphic novels and comic life. It includes times for introductions, presentations on graphic novels and turning student writing into graphic novels using comic life software. It details helping students storyboard and create their own graphic novels on iPads throughout the workshop, then sharing and collecting projects at the end. Students will complete two graphic novels, one before and after winter break, reflecting on social studies curriculum and addressing a driving question.

1. Introduction to Graphic Novels/Comic Life
Voices In History
December 4, 2010
Agenda
9-9:15 – Welcome, housekeeping and introductions
9:15-9:30 - Check in
9:30-9:45 - The Graphic Novel and Visual Literacy Presentation
● What’s the story behind the image and how does the presentation of the image make the message
compelling?
● What is a graphic novel?
● What are the elements that make up a graphic novel/comic?
9:45-10:00 - Turning Student Writing Into a Graphic Novel
● Content: Student writing piece
○ Create Driving Question for your graphic novel to explore
○ Include factual information that addresses the question
○ Include clear introduction and a clear conclusion
● Form: Comic Book/Graphic Novel using Comic Life software
● Genre: Non-Fiction or Historical Fiction
● Composition: Putting it all together
○ Write script from narrative
○ Selecting images to move the story forward
○ Storyboard to create blueprint for your graphic novel
10:00 - 10:15 - Gathering and Organizing Images
● Use copyright-friendly images
● Rename image files to reflect content
● Organize images in an asset folder on the desktop
● Populate storyboard with image file names
10:15-11:00 - Creating Your Storyboard -Independent Work
● Brainstorm with colleagues to develop a driving question
● Work with project planning sheets
● Populate storyboard with script and images
11:00-11:30 - Introduction to Comic Life
● Overview of the Interface
○ Library
○ Details
● Six basic elements of a graphic novel
○ Page
○ Panel
○ Picture
○ Caption
○ Speech Balloon
○ Comic Lettering

2. ● Saving and embedding Your Graphic Novel on your blog
● Do’s and Don’t of a graphic novel
11:30- 12:00 - Creating Your Graphic Novel - Independent Work
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 - Completing Your Graphic Novel - Independent Work
2:00 - 2:30 - Share-out and collection of projects - Save as a Movie project and upload to Host site.
2:30- 2:45 - Take-away
● Students will complete two graphic novels, including storyboards reflecting planning process: one
before Winter Break and one after the break , content reflecting social studies curriculum and
addressing driving question
● Continue gathering assets (images) for your next social studies unit and use the blog to upload images
and elicit student responses.
● Bring in exemplary student graphic novel and storyboard for conversion to a still-image movie
● Show a sample of upcoming project
2:45 - 3:00 Check Out and Closing Evaluation
○ Driving Question:
● Students assume the role of an individual from the time period being taught (based on your curriculum)
● Students will write a reflective journal in the first person, over a two week period via the comment
section of the post in their individual blog category
● Journal entries should be sequential and relate to the time and events as they unfold
● Students will comment to 2-3 of their peers’ journal entries using the “@” and the comment area
● Students will generate questions to ask the featured figures from history and post their questions to the
blog