SP: Graphic Novels 101
In this Self-Paced course, readers will dive into the world of graphic novels and learn about text features and elements of these books that will help to improve their comprehension and enjoyment of ANY graphic novel they read!
Andrea Dalland, M.Ed, MLS
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What's included
5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1 hour per week. After each lesson, students will be asked to find examples of the elements and vocabulary we learned about in the graphic novels they are reading independently, take pictures of those examples, and post them to share. I always give feedback on any posted work.Class Experience
US Grade 1 - 4
Graphic novels are perhaps the most popular types of books among young readers today, and chances are your learner has already read dozens of them! But fully comprehending and appreciating them requires greater savvy than many readers realize. This course will take students on a deep dive into the graphic novel, teaching them about the variety of elements that authors and illustrators use to tell their stories. Readers will be able to apply their learning immediately, to any graphic novel they read. There are no required texts for this class, readers can bring along any graphic novel they would like as we hunt for and share examples and discuss our noticings as a class. Due to the very visual nature of most of our learning and discussions, this would be the perfect class for any ESL learners or for reluctant or struggling readers! If you are interested in a live version of this class, I try to run a section or two a few times a year. You can find a link to the live version of this class here: https://outschool.com/classes/graphic-novels-101-l7dyRkSx?usid=nD85Y1ms&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
Learning Goals
Students will learn key vocabulary and reading strategies that will help improve and deepen their understanding of stories and characters in graphic novels.
Syllabus
5 Lessons
over 5 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction to Graphic Novels
This lesson will introduce learners to what a graphic novel is, how they are different from regular novels and most importantly, how they are different than comic books. We'll also see examples of some of the different genre types we find graphic novels in and review the differences between those genres (realistic fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, biography, etc.) Lesson 2:
The Parts of a Graphic Novel
This lesson will introduce vocabular specific to what we see in graphic novels; panel, frame, gutter, speech bubble, bleed, foreground, midground and background. We will look at examples of pages from graphic novels to identify these parts and discuss how they impact our reading of the books. Lesson 3:
Characters
This lesson will focus on Characters in particular and how close study of the characters' facial expressions, body positioning and the use of emanata (new vocabulary!) can help us understand what characters are doing, feeling and thinking. Lesson 4:
Setting and Panels
We'll take a closer look at Setting in this lesson, to understand how the use of different size panels and of elements like color and shading can help us understand what's happening in the story and give us important information about the story's setting. Other Details
Supply List
Learners are asked to bring a graphic novel of their choice (or more than one is even better!) as we will be hunting for examples of the elements we are learning.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
The following texts will be referenced in this course. Note that we will not actually read these texts in their entirety, we will be looking at small clips from them to serve as examples of the elements we are studying.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer, Adapted by Michael Moreci, Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, retold by Jacqueline Morley, Illustrated by Penko Gelen
Hazardous Tales: Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale
Friends Forever by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
The Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes by Kate Hannigan and Alex Graudins
Babymouse: Skater Girl by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Battle for the Atlantic: by Gary Jeffrey, illustrated by Terry Riley
Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
Nancy Drew: The Haunted Dollhouse by Stefan Petrucha and Sho Murase, based on the series by Carolyn Keene
The Baby-Sitters Club: Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye by Ann M. Martin, retold by Gabriela Epstein
Big Nate: Aloha! By Lincoln Pierce
Tales of the Dead: Ancient Greece by Stewart Ross
The Titanic Disaster by Adam Stone Illustrated by Tod Smith
Helen Keller: From Darkness to Light by Megumi Sugihara, Illustrated by Naoko Takase
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, retold by Carl Bowen
Joined July, 2022
5.0
144reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from University of Missouri at Columbia
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Calvin College
I have taught units on graphic novel reading and writing for several years in an elementary school setting. Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$6
weekly or $30 for all content5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 52 learners
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Ages: 8-13
