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Graphic Novels 101

Completed by 15 learners
Ages 8-12
Live Group Course
This isn't your average book club! In this class, readers will dive into graphic novels and learn about elements of these books that will help to improve their comprehension and enjoyment of ANY graphic novel they read! ESL friendly!
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(154 reviews)
Star Educator

Live video meetings
1x per week, 5 weeks
3-8 learners per class
30 min

What's included

5 live meetings
2 hrs 30 mins in-class hours
Homework
1 hour per week. There will not be any assigned homework, but students will be encouraged to read from a graphic novel of their choice between classes and come prepared to share examples of the elements we have learned about. Students might also choose to post pictures of examples they have found on a third-party resource called Padlet, but this will be entirely optional.
Assessment
included

Class Experience

**Please note there is also a Self-Paced version of this class, with pre-recorded videos your learner can watch at any time that works for them,  so if none of the current sections work for your schedule, this could be a great option for you!
https://outschool.com/classes/flex-book-club-graphic-novels-101-x6IUlG7N?usid=nD85Y1ms&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

Graphic novels are perhaps the most popular types of books children are reading 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 writers and illustrators use to tell their stories. We will learn about important vocabulary including panel, foreground, onomatopoeia, enamata, the difference between graphic novels and comics, and much, much more. 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!

Day 1: We will learn the definition of a graphic novel, how they are different than comic books, and how they can be found in any genre. 

Day 2: We will learn some of the important elements of what is seen on the page, including panels, frames, gutters, foreground, background, and graphic weight.

Day 3: Today's focus will be on characters and what we can learn about them from the illustrations and the text. We'll examine facial expressions, hands and feet, body language, and the use of enamata to communicate nonverbal elements. 

Day 4: We will take a close look at the importance of setting; how it is introduced, when it's important and when it's not, how authors let us know it has changed, the role of panel size, and how illustrators communicate concepts of time. 

Day 5: For the last class, our focus will be on the written text itself, the different types of print that are used and what they mean, captions, speech balloons, asterisks and onomatopoeia.

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 Weeks
Lesson 1:
What is a Graphic Novel?
 We'll learn the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book, and take a look at some of the many genres that can be found in graphic novel format. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
The Pages
 We will learn some of the important elements of what is seen on the page, including panels, frames, gutters, foreground, background, and graphic weight. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
The Characters
 Today's focus will be on characters and what we can learn about them from the illustrations and the text. We'll examine facial expressions, hands and feet, body language, and the use of enamata to communicate nonverbal elements. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
The Setting
 We will take a close look at the importance of setting; how it is introduced, when it's important and when it's not, how authors let us know it has changed, the role of panel size, and how illustrators communicate concepts of time. 
30 mins online live lesson

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 to share with each other.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
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

Meet the teacher

Joined July, 2022
5.0
154reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
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

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