Graphic Novels and Links to the NEW IRP

Graphic Novels and Links to the NEW IRP Navigating English Language Arts in the 21 st Century Susan Ma and Celia Brownrigg

today: l l l Brief history of the form Comics vocabulary, features Ties to the new IRP A closer look Activities Book talk

beginnings Storytelling using art in sequence is a historically old human tradition: • • • Tomb of Menna, Egypt ~1300 BCE Temple reliefs of Borobudur depicting Buddha’s life: Java ~800 CE Picture manuscript of Ocelot’s Claw: Mexico ~1000 CE Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest: England ~1070 CE Manga scrolls depicting whimsy: Japan ~11 th/12 th century CE

modern comics history - west l Rodolphe Töpffer (1799 -1846), Father of the Comic Strip l European & North American socio-political cartoons funnies and comics l Speech! Richard F. Outcault’s The Yellow Kid l Origins of marginalisation; comics ≠ art l The Depression Superman, Batman & the Golden Age

modern comics: growing pains l 1940 s-1970 s: marginalisation, bills to ban, CCA, censorship & association with “the wrong crowd” but readers grow up, and superheroes take flight l Late ‘ 80 s, early ’ 90 s: trailblazers and the creation of some seminal works – CCA losing influence Maus, The Watchmen, Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, Bone, Understanding Comics, Comics & Sequential Art l Will Eisner (1917 -2005), “Graphic Novels”

the here and now l Increased recognition: valid form of literary and artistic quality • KRAZY! KRAZY at the Vancouver Art Gallery l l Academia: used as classroom material as well as points of scholastic study Schools and libraries: literacy, diversity, and embracing opportunities for learning strategies

comics vocabulary: gutter l The gutter is the space between the panels • the grammar of the form. • the “glue” enabling comics’ sequential nature l Controls time, juxtaposition, etc.

panel transitions

inference, meaning-making l What? The phenomenon of observing the parts but perceiving the whole is closure.

not just an “illustrated story”? l In comics, the plot is moved forward equally and independently by both the words and the pictures

Castle Waiting (p. 220) Katie walks into the storeroom with the list. “Coriander, ” she reads to herself, “bet that’s on the top shelf, too. ” She looks up and spies it. “Tsk. Figures!” Screwing up her face, she reaches up and grabs it. “Gods knees…!!” she mutters, as Rackham and Chess appear below. How was her climb?

Castle Waiting (p. 220)

Castle Waiting (p. 220) Katie walks into the storeroom with the list. “Coriander, ” she reads to herself, “bet that’s on the top shelf, too. ” She makes her way across the storeroom to find the shelf with the coriander. She looks up and spies it. “Tsk. Figures!” She climbs up the six-shelf unit and, making sure she won’t fall, stretches out to grab the jar. Screwing up her face, she reaches up and grabs it. “Gods knees…!!” she mutters, as Rackham and Chess appear below. How was her climb?

4 ties to the IRP Terms Enduring Understandings Pedagogical Understandings PLOs

an expanded definition of text: l For purposes of English Language Arts, the term “text” denotes any piece of spoken, written, or visual communication (e. g. , a particular speech, essay, poem, story, poster, play, film). A text may combine oral, written, and/or visual components. Glossary, ELA 8 -12 IRP (Draft)

… text structure: l Text structure is a term that applies to the larger organizing pattern of a complete text, passage or paragraph/stanza. Chronological order, order of importance, and comparison and contrast are examples of text structures. Text structure is an aid to comprehension, since knowing the structure of a sonnet, for example, gives the reader clues about its content. Glossary, ELA 8 -12 IRP (Draft)

Enduring Understanding l Text is a broad term that can encompass all forms of media, people, and art; we can apply similar strategies in our reading of each. l i. e. basic literary terms

simile, metaphor

Enduring Understanding l To grow as readers, writers, and thinkers we have to struggle and persevere with new and challenging ideas and approaches. l It’s time for a paradigm shift …

pedagogical understandings l l Effective readers of any type of text construct meaning using a variety of cognitive strategies. Complex reading and thinking processes such as response, analysis, and synthesis [closure] need to be “unpacked” for students.

PLOs and AIs 8 -10 Students should be able to. . . Strategies (Reading and Viewing) B 6 during reading and viewing, select and use a range of strategies to construct, monitor, and confirm meaning, including inferences and drawing conclusions - differentiating main ideas and supporting details - using text features -determining meaning of unknown words and phrases -self-monitoring and self-correcting l identify graphic and visual cues used to find information and clarify understanding - making ELA 8 -12 IRP (Draft)

Juliet gets ANGRY!!!

PLOs and AIs 10 – 12 Students should be able to. . . l l Purpose (Reading and Viewing) l explain how visual elements (e. g. , line, texture, formatting, layout, colour) create meaning. l compare information from a variety of visual and/or non -visual texts on the same topic (e. g. , historical timeline B 3 view, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of visual texts, such as – broadcast media - websites – graphic novels – film and video - photographs - art – visual components of – student-generated material and plot events; montage and biography) ELA 8 -12 IRP (Draft)

structure, layout, colour = meaning

8 - 12