Standard Lesson
The Comic Book Show and Tell
Grades
9 - 12
Lesson Plan Type
Standard Lesson
Estimated Time
Two 50-minute sessions
Publisher
NCTE
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Overview
Certain kinds of texts ask for both descriptive and instructional writing: comic book scripting requires the writer to give the artist detailed, descriptive instructions while also crafting exciting dialogue and otherwise rich language. In this lesson, students encounter an authentic writing experience designed to get them thinking about their choices as writers and how they can best get their mental images out of their head and on the page. After exploring how comic books are made and learning terms and techniques associated with the genre, students write their own comic book scripts. They then pass their script to another student, who draws the script as close to form as possible based on the information the writer provided.
Although students interact with story elements such as plot, character, and setting as well as with the writing process in brainstorming and drafting, the major focus of this activity is on revision.
Featured Resources
Comic Book Primer: This handouts gives an overview of the roles involved in creating a comic book, as well as the parts of a comic book.
Comic Book Scripting Techniques: This handout offers detailed directions and examples of how a comic book is scripted.
Comic Vocabulary Interactive: This online tool offers illustrated definitions of various vocabulary terms associated with the comic book genre.
From Theory to Practice
Moffet says of sensory writing that "Whatever the material, it must already appeal to them [students]" (32). Comics are very popular with students, especially the various Manga series. Moffet recognizes scripting as a "flexible learning means that can very effectively teach many aspects of writing and discourse-more than teachers yet appreciate" (46). Teacher still need help recognizing the educational value of comics as well, so this activity can help educate every member of the classroom. Most comics today are produced via the DC Comics-style or "full script" style, where a writer completes a full script and then passes the work along to the visual artists. As well, Moffet asserts that "Practical tryouts remain for all scripts the best entrance into discussion and revision" (54), so we have a formula for an authentic writing activity that really packs a punch. Pow!
Further Reading
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
- 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
- 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
- 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Printouts
- Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Text Containers
- Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Layout & Design
- Comic Vocabulary Definitions and Examples: Angles
- Comic Strip Planning Sheet
- Comic Book Primer
- Comic Book Scripting Techniques
- Sample Comic Script and Visual Interpretation from Cedric the Dragon Slayer
Websites
Preparation
- To compile a collection of comic books for this activity, check with your school and public libraries. In addition, you may want to ask local comic shops if they have any backstock from Free Comic Book Day. They are often eager to give these issues away. Be sure to preview the selections to make sure they are classroom-appropriate. This lesson uses Ultimate Spider-Man #1, but copies may be hard to find in bulk. The best strategies to make sure titles are suitable for the classroom are to ask a sales clerk to help you identify appropriate titles and to actually read through the comics. Picking up a few extra comics can come in handy later in the lesson when it is time to model page and panel layout. Most stores have quarter bins, boxes of comics selling for 25 cents each), which can provide inexpensive models and examples for students to explore. Graphic Novels: Resources for Teachers and Librarians is also a useful place to find information about comics suitable for your students.
- Ask students to read a comic book for homework to help activate their prior knowledge for the next day's workshop. Ultimate Spider Man #1 is a good choice.
- Decide the amount of detail to discuss in your exploration of comic book style. You may choose to include Text, Layout & Design, and Angles; or you may limit your discussion with the class to one or two of the areas. The handouts duplicate the information available in the Comic Vocabulary interactive. Use the option which is best for your class.
- To simplify the discussion of examples from the comics that students read as a class, you may want to make overheads of some pages from the books. This process will allow all students to look at the same elements and better ensure that the class follows the discussion.
- Test the Comic Vocabulary interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.
Student Objectives
Students will
- draft a comic book script based on a general prompt (e.g., A super hero saves the day!).
- explore basic information about comics and comic book writing.
- create the page layout and images of a peer's comic book script, based on the detail and description in the script.
- edit the first drafts of their scripts upon seeing how well the artists were able to match their visuals with the visions the writers had in their head as they initially composed the script.
- share their revised scripts with classmates and discuss how the drafts differed.
Session One
- Review ways that writers make their works interesting, descriptive, and detailed, via a running list of strategies/words on the board or overhead. Students may offer such strategies as adjectives, adverbs, time phrases, giving locations, discussing setting, mentioning the weather, characters' clothing, and characters' emotions.
- Discuss the comic book that students read for homework. Ask students to make connections to the brainstormed list of ways that authors make works interesting.
- Using the Comic Book Primer, help students identify the various people involved in comic book production and the parts of a comic book.
- After that discussion, explain that students will get the chance to become comic book writers.
- Use the Comic Vocabulary interactive to provide examples and additional information on the parts of comic books, or allow students to explore the interactive independently. If computers are not available, use the Comic Vocabulary Definitions sheets on Text, Layout & Design, and Angles.
- Identify additional examples of various types of page layout and comic book techniques, using the comic read for homework and other comics.
- Note that some pages are splash pages (one large panel taking up the whole screen) while other pages might have a series of smaller, rectangular closed panels (all the action is in the 4 borders), and others might have open panels (panels with less than 4 borders or maybe none at all), overlapping panels, or even panels in which the action seems to spill out of the borders.
- Pass out the Comic Book Scripting Techniques and Sample Script.
- Explore the parts of a script with the class by pointing to the examples on the Script that demonstrate the Scripting Techniques.
- Identify the requirements for students' scripts, using the handouts to point to necessary elements.
- Discuss the difference between comic strips and comic books.
- Comics strips are usually self-contained "gags" or jokes and most-often run in series of three rectangular panels.
- Comic books run 20 pages or more in length, may be self-contained or part of an ongoing storyline, and vary in their panel layout from page to page based on the action of the story. For instance, a scene at the dinner table may be composed of nice, rectangular panels whereas a battle scene may use dynamic, off-centered panels to denote action and movement.
- Comics strips are usually self-contained "gags" or jokes and most-often run in series of three rectangular panels.
- Explain scripting techniques to students, including page layout and panel design. Refer to the Scripting Handout for useful teaching and background information.
- Ask students to write their own comic book scripts using a general prompt, such as one of the following:
- A superhero wakes up to bad news coming from the alarm clock and must save the day!
- A teenager discovers s/he has a super power at an embarrassing time.
- Someone gets bitten by a glowing animal/struck by an odd beam/exposed to radiation/discovers a strange object. Later the person develops strange powers.
- A team of super heroes is meeting to discuss how to stop the latest menace.
- A superhero wakes up to bad news coming from the alarm clock and must save the day!
- Set a "deadline" (20 minutes) so students get the feeling of working under pressure, just as real comic writers do.
- After the deadline has passed, collect the scripts to be used in the following session.
Session Two
- Explain that the scripts from the previous session will be redistributed, and writers will now become artists: drawing the script as close to form as possible based on the information the writer provided.
- Suggest that this will be a silent time in the classroom, because many times artists and writers might be miles apart from one another and communication can be tough. This aspect will help to give a more realistic feeling to this activity.
- After a drawing time of about 20 minutes, ask students to pass their drawings and the scripts back to the original writer.
- Invite writers to evaluate how clear, descriptive and detailed their scripts were based on how well the artists' visions matched the writers' initial vision.
- For homework, ask students to revise their scripts for clarity, detail, and description, to help a future artist better represent their visions. If desired, ask students to expand their scripts to five comic book pages in their revised drafts. The Comic Strip Planning Sheet can be used as a tool to help students revise.
Extensions
- Use the Comic Creator to discuss the parts of comic books that are outlined on the Comic Book Primer and/or the Comic Vocabulary interactive.
- Ask the class to use their new knowledge to create a rubric or set of guidelines for creating a comic book script (in this manner, the now experienced writers and artists get to do the jobs of editors and editors-in-chief!). Allow students the chance to revise their scripts in light of the class-created rubric before assessing the work.
Student Assessment / Reflections
- For formal assessment, allow adequate time for students to revise their drafts. Ideally, ask students to extend their drafts to at least five comic book pages in revision so that they have ample opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of clear, descriptive language. Grade finished drafts on their extension from the first draft and completion. Focus in particular on the draft's use of clear, accurate, descriptive, and detailed writing that shows (illustrates) and tells (directs).
- For more open-ended and reflective assessment, ask students to journal on the differences between their two scripts or on the process they used to make their revised script more detailed. If desired, do a think-pair-share, and ask students to discuss what they learned about revision and the writing process.
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