Graphic Novels FTW

I'm going to start this process by being brutally honest... the only experience I really had reading comics growing up was through the newspaper; specifically on Sunday, when the comic strips were printed in... 😲color ðŸ˜². Garfield, Pearls before Swine, Peanuts, you name it. And while I grew up seeing some of my classmates checking out Dragon Ball Z and Marvel comics when our English class would take our weekly trip down to the library, I never had the desire to pick one up for myself. I mean, they were for boys, right? My friends and I were perfectly happy with our drama-filled series that had, maybe, a handful of pictures throughout to mark the end of a chapter. Ironically, it wasn't until college that I started exploring YA graphic novels, and let's just say, it's been all love since. Well, maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. But I have come to appreciate the engaging, multimodal experience that graphic novels provide for adolescent readers and, through my research this semester, want to explore how I can incorporate them into my ELA classroom. The sophomores I am working with at Bay View High School right now can't seem to get enough of this genre, and I definitely feel like I need to catch up with them. 

I am specifically interested in seeing how graphic novels can enhance students' literacy skills and engagement with literature in the classroom. I noticed that the English department at my current placement has graphic versions of beloved novels available for their students to read, and I am curious about how reading these versions either change or enhance students' reading experience and understanding of the story. A couple examples that I already have in mind to potentially compare are Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Will images provide additional avenues for comprehension that words alone can't provide? How do images support a reader's understanding of the character's emotions and the author's intended tone? I also want to get some more insight from experts in the field on whether graphic novels could be the future of secondary ELA literature instruction, or if this is just a fad that will die out.                                                                  

Here are some resources I have gathered as I begin my quest to hopefully one day provide students with a rich opportunity to explore what some would deem a "non-traditional" form of reading in my ELA classroom: 















Comments

  1. Rebecca StemwellSeptember 22, 2022 at 5:52 PM

    I love this topic! Especially being an art teacher, I love the graphics! I'm excited to read more about your topic and what you find. It would be cool to find if the art can influence the reading experience for students in this as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Logan KohlhagenSeptember 25, 2022 at 6:34 PM

    Hey Kelly! I've also noticed how gaga most my students are over graphic novels as opposed to regular books. I anticipate when we get into Romeo & Juliet that we will end up using, at least partially, the graphic novel version of the play. I wonder if this will make Shakespeare go down easier. Looking forward to reading what you come up with.
    -Logan

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  3. Candance Doerr-Stevens (a.k.a. "dancing stylus")October 13, 2022 at 12:27 PM

    Oh, graphic novels are yummy texts indeed, and on so many levels. I look forward to seeing what texts you gather for your students to read/view on this topic.

    ReplyDelete

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