Graphic Novels and Links to the NEW IRP

Navigating English Language Arts in the 21st Century

Susan Ma and Celia Brownrigg

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

beginningsStorytelling 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 ~11th/12th century CE

modern comics history - west Rodolphe Töpffer (1799-1846), Father of the Comic

Strip

European & North American socio-political cartoons funnies and comics

Speech! Richard F. Outcault’s The Yellow Kid

Origins of marginalisation; comics ≠ art

The Depression Superman, Batman & the Golden Age

modern comics: growing pains 1940s-1970s: marginalisation, bills to ban, CCA,

censorship & association with “the wrong crowd” but readers grow up, and superheroes take flight

Late ‘80s, early ’90s: 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

Will Eisner (1917-2005), “Graphic Novels”

the here and now Increased recognition: valid form of literary and

artistic quality•KRAZYKRAZY! at the Vancouver Art Gallery

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: guttergutter The gutter is the space between the

panels• the grammar of the form.• the “glue” enabling comics’ sequential nature

Controls time, juxtaposition, etc.

panel transitions

inference, meaning-making What? The phenomenon of observing the

parts but perceiving the whole is closure.

not just an “illustrated story”?

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: 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: 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

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.

i.e. basic literary terms

simile, metaphor

Enduring Understanding

To grow as readers, writers, and thinkers we have to struggle and persevere with new and challenging ideas and approaches.

It’s time for a paradigm shift …

pedagogical understandings 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)

B6 during reading and viewing, select and use a range of strategies to construct, monitor, and confirm meaning, including

- making 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

identify graphic and visual cues used to find information and clarify understanding

ELA 8-12 IRP (Draft)

Juliet gets ANGRY!!!

PLOs and AIs 10 – 12 Students should be able to . . .

Purpose (Reading and Viewing)

B3 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

explain how visual elements (e.g., line, texture, formatting, layout, colour) create meaning.

compare information from a variety of visual and/or non-visual texts on the same topic (e.g., historical timeline and plot events; montage and biography)

ELA 8-12 IRP (Draft)

structure,layout,colour

= meaning

8 - 12

activity #1 Images are used as symbols Just as in prose text, objects carry value

as: • allusion• motif• symbol• etc.

AppleApple

So. Graphic novels: what’s the appeal?

Viewer identification is a speciality of cartooning:

Amplification through simplification.

amplification through simplification in language Linguistics = set denotation

Susan Ma – young woman – woman – human

Bone, Tintin

in the gutter, across the panels… juxtaposition manipulation of time as a narrative

device • Flashback• Compression• Decompression

• How is your reading effected?• What mood or other effects are created?• Why did the teller make this choice? What purpose

does it serve the telling of the story?

content ≠ form Don’t mistake the

message for the messenger

check out online…We will post online: a list of great and useful pro-ref as well as our bibliography and this PowerPoint

www.bctela.ca cbrownrigg@vsb.bc.ca suema@gmail.com Realitythroughlanguage.edublogs.org

Image sources (not including book covers) “Apple.” http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/. Accessed October 20th, 2008. “Batman and Robin t-shirt.” http://www.myteespot.com/Ka-Pow-Batman-DC- Comics-

Photo-Sheer-T-shirt-p-10467.html. Accessed October 20th, 2008. “Bone Reading” http://www.boneville.com/gallery/?file=ComicCovers/Cover

%20Poster.11.jpg. Accessed October 20th, 2008. Castellucci, Cecil. The Plain Janes. New York: DC Comics, 2007. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. Moore, Allan and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: DC Comics, 1986, 1987. Moore, Allan and Eddie Campbell. From Hell. Marietta, GA: 1989, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004. “Punk is not Ded.” http://ferdyonfilms.com/2008/01/persepolis-2007.php. Accessed

October 20th, 2008. Seven Sons. Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. Melbourne: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2006. Talbot, Bryan. The Tale of One Bad Rat. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Books, 1994,1995. Winick, Judd. Pedro and Me. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2000.