Name:_Robert Dylan Greenwood_ Date:_July 16, 2004_ Age/Grade Level:_3-5_

Subject:__Art / Literature__ # of Students: __15 to 20_ # of IEP Students:_____

Major content:Writing_ Unit Title: Comic Strip Book Reports______

Goals and Objectives-

Students will accomplish the following:

- Compare and contrast different backgrounds, shapes, colors, expressions, and literary elements.

- Describe how different expressive features of illustrations and organizational principles of comic strip frames cause different responses.

- Critique comic strips using selected literary elements, illustrations, and ideas to communicate meaning.

- Identify connections between using comic strips in lieu of book reports to summarize a story/idea.

- Show understanding of a story through its retelling in comic strip form

- Identify major plot points and important quotations in a story

- Discuss different responses to each comic strip.

Connections-

AH-E-4.1.32

Art elements - line, shape, form, texture, and color (primary and secondary hues) and color groups (warm, cool, neutral)

AH-E-4.1.33

Principles of design - organization of visual compositions: emphasis (focal point), pattern, balance (symmetry), contrast (light/dark)

AH-E-4.1.39

Analyze how an artist uses various media and processes to communicate meaning in a work of art. (1.13, 2.23)

AH-E-4.2.35

Recognize that artists choose to express themselves in different styles and subject matters. (2.23, 2.24, 2.25, 2.26)

RD-E-1.0.8

Describe characters, plot, setting, and problem/solution of a passage.

RD-E-4.0.8

Explain why the correct sequence is important.

Context-

Students will read and evaluate the comic strips and see these artistic creations as both an artistic and literary form of storytelling. Students will learn about the various artistic and literary techniques that comic strips use and that are use in other artistic and literary mediums such as color, shading, mood, focus, shapes, quotations, captions, conflict, and resolution.

Students will create a comic strip book report that shows an understanding of the characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution of their assigned book through the techniques employed in the comic strip medium. Students will demonstrate an understanding of storytelling and artistic techniques as modes of expression.

Resources-

Procedures-

Day 1

Create and display an overhead of various comic strips and query students to discuss as a whole group the literary elements of the various comic strips (setting, point of view, summary, and literary style).

Query students to discuss the illustrations of each comic strip as a whole group. Focus on character expressions, backgrounds, use of shapes (notice how figures look square, rectangular, circular, oval, triangular), color (notice the use of primary colors, tertiary colors, shading, and how color can create figures), the proportions of figures, and the borders of the strips' frames. Compare and contrast the illustrations and the words used to communicate meaning.

Have students compare and contrast various comic strips that use different styles and techniques. How does color and shading set a mood? Why is the background color important?

How does the artist use quotations and captions?

Reorganize the frames of a comic strip. Query students to discuss as a whole class: "Is the meaning the same? Is sequential order important?"

Day 2

Students obtain white paper and pencils for practice. Using the overhead projector, draw basic shapes (square, rectangle, circle, oval, and triangle) and create simple figures using these basic shapes (use a square to create a house; use a rectangle to create a truck; use a circle for a teddy bear; an oval for a pig; a triangle for trees). Students practice the same or similar ideas on their paper.

Draw basic lines on the overhead projector (thick, thin, straight, curved, and jagged) and create simple figures using these basic lines (as borders for each frame, a mountainside image, or a skyline image). Students practice the same or similar ideas on their paper.

Demonstrate the use of colored pencils, markers, and crayons to create figures utilizing only the primary colors and black and white for shading purposes.

Have students create their own 4-6 frame comic strip that retells their favorite story

Day 3

Have students discuss as a group their 4-6 frame comic strips. Students will identify style and techniques that students chose to use and explain why they might have made that choice. Students will also evaluate the retelling of the story.

Do we feel like we have an understanding of the story even if we never read the actually story? Does the student leave out anything important or put too much focus on a minor element of the story?

Students will discuss the possibility of doing book reports in comic strip form instead of essay form. Explain that there are going to create a comic strip book report and assign each student a book.

Students will identify 6 to 8 of the most important events (main plot points) as well as 3 to 5 of the most important quotations in the story. Explain to the students that they should read the story through once and then go back and find the most important events and quotations.

Day 4

Students will begin by revisiting their work from day 3 and ask these questions: Do these events retell the story in sequential order? How might the quotations help me retell the story? Students will then decide how to retell their story in a 6 to 8 frame comic strip.

Display an overhead for students that explains the comic strip requirements, as follows:

a. Name and date on the back.

b. Choose and use one point of view.

c. Frames must be sequential and summarize an idea or scene.

d. Four different types of shapes per comic strip frame.

e. Two different types of lines per comic strip frame.

f. One caption or direct quotation per comic strip frame.

g. Connections between frame meanings, words, and illustrations.

h. Use of only the primary colors and black and white for shading.

i. Backgrounds must be completely colored in (no paper color showing within each frame).

Demonstrate for students how to fold paper into 6 or 8 frames. Words and illustrations should be completed prior to coloring the frames.

Have students create their own comic strip based upon the previous requirements.

Day 5

In groups of 4-5, students will share and critique each other's comic strip (what are the settings, summaries, points of view, literary styles, character expressions, backgrounds, use of colors, shapes, etc.) Students also respond to what they like or dislike about each comic strip. Students choose a recorder to take notes from the group discussion. Students choose a speaker to talk in front of the class about each comic strip. Each group displays their comic strips and speaks about their evaluations of their peers' work.

Student Assessment-