1. Meaningful Texts Comic Books, Graphic Novels and Picture Books

2. Today We Will: Look at the potential comic books and graphic novels have in the classroom Discuss learning strategies involved with using visual printed media and Language Arts View samples of graphic novels and comics

3. Comic Books Comic books as a medium began around the turn of the last century Gained a surge of popularity in the 30s and during WWII Lost popularity during the late 40s. Re-surged to mainstream popularity in the 60s Today are a multimedia juggernaut with movies, TV shows and of course printed media

4. The Benefits of Using Comic Books Great for struggling readers, as the pictures help them follow the text Are finished faster than novels, giving a sense of accomplishment Usually action-packed, very good at keeping attention

5. Are All Comics about Super-heroes? Nope. The range of subject matter in comics is just as diverse as TV or movies. You’ve likely seen a show based on comic book property and didn’t even realize it was based on a comic book

6. It’s easy! How Do I Use Comic Books in Class?

7. Sample Activities for Comic Books For Reading/Writing: Have a shelf of comic books available for students. (Check your local comic shop to see if they have left over Free Comic Book Day Samples) Use Graphic Novels as source material for reading projects Use single pages (cut out) as a prompt for writing/story-telling Students could be asked to write a description of the action in the comic book Cross-Curricular There are many comics that use history as a source (including some by local artists!) – Social Studies There are comics that focus on science and learning (easy to find through the library) - Science Sport comics – Physical Education Being a drawn medium, fits perfectly with Fine Art - Art

8. Some samples: At your table are some sample comic books and graphic novels. These cover a wide range of ages.

9. To Sum Up: Comic books are a great way to get kids reading. There are TONS of activities you can do with comics. Comic books are culturally relevant and a great way to stimulate imaginations. Kids of all ages can benefit from reading comics.