Literature and Image: Meaning at the Intersection of Word and Image

 What is the relationship between text and image?  How do we use graphic novels to help students improve analytical skills?  How can we equip students with the skills necessary to interpret graphic novels? Questions to Explore

 Teachers had trouble engaging students in an English 9 writing class because of language  Mostly new immigrants who had a low level of written English Frey and Fisher, a Summary

 Teachers decided it was their goal to use popular culture in order to build on students’ multiple literacies in the hopes of making them successful in the course (cont.)

Goal was to do this through employing alternative genres, such as graphic novels, manga and anime What do you all think? Do you think it worked? Using Other Media

 Teachers noted that students became really engaged with the stories and were able to make meaning of the stories because the visual illustrations allowed students to discuss how the authors conveyed mood and tone through the images (and not only the text) Results

 understand mood and tone  interpret them in their own way  think of them on a philosophical level  write their own stories on similar themes What do we Mean by Meaning?

After spending time reading some graphic novels, the culminating project that students had to complete wastheir own 'graphic novel'. They had to create a text with accompanying photos or pictures in order to create their own 'illustrated story Creative Project

Conclusion The culminating project was a success! Mean sentence length on average increased, dialogue was used nearly across the board, and more sophisticated word choice. In the teachers' own words: " These forms of popular culture and provided a visual vocabulary of sorts for scaffolding writing techniques, particularly dialogue, tone and mood". Students also became "more knowledgeable and better consumers of ideas and information".

Graphic Novels and Literary Analysis “Close reading” analytical skills are transferrable across various literacies

Graphic Novels and Literary Analysis “Close reading” analytical skills are transferrable across various literacies We need to equip students with some literary “tools” so that they can engage with visual media on a deeper, more meaningful level

Activity Half the class will have a page from The Watchmen with no text in the speech bubbles. You will be filling in the text. Half the class will have the words from the speech bubbles in The Watchmen. You will be illustrating the panels.

Discussion Questions 1)What processes/strategies did you use to make meaning of the text/image?

Discussion Questions 2) Looking at the actual page and the differences from your interpretations, how do the text and image work together to make meaning on the page?

Discussion Questions 3) What are some obstacles / challenges (including political / ideological) you may come across in using graphic novel / visual media in the classroom? What are some considerations of “legitimacy” that may arise?