L6+Martin+Karin

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION LESSON PLAN FORMAT
 * UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON

Teacher’s Name:** Ms. Martin **Date of Lesson:**
 * Grade Level:** 6-8 **Topic:** Comic Books

__**Objectives**__

 * Student will understand that** the choice of narrative elements can be used as tools to create meaning in a narrative.
 * Student will know** how to identify and use narrative elements and provide definitions for each.
 * Student will be able to** assume the role of an author and develop a narrative.

__**Maine Learning Results Alignment**__
English Language Arts - B. Writing B2. Narrative Grades 6-8 Students will write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections. b. Develop characters.


 * Rationale:** Students will be applying their knowledge of narrative writing by creating a short comic book that conveys complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections.

__**Assessment**__
The formative assessment for this lesson will consist of me, pacing the room and checking in with students for progress and understanding. I will ask them questions to make sure they understand and are on the right track with their comic books. I will also be asking them where they are going with their comic books to make sure that they are on the right track and are not forgetting the elements of the comic book genre (plot, hero, villain, etc.). Students will have the chance to ask me questions and seek me out for help, both with the software and the assignment itself. It is very important that the students understand both because their performance task is based on this lesson.
 * Formative**

The small summative assessment for this lesson will be the vocabulary test that I will give the students at the end of the second day of this lesson. This will basically consist of the students providing a basic definition of each word that was in their vocabulary list at the beginning of the unit. I will be checking that this unit has really gotten them to understand the basic meaning of these crucial narrative elements. The big summative assessment for this lesson will be the comic life product that they will make in this lesson. This is just an introduction to Comic Life, to get them used to the software and controls and process of creating a comic book before their final performance task that will take place just after this lesson. The students will be graded on their completion of the task, their focus, the writing process, if they incorporated the basic comic book genre into their narrative story (heroes and villains, etc.), and if they used Comic Life and how they understood or sought understanding during the process of creating the comic book.
 * Summative**

__**Integration**__
__Technology__: The technology that I chose to integrate into this lesson is Comic Life. This software allows students to create their own, professional comic books. I like this software because there is no other method out there that allows students to create such a professional and real-looking comic book product. In this way, the students are able to feel as if they are really comic book writers, which is the point of this lesson.

__Art__: Students must incorporate images into their comic books.

__Groupings__
Students will work in the "Numbered Heads Together" collaborative groups when learning about comic book elements. They will be numbered, and each number is given a different question to research. When I call a given number, whoever has that number must share the information he or she has gathered on that topic. The topic will be something related to comic books. I will have them research the topics of heroes and heroines, villains, comic book format, plot progression (timing), and Lingo. In this way, there will be 5 groups that will report on the topic they were assigned. The groups will be formed by using the seasons groupings that were assigned at the beginning of the year. I will pick Spring partners, and I will tell them to get together with another Spring pair.

__**Differentiated Instruction**__

 * Strategies**
 * Verbal**: Students will be writing a narrative comic book.
 * Logical**: Students will be organizing their ideas in various graphic organizers before creating their comic books.
 * Visual**: Students will be creating a comic book that must incorporate original images.
 * Intrapersonal**: Students may work by themselves, and must also reflect on his or her own work.
 * Interpersonal**: Students have the option to collaborate on their final product.
 * Kinesthetic**: Students will be using laptops, allowing them to move their fingers and release kinetic energy.

//I will review students' IEP, 504, ELLIDEP, and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.//
 * Modifications/Accommodations**

Students who are absent from this lesson will miss quite a bit of work and will have to be prepared to do a lot of make-up time with me after school if he or she hopes to catch up in a timely manner. I will make sure to fill-in the student with all of the pertinent and necessary information that is required to complete the assignment and continue in the unit. If the student misses both days, he or she will be required to complete the assignment on his or her own, but I will give the student after-school time to use the school's internet access if that is not possible for the student at home. This must be completed in a timely manner, of course; within a week of the student's return to school.

The technology that I chose to integrate into this lesson is Comic Life. This software allows students to create their own, professional comic books. I like this software because there is no other method out there that allows students to create such a professional and real-looking comic book product. In this way, the students are able to feel as if they are really comic book writers, which is the point of this lesson. Students who need an extra challenge will be asked to relate their comic book to another subject area -- for instance: Health, Music, History, Math, Science, etc.
 * Extensions**

__**Materials, Resources and Technology**__
- Laptops - Comic Life - Image Cameras - Comic Book Student Sample

__Source for Lesson Plan and Research__
Comic Book Research: http://www.bigredhair.com/work/comics.html Graphic Organizers: http://www.region15.org/curriculum/graphicorg.html Creating Characters: http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/writing/write-a-book/character-development-in-fiction/ Characters: http://www.instructorweb.com/lesson/characterdevelop.asp Reflective Writing Blog: http://primaryblog.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/blogs-as-reflective-writing-tools/ Reflective Writing: http://deangroom.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/417/ Comic Life Tutorial: http://teachershelper.wikispaces.com/Comic+Tools

__**Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale**__
Rationale:** This lesson will provide a fun, creative learning environment. I will also make sure that I give the students artistic and academic freedom with this assignment for the students who made thrive on that type of environment. The learning environment of my classroom will always be a safe place for students to share their ideas and learn in a way that is necessary for effective teaching and learning. All students should feel comfortable in my classroom, and I will always be intolerant of those who might threaten that environment. Learners who like to analyze will absolutely benefit from this lesson because it is tailored to analyze narrative works and breaking them down to figure out how characterization works in real-life examples. Students who need structure will always be comfortable in my classroom, and especially this lesson, because I will provide an obvious framework for the lesson, and I will go over this at the beginning of the lesson for their benefit.
 * //Standard 3 - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.//

Rationale:** The facet of understanding that I chose to represent this lesson is "**Student will understand that** the choice of narrative elements can be used as tools to create meaning in a narrative." In this lesson, students are asked to write their own narratives in the form of a comic book. Understanding that the choice of the narrative elements to include (or exclude) is crucial to creating a sucessful comic book; knowing which elements work in a comic book is necessary to even begin writing a comic book, and students will understand the process and elements of a comic book by the end of this lesson. Developing a narrative is no easy feat, and the first step is to choose the tools to use in the narrative itself; students will be able to successfully decide which narrative elements best serve their purpose by the end of this lesson.
 * //Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//

Rationale:** I have worked to incorporate six of the eight multiple intelligences into this lesson: Verbal: Students will be writing a narrative comic book**; Logical**: Students will be organizing their ideas in various graphic organizers before creating their comic books**; Visual**: Students will be creating a comic book that must incorporate original images**; Intrapersonal**: Students may work by themselves, and must also reflect on his or her own work**; Interpersonal**: Students have the option to collaborate on their final product; **Kinesthetic**: Students will be using laptops, allowing them to move their fingers and release kinetic energy. The technology that I chose to integrate into this lesson is Comic Life. This software allows students to create their own, professional comic books. I like this software because there is no other method out there that allows students to create such a professional and real-looking comic book product. In this way, the students are able to feel as if they are really comic book writers, which is the point of this lesson.
 * //Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.//

Rationale:** The formative assessment for this lesson will consist of me, pacing the room and checking in with students for progress and understanding. I will ask them questions to make sure they understand and are on the right track with their comic books. I will also be asking them where they are going with their comic books to make sure that they are on the right track and are not forgetting the elements of the comic book genre (plot, hero, villain, etc.). Students will have the chance to ask me questions and seek me out for help, both with the software and the assignment itself. It is very important that the students understand both because their performance task is based on this lesson. The small summative assessment for this lesson will be the vocabulary test that I will give the students at the end of the second day of this lesson. This will basically consist of the students providing a basic definition of each word that was in their vocabulary list at the beginning of the unit. I will be checking that this unit has really gotten them to understand the basic meaning of these crucial narrative elements. The big summative assessment for this lesson will be the comic life product that they will make in this lesson. This is just an introduction to Comic Life, to get them used to the software and controls and process of creating a comic book before their final performance task that will take place just after this lesson. The students will be graded on their completion of the task, their focus, the writing process, if they incorporated the basic comic book genre into their narrative story (heroes and villains, etc.), and if they used Comic Life and how they understood or sought understanding during the process of creating the comic book.
 * //Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//

__Teaching and Learning Sequence__
My classroom will be arranged in "U" arrangement -- two rows of desks in the shape of a "u", with my desk in the center of the back wall.

Day One: - Hook: I will begin the lesson by showing the student my student sample from the performance task. (5 minutes) - I will break students into groups to research assigned topics that have to do with comic books. (15 minutes) - Groups will share their research with the class. (5 minutes) - I will introduce the assignment. (5 minutes) - Students will work on the assignment. (50 minutes) - HOMEWORK: There is no homework other than to think about the assignment.

Day Two: - Students will work on their comic books. (60 minutes) - Students will take a vocabulary test. (15 minutes) - Students will pass in their final products. (5 minutes) - HOMEWORK: There is no homework.

Students will understand that the choice of narrative elements can be used as tools to create meaning in a narrative. Students will learn how narrative devices and strategies and elements apply to popular culture narrative writing, such as comic books. Students will write narratives that convey complex ideas, observations, events, or reflections. I will show my students my student sample from the performance task. I will also allow them to critique it. **Where, Why, What, Hook, Tailor: Verbal, Logical, Interpersonal.**

Students will know how to identify and use narrative elements and provide definitions for each. The students will be able to not only identify the use of narrative elements in the piece of writing that I will show them, but they will also be able to apply the knowledge to their own writing. I will be walking around the room constantly, checking for understanding and asking questions to ensure that all students are on the right track and understand the assignment. I will also be available to provide feedback for all of my students at any point in the lesson if they feel they don't understand the software or can't decide where to go with their narrative comic books. **Equip, Tailor: Verbal, Logical, Visual, Kinesthetic.**

Students will use any of the graphic organizers that we have used thus far in order to organize their ideas, as well as a few new character development graphic organizers that will help them develop their comic book series. Students will work in the "Numbered Heads Together" collaborative groups when learning about comic book elements. They will be numbered, and each number is given a different question to research. When I call a given number, whoever has that number must share the information he or she has gathered on that topic. The topic will be something related to comic books. I will have them research the topics of heroes and heroines, villains, comic book format, plot progression (timing), and Lingo. In this way, there will be 5 groups that will report on the topic they were assigned. The groups will be formed by using the seasons groupings that were assigned at the beginning of the year. I will pick Spring partners, and I will tell them to get together with another Spring pair. The formative assessment for this lesson will consist of me, pacing the room and checking in with students for progress and understanding. I will ask them questions to make sure they understand and are on the right track with their comic books. I will also be asking them where they are going with their comic books to make sure that they are on the right track and are not forgetting the elements of the comic book genre (plot, hero, villain, etc.). Students will have the chance to ask me questions and seek me out for help, both with the software and the assignment itself. It is very important that the students understand both because their performance task is based on this lesson. The small summative assessment for this lesson will be the vocabulary test that I will give the students at the end of the second day of this lesson. This will basically consist of the students providing a basic definition of each word that was in their vocabulary list at the beginning of the unit. I will be checking that this unit has really gotten them to understand the basic meaning of these crucial narrative elements. The big summative assessment for this lesson will be the comic life product that they will make in this lesson. This is just an introduction to Comic Life, to get them used to the software and controls and process of creating a comic book before their final performance task that will take place just after this lesson. The students will be graded on their completion of the task, their focus, the writing process, if they incorporated the basic comic book genre into their narrative story (heroes and villains, etc.), and if they used Comic Life and how they understood or sought understanding during the process of creating the comic book. Students will have every opportunity to revise and refine their work; I am always available to my students during class to provide feedback on their work. **Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailor: Kinesthetic, Verbal, Visual, Interpersonal, Logical.**

Students will reflect on the efficacy of their comic book series and the work that they did. They will do this using the checklist sheet that I will provide at the end of the lesson before they pass in their work to me. They will be asked to grade themselves on the following criteria: timely completion, focus, the final product and revision process, incorporating the elements of the comic book genre, and using Comic Life and asking questions or seeking help when confused. Students will also be asked to make additional (useful) comments about their work in the provided space on the same sheet. I will provide feedback during class as well as during the grading process. I will provide useful comments on the grading sheet, and the student will receive this sheet back at the next class. The next assignment is a big comic book (this was only a very short comic) that will be their performance assessment. This lesson is actually a preparatory lesson for the performance task. In this lesson, students will receive a solid background in Comic Life and the comic book genre. **Evaluate, Tailor: Intrapersonal, Verbal, Logical.**

How Do You Define “Comic Book”?
 * Content Notes**

Many people, especially in the U.S., equate comic books with the superhero genre or dismiss them as kiddie fare. In fact, comics are not a genre, but a medium of expression — like movies or prose — that can communicate a wealth of ideas and emotions spanning all genres. If you want to write mysteries, science fiction, autobiography, or even surrealist montages, you can do it in comic book form. Your stories can be verbose or wordless, serialized or self-contained, funny or tragic, color or black-and-white. In this workshop we’ll concentrate on writing for linear, narrative comic books.

Scott McCloud spends the first nine pages of his groundbreaking work Understanding Comics developing a definition of comics as a medium. What it boils down to is that all comics employ sequential art: a series of static images arranged in sequence to tell a story or express thoughts and feelings.

Learn the Lingo

Now let’s consider the basic components and terminology of comic books. Campy sound effects like the old Batman TV show’s “Biff! Bang! Pow!” are only a tiny (and trite) part of the picture.

The essential elements of a comic book page are:

1. Panel: One still image in a sequence of juxtaposed images. A comics writer can call for panels of any shape or size that’ll fit on a page: square, round, triangular, narrow vertical, shallow horizontal, diagonal, etc.

There are specialized terms for different types of panels:


 * An inset is a panel contained within a larger panel.
 * In a bleed panel, the art extends or “bleeds” off the edge of the page on one or more sides.
 * A splash is a very large or full-page panel; the latter is usually called a full-page splash.
 * A double-page spread is a giant splash panel covering two facing pages.

Although panels are usually bounded by heavy lines called borders, parts of the art sometimes pop outside panel borders for dramatic or ironic effect. Borderless images can also qualify as panels.

2. Lettering: Any text on a comics page. Bold lettering is used to emphasize words, large letters in dialogue represent shouting, and small dialogue lettering usually stands for whispering. Dialogue and caption lettering is usually all uppercase. Display lettering includes sound effects and any other text that is not contained in a balloon or caption (store signage, license plates, words on a computer screen, etc.).

3. Word balloon: A bordered shape containing dialogue, usually with a tail that points to the speaker. Tailless balloons sometimes denote “voice-over” or off-panel dialogue. As with panels, balloons come in various shapes, the most common being ovoid. You can use different shapes for different characters or moods. To avoid distancing your readers, though, it’s best not to mix balloon shapes and styles willy-nilly. And to avoid sounding like an amateur, don’t call balloons “bubbles.”

4. Thought balloon: A bordered shape containing a character’s unspoken thoughts. Thought balloons almost always have bumpy, cloudlike borders and tails that look like trails of bubbles. Do not overuse them, especially not for lengthy internal monologues — that’s a terrible cliché in comics. As in movies, the maxim is “show, don’t tell.”

5. Caption: A tool often used for narration, transitional text (“Meanwhile...”), or off-panel dialogue. Captions usually have rectangular borders, but can also be borderless or floating letters.

6. Sound effects (SFX): Stylized lettering that represents noises within a scene. Most SFX are floating letters, and sometimes they’re an integral part of the imagery. As with many other elements of comics, overuse of sound effects is distracting. They should be reserved for significant sounds, whether large (explosions) or small (a door softly closing on a lonely room).

7. Borders: The lines that enclose panels, balloons, and captions. Various styles and line weights can be used to evoke different effects or moods. Typical examples include rough or jagged borders for anger or distress; thin, wavy borders for weakness or spookiness; “electric” balloons and tails for radio, TV, or telephone dialogue; burst or double-bordered balloons for very loud shouting, and rounded panel corners or uneven borders for flashbacks. In some comics, such as Sandman (DC/Vertigo), major characters have their own distinctive balloon border and lettering styles. Different background colors or borders can also be used to denote different characters or types of dialogue/narration.

8. Gutter: The space, usually white, between and around panels. Colored or shaded gutters can help establish mood, denote flashbacks, or be used purely for aesthetic effect. Gutters are an almost subliminal part of the comic book reading process, since they represent the events between panels and pages.

However you combine these elements, always keep in mind that each comics panel and page should read in the same order as a page of text: from left to right and top to bottom. For example, when two characters are speaking to each other in the same panel, whoever talks first should be on the left side.

In some cultures, comics are read from right to left. Traditional manga, for example, are read in what looks to most Westerners (hard-core manga fans excepted) like back-to-front order. You probably won’t need to worry about writing comics that are read this way, but you should be aware that reading order is a primary determinant of certain visual storytelling techniques.

**Handouts**