Teaching the graphic novel: ideas for middle years' teachers

Date

2014-09-02

Authors

Heatherington, Shameem

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Abstract

This project explores the use of graphic novels to improve literacies in middle years’ students. Followed by a description of six characteristics that make a “good” graphic novel in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 offers reviews of Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory which is the theoretical framework for this project, the New London Group’s Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures (1996), as well as an overview of the topics of multimodality and visual literacy. Chapter 2 concludes with a review of a selection of literature on using graphic novels with middle years’ students to increase literacy skills focusing on the different ways these novels have been shown to be beneficial for learning. Graphic novels combine images with print in an engaging comic book style format, which is familiar to most adolescents. The format can support English Language Learners and other students who struggle with reading and writing, and provide opportunities for all students to become more multiliterate. Moreover, the content of many graphic novels exposes students to real-life situations, which can contribute to authentic classroom discussions and help to develop students’ critical thinking skills. Graphic novels can also act as a means through which students can investigate challenging social situations such as immigration, racism and stereotyping. The resource created for the project includes five annotated scholarly articles, an annotated list of 11 graphic novels suitable for middle years’ students, and five multimodal lesson plans which are all based on the four components of the NLG (1996) pedagogy of multiliteracies. The project concludes with a professional reflection on the process of completing this project, and the author’s growth in knowledge as a lifelong learner and teacher.

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Keywords

Middle Years, Students, Graphic Novels

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