3. Experimenting with Images

"There's a student named Art in every classroom across the nation." ~ Miriam Sachs, Mila Cuda & Caitlyn Bove

The Lesson

Some of us see stories in pictures and some of us write our stories through images. And in an increasingly visual world, learning how to read and communicate through images is a vital part of educating adolescents. Graphic novels provide students with the opportunity to focus on how color, line, and symbols can convey meaning. They demonstrate that reading isn't always linear. And they spark ideas for how students can experiment with images to convey their own ideas.

For this lesson, you are to read one of the following graphic novels (click on the picture for more information about the book):

The Challenge

Sometimes all it takes to disrupt people's thinking is to ask them to provide textual evidence (from a reliable source) that supports their stance. Helping students identify this evidence and relay it in a coherent way is an important part of our job as ELA teachers. Composing infographics can help accomplish this goal. Infographics rely on providing snippets of facts to convince the reader to believe the message the author is trying to convey. They do this in a visual way, which makes them the perfect pairing for this lesson.

For this challenge, you will be experimenting with visual communication through the construction of an infographic. First, identify a theme within your book. Next, consider how you can connect this theme to other disciplines--remember, a true middle school curriculum is interdisciplinary. Create an infographic that connects elements of the book (plot, characters, events) to other aspects of the world. Consider how the theme and book connect to today's news stories, math, physical education, music, science, technology, careers, historical events, etc.

Your infographic should contain:

The title and author of the book
A statement of theme
Concrete references to characters and events from the book
Quotes from the book
Connections to at least three other disciplines
Images

There are many tools that you can use to create infographics. My favorites are Canva and Piktochart. I also recommend spending some time looking at infographics online. This will help you think of ideas for your own.

Post your infographic on your portfolio by 4:00pm on Jan. 30th.