2017-2018 Academic Catalog

Apr 18, 2024

2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

EDUC 329 - Graphic Novels in the Classroom

Once commonly thought to corrupt the minds of children, comic books and their typically lengthier siblings, graphic novels, are becoming more commonplace in middle and secondary school classrooms. Throughout the past decade a growing number of scholars and educators have argued that graphic novels can serve as fruitful texts for the exploration of topics that are regularly covered in humanities and social science classes. Through the pairing of visual images with words, graphic novels also offer opportunities for teachers to explore how these multimodal texts convey meaning with their students .This course will examine a variety of strategies for introducing graphic novels into the classroom and present a number of these texts that have been successfully integrated into middle and high school classes.
Throughout the semester, we will examine graphic novels such as The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by Jean- Phillippe, Lewis and Clark by Nick Bertozzi, Maus by Art Spielgelman, Nat Turner by Kyle Barker, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, and Zahara Paradise by Amir and Khalil. Through the reading of these texts we will discuss a variety of possible student learning outcomes and strategies for engaging students in the interrogation of topics such as: the use of anthropomorphism, the development of theme through motif and symbols, the depiction of trauma, subjectivity and perspective in history, visual literacy, and the presence of political messages in art.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically

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