HOW TO CREATE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL & BIOGRAPHICAL COMICS IN THE CLASSROOM
Learning Description
Comics are an excellent medium for storytelling through images and words! Though often entertaining, comics don't necessarily have to be humorous. In this lesson, students will concentrate on using images to depict a significant moment in their lives.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
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I can tell an autobiographical story through the format of a comic with images and text that expresses the beginning, middle and end of the story.
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I can use color to communicate feelings and mood.
Essential Questions
- How can we create a comic using words and images to tell a story about ourselves?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 2:
ELAGSE2W3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
Grade 3:
ELAGSE3W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. d. Provide a sense of closure.
Arts Standards
Grade 2:
VA2.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA2.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA2.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VA2.CR.4 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of three-dimensional art.
VA2.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
Grade 3:
VA3.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA3.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA3.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VA3.CR.4 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of three-dimensional art.
VA3.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 2:
ELA.2.C.3.1 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing: a. establish and describe character(s) and setting; b. sequence events and use temporal words to signal event order (e.g., before, after); and c. provide a sense of ending.
Grade 3:
ELA.3.C.3.1 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing: a. establish a setting and introduce a narrator or characters; b. use temporal words and phrases to sequence a plot structure; c. use descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop characters; and d. provide an ending.
Arts Standards
Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.
Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.
Anchor Standard 5: I can interpret and evaluate the meaning of an artwork.
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Narrative - A story or sequence of events and experiences
- Setting - Where a story takes place
- Characters - Individuals, animals, or entities that take part in the action of a story, play, novel, movie, or any other narrative form
- Mood - The emotional atmosphere or feeling that a literary work
- Autobiography - An autobiography is a self-written account of the life of oneself.
Arts Vocabulary
- Comic strip - A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions.
- Comic panel - A panel is an individual frame, or single drawing, in the multiple-panel sequence of a comic strip or comic book. A panel consists of a single drawing depicting a frozen moment.
- Word bubbles - A graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comics and cartoons to allow words to be understood as representing the speech or thoughts of a given character in the comic.
- Typography - Is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line spacing, and letter-spacing, and adjusting the space between pairs of letters.
Materials
- Paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Colored pencils, crayons or markers
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
Classroom Tips: Allow ample time for students to practice drawing the elements of their comic.
- Begin by looking at examples of comics and sharing the elements that students notice.
- Elements can include: Word bubbles, frames or panels, fonts, illustrations, etc.
- Ask students, “What is present and what is not? Can you identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story?”. Students should notice that comics rely heavily on illustrations to tell a story.
- Tell students that they will be creating a comic to tell about an important moment in their life.
Work Session
- Ask students to think of several important moments in their lives.
- Tell students that when someone writes about true events in their own life, it is called autobiographical. It is also considered a personal narrative.
- Ask students to choose one moment to focus on. Ask students to conduct a “stream of consciousness” writing session about the moment. Students will write down as much as they can remember about the event.
- Ask students what feelings came to mind when they were writing.
- Show students images of Jim Dine’s heart artwork. Ask students how Dine uses color to change the way an artwork feels.
- Ask students what colors they will use in their comic to convey the feelings associated with that moment.
- Now ask students, “How could you tell your story in a comic? What would you draw and what would you write?”. Remind students that comics rely heavily on illustrations to tell the story.
- Tell students that each frame in a comic represents one scene. Ask students, “How many frames do you need in order to tell your story?”. Students should have at least three–one for the beginning, one for the middle, and one for the end.
- Have students identify a beginning, middle, and end to their event. Have them sketch out visuals to represent the different parts of the story.
- Allow time for students to share their ideas with a partner. Encourage partners to ask questions so that the authors can identify anything that is unclear before beginning their comics.
- Pass out the final art paper to students. Have students divide their paper into the number of frames they will need to tell their story. Provide rulers to use as a straightedge or squares and rectangles to trace as frame templates.
- Remind students to make sure to use their entire sheet of paper.
- The frames can be different shapes and sizes.
- Provide time for students to create their autobiographical comics. Remind them to use colors that they associate with the feelings they have about the event.
Closing Reflection
- Arrange students’ artwork around the room and allow students to conduct a gallery walk.
- Facilitate a discussion about how students used images and colors to tell a story in their comic.
Assessments
Formative
Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of color and feelings, planning phase for their comics, and creation of their comics.
Summative
CHECKLIST
- Students can tell an autobiographical story with images and text that expresses the beginning, middle and end of the story.
- Students can use color to communicate feelings and mood.
DIFFERENTIATION
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Acceleration: Have students include at least six frames for their comics to tell a more detailed story. Remediation: Provide a comic template with frames pre-printed for students. |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.
Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green. Updated by: Katy Betts.
Revised and copyright: August 2024 @ ArtsNOW