The Comic Strip Factory
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Comic Strip Factory.html
Unit Authors
The Comic Strip Factory unit was developed byLinda Logan and delivered to the 8th graders in family G at O'Farrell Community School. This unit has been used over the last few years at O'Farrell. The author's objective for this unit is to introduce the students to the O'Farrell standards at the start of each year, inspire creative thinking, express ideas in written and drawing form, to introduce them to the different computer programs used at O'Farrell, and to share ideas with larger audiences at a post-writing level.
Content Areas
This unit is a combination of language arts, computers, and the O'Farrell Way Standards. The students create their own comic stip dialogue and organize a pattern of events that occur in their comic stip. The students are also taken through a number of steps while using specific computer software that gives them experience operating Macintosh windows and other programs available at O'Farrell. These programs consist of The Comic Strip Factory, Art programs, and word processing programs. The students also become more familiar with The O'Farrell Way and they get a chance to practice the standards that are implemented at O'Farrell.
Organizing Theme
This unit is tied together by The O'Farrell Way and The O'Farrell challenges. The O'Farrell Way is a set of codes followed by the students that states that each student be focused to learn, be responsible for themselves and for others, show respect to others and the classroom, be kind, and behave safely. The O'Farrell Challenges are a set of guidelines that each student is presented with so they may achieve academically and socially. The students are creating a product that instills The O'Farrell Way and The O'Farrell Challenges, and throughout the development of the product, the students use and improve their reading and writing skills, build their knowledge of technology, and use problem solving skills throughout the process. The students also use creative thinking skills, organization skills, and peer collaboration skills.
Implementation
The Comic Strip Unit takes four weeks. It involved two classes in family G,language arts and computers. The unit is broken into two sections. The students needed to complete the first section of the unit in the language arts classroom and the second section of the unit was completed in computers. During the first two weeks of school, Family G students prepared rough drafts of the O'Farrell Way comic strips in language arts. The next two weeks of the unit are spent in the computer lab. Here the rough drafts are created on The Comic Strip Factory program and the comic strips are printed and copied to make family and school O'Farrell comic books...books that students, teachers, parents and visitors will read. Each student is required to create his/her own comic strip, based on the ideas of The O'Farrel Way. All comic strips are approved by the teachers in the family before the student is permitted to print. If computer lab time is limited and the project is not completed on time, then the students will be allowed to complete it during lunch and before and after school to finish up. This unit is overseen by all teachers in the family to keep the completion of the project on schedule, to solve any technological difficulties, and to encourage classroom cooperation among the students.
Outline of Activities
presentation to audience/ The Comic Strip Unit allows the students to work in pairs while they are working in the computer lab (two students per computer). This gives the students a chance to discuss the assignment with their peers and they are also given a chance to deep process the information through discussion and interaction. When the unit is finished the students present their comic strips to the classroom and they are put on display for the entire family. The comic strips are also sent home for parents to see and admire. The students are involved with the unit for approximately four weeks. For the first two weeks of school the students prepare the humanities portion of the unit by completing numerous tasks:
- Creating a story line
- Creating a story board
- Writing a script
- Revising a final comic strip
For the next two weeks the students are in the computer lab where they are required to complete several steps before completing the unit.
Introduction to the Comic Strip Factory Program
- Show two comic strip examples
- A single panel comic strip.
- A three panel comic strip.
- Practice creating comic strip panels on a worksheet.
- The students must have their comic strip approved by the teacher before creating it on the computer.
- Practice creating comic strip panels with the comic strip program.
- Create Final Comic Strip on computer.
Student Products
The students produced eight 4x2 inch panel comic strip with character dialogue explaining The O'Farrell Way. The comic strip includes a title and name box and each panel must have at least one text ballon and one character. This is an example of one panel from The Comic Strip Factory.
Thinking Skills Engaged
Students who participated in this unit improved their organization and planning skills when developing a story board and script. The Comic Strip Factory also gave the students a chance to express their creative and artistic skills. The O'Farrell Way theme focused the students on school and community morals and values. The students learned to work cooperatively in groups and as individuals. During the presentation of each comic strip the students learned to process thoughts for a large audience. The students also realized that one particular subject or topic like The O'Farrell Way is not restricted to one classroom once a day. The unit also provides the students with personal accessment, reflection, and review on the school standards.
Lessons Learned
The teachers who created this unit found it to be very beneficial at the beginning of the school year because it is a helpful introduction to O'Farrell and its set of standards. The students learned how to write, edit, and finalize dialogue. The students also learned different types of story elements, such as plot, setting, and characterization. The unit is also an introduction to newspaper, magazine, and book layouts and formats. The process of creating the Comic Strip Unit parallels that of professional publishable items. The students learn how to create accomplished writing pieces while using state of the art computer programs.
This description was written by Rob Jacobs. Last updated on March 6, 1996.
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