BACKGROUND/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

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1 COMIC LIFE GRADE LEVEL(S) 2-8 LESSON OBJECTIVE Students will learn the basics of Comic Life software, use technological tools, develop positive attitudes toward technology and demonstrate a good understanding of basic computer operations through designing a comic about their day trip to the Santa Monica Pier. BACKGROUND/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED Teacher should have a basic knowledge of Comic Life software and basic photo editing techniques (uploading, cropping, saving, etc.). (See attached resources.) EDUCATION STANDARD(S) National Technology Standards Standard 1-Basic operations and concepts Demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems Use technological tools for learning, communications and productivity Manage and maintain technology tools Standard 2-Social, ethical, and human issues Develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, safety and productivity Standard 3-Technology productivity tools Use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity Use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology enhanced models preparing publications and producing other creative works Standard 4-Technology communications tools Use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences Standard 6 Technology problem solving and decision making tools Use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions MATERIALS NEEDED Digital camera(s), computer(s), printer, Comic Life or Comic Life Deluxe (30 day free trial available), Macintosh (OS X v ) or PC (Windows XP SP1+ or Vista).

2 *The use of computer lab time when available MOTIVATION Share various comic/graphic novels with the class. Allow children to have a silent reading period to read and explore comic books independently. Discuss with the class the characteristics of comic books and graphic novels. Prior to visiting the Santa Monica Pier, have students explore and play with the Comic Life software. Field trip to the Santa Monica Pier DIRECT INSTRUCTION It is beneficial to have students play with the Comic Life software prior to the start of this project. Allowing the students to play around and for the instructor to teach some basics of the software (drag and drop, saving, making speech bubbles, changing colors and writing text) will make it easier for the students to complete the project and save time on the overall project. Share various comic books and graphic novels with the class. Give students time to read and explore comics and discuss various characteristics of comic books. Share Suggestions for Creating a Story Comic (see attached). This page contains some basic elements of creating a story comic book. Use the sheet as a reference for determining the specific requirements students will need to include in their own comics. Determine the requirements (size, number of frames/pictures, theme/no theme, etc.) that the Pier comic book will need to contain in the end product. These can then be discussed and reviewed with students. Discuss the field trip to the Santa Monica Pier. Say, The field trip to the Santa Monica Pier is the setting of the comic book you will create. You will be at the Pier to have fun, but also to keep notes and take pictures of your time there. Through your notes and pictures you will create a story of your time at the Pier. Share an example of a comic page (see attached example). This part of the assignment can be modified in multiple ways to meet the needs of the students and the teacher (see modifications). Take a field trip to the Santa Monica Pier. Once students have returned to class, upload the children s photos onto the computer. Students can be taught how to upload their photos. For younger students, the teacher, aide or helper can assist with this process or upload the images independently. Using the notes and images taken at the Pier, have students fill out the planning sheet for the Pier comic (see attached plan sheet). This form will

3 help students plan out and organize their comic book. At the same time, the plan sheet will allow the teacher to review the contents of pages and assess if students are ready to begin using Comic Life and creating their project, Day at the Pier comic. Often students spend exuberant amounts of time on the design of the comic and much less on the overall content. To avoid this, once students are working on the computer, require them to add the frames, photos, speech bubbles with text writing, and captions prior to any work with the overall design, colors, fonts, letter sizing, etc. Once all the content from the plan sheet is added and any other additional information is added, allow students to play with and design the comic using all the extraordinary tools available on the Comic Life software. Draft copies should be printed out, usually without color to save ink, for students to review, edit, add, delete or change any pieces of the draft. Students could also peer revise and edit each others work. This is a perfect time for the teacher to review the pages and, if time allows, to conference with the children about content and design. The teacher and the students should use and reference the Creating a Story Comic, comic plan sheet, and the Comic Life Rubric (see attached materials) in assessing the project. Day at the Pier comic books should be printed in color for optimal look. Plan at least a month for the completion of this project. However, creating the book on the computer depends greatly on the amount of time students spend with the computers to work on the project, the grade level of the students, student abilities, and the students prior knowledge and practice of the Comic Life software prior to the start of the project. GROUP/INDEPENDENT WORK Students can work independently or in varying groups and teams. Since students will be working on the computer using the Comic Life software, it helps to have groups of no more than 2 or 3 students in a group. ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS The use of computer software, styles and techniques, and the level of requirements are all easily differentiated by the level and the age of the children in a classroom. Simple modifications can be made. For example: Number of pages, frames, pictures, speech bubbles, and text writing requirements are all ways to decrease or increase the difficulty level of this project. There are alternatives to using the Comic Life software. PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, or the comic template provided are some ways to complete a comic book (see attached). The template will allow printed photo images to

4 be placed manually without the use of any software. This template is provided for teachers who may not have access to computer time or feel they lack the technology knowledge needed to use these other software programs. Using computer lab time is the ideal setting for this project, and having parental volunteers when working in the lab will be greatly beneficial in answering questions and giving help to students. Give students a theme to focus the direction of their day and the photographs they take. (Example: people, rides, historic pieces you have previously studied, shapes, etc.) Vary student groupings. For example, have very young children work in groups of three or four, while older children might work in pairs. Students (especially younger) will need extra assistance with uploading images from the digital cameras to the computers and with using the Comic Life software. Digital photos can be developed at any local CVS/Walgreens/Wal-Mart (if computers are not available). ASSESSMENT/WRAP UP Use the Comic Life rubric provided to assess students pages. Other ideas include putting the comic pages together and creating a book, posting them online, displaying them in a public place, having an authors celebration with parents and students to share their comics, etc. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Comic Life: The Benefits of Comic Life in Education by Plasq Comic Life for Educators by Judi Epcke and Marilee Sarlitto. FTC Publishing, How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom by Charles Thacker Comic Books/Graphic Novels: Dark Knight: Batman s Friends and Foes I Can Read Series! By Catherine Hapka (Grades K-2) Meet the X-Men by Clare Hibbert (Grades 2-4) Misfits, The by Kim MacDonald (Grades 2-4) Phonics Comics: Super Sam by Melanie Marks (Grades 2-4) Phonics Comics: Twisted Tales by Kitty Richards (Grades 2-4) Stinky by Eleanor Davis (Grades K-2) Warrios Manga Series by Erin Hunter (Grades 4-6)

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