The Graphic Novel Classroom

POWerful Teaching and Learning With Images
Maureen M. Bakis - Masconomet Regional School District, Topsfield, MA
The Graphic Novel Classroom
November 2011 | 176 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781452296487
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412936842
Available from January 0001

Description

A secret weapon for engaging adolescents

Could you use a superhero to teach reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving? While seeking the answer, secondary language arts teacher Maureen Bakis discovered a powerful pedagogy that teaches those skills and more. The amazingly successful results prompted her to write this practical guide that shows middle and high school teachers how to incorporate graphic novels into their classrooms in order to:

  • Teach 21st century skills, including interpretation of content and form
  • Promote authentic literacy learning
  • Grow learners' competency in writing and visual comprehension
  • Motivate students to create in multiple formats, including images
  • Engage struggling as well as proficient students in reading

This comprehensive resource includes teaching and learning models, text-specific detailed lesson units, and examples of student work. If you are looking for an effective, contemporary way to jump-start learning and inspire students to love reading, The Graphic Novel Classroom is the superpower you need!



 

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Welcome to the Graphic Novel Classroom

Introduction: Welcome to the Graphic Novel Classroom

Part I. Looking at Literacy in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 1. Looking at the Comics Medium
  • Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics
  • 2. Interpreting Images
  • Shaun Tan’s The Arrival
  • Rachel Masilimani’s Two Kinds of People
  • Gene Leun Yang’s American Born Chinese
  • 3. Looking at the Big Picture
  • Will Eisner’s A Contract with God and A Life Force

Part II. Looking at Memoir in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 4. Pictures, Perception, and the Past: Teaching Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis
  • 5. Legacies & Images: Teaching Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Elie Weisel’s Night, and Scott Russell Sanders’ “Under the Influence”

Part III: Looking at Superheroes in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 6. A Glimpse at the Superhero Genre: Teaching Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
  • 7. Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta
  • Afterword: The Value of Teaching Graphic Novels in School
  • Resources
  • References
  • Index

Resources

Additional materials

Description

A secret weapon for engaging adolescents

Could you use a superhero to teach reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving? While seeking the answer, secondary language arts teacher Maureen Bakis discovered a powerful pedagogy that teaches those skills and more. The amazingly successful results prompted her to write this practical guide that shows middle and high school teachers how to incorporate graphic novels into their classrooms in order to:

  • Teach 21st century skills, including interpretation of content and form
  • Promote authentic literacy learning
  • Grow learners' competency in writing and visual comprehension
  • Motivate students to create in multiple formats, including images
  • Engage struggling as well as proficient students in reading

This comprehensive resource includes teaching and learning models, text-specific detailed lesson units, and examples of student work. If you are looking for an effective, contemporary way to jump-start learning and inspire students to love reading, The Graphic Novel Classroom is the superpower you need!



 

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Welcome to the Graphic Novel Classroom

Introduction: Welcome to the Graphic Novel Classroom

Part I. Looking at Literacy in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 1. Looking at the Comics Medium
  • Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics
  • 2. Interpreting Images
  • Shaun Tan’s The Arrival
  • Rachel Masilimani’s Two Kinds of People
  • Gene Leun Yang’s American Born Chinese
  • 3. Looking at the Big Picture
  • Will Eisner’s A Contract with God and A Life Force

Part II. Looking at Memoir in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 4. Pictures, Perception, and the Past: Teaching Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis
  • 5. Legacies & Images: Teaching Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Elie Weisel’s Night, and Scott Russell Sanders’ “Under the Influence”

Part III: Looking at Superheroes in the Graphic Novel Classroom

  • 6. A Glimpse at the Superhero Genre: Teaching Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
  • 7. Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta
  • Afterword: The Value of Teaching Graphic Novels in School
  • Resources
  • References
  • Index

Resources

Additional materials

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The Graphic Novel Classroom

POWerful Teaching and Learning With Images

Maureen M. Bakis
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November 2011 | 176 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412936842 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452296487 $35.00

A secret weapon for engaging adolescents

Could you use a superhero to teach reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving? While seeking the answer, secondary language arts teacher Maureen Bakis discovered a powerful pedagogy that teaches those skills and more. The amazingly successful results prompted her to write this practical guide that shows middle and high school teachers how to incorporate graphic novels into their classrooms in order to:

  • Teach 21st century skills, including interpretation of content and form
  • Promote authentic literacy learning
  • Grow learners' competency in writing and visual comprehension
  • Motivate students to create in multiple formats, including images
  • Engage struggling as well as proficient students in reading

This comprehensive resource includes teaching and learning models, text-specific detailed lesson units, and examples of student work. If you are looking for an effective, contemporary way to jump-start learning and inspire students to love reading, The Graphic Novel Classroom is the superpower you need!



 


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction: Welcome to the Graphic Novel Classroom
  • Part I. Looking at Literacy in the Graphic Novel Classroom
  • 1. Looking at the Comics Medium
  • Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics
  • 2. Interpreting Images
  • Shaun Tan’s The Arrival
  • Rachel Masilimani’s Two Kinds of People
  • Gene Leun Yang’s American Born Chinese
  • 3. Looking at the Big Picture
  • Will Eisner’s A Contract with God and A Life Force
  • Part II. Looking at Memoir in the Graphic Novel Classroom
  • 4. Pictures, Perception, and the Past: Teaching Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis
  • 5. Legacies & Images: Teaching Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Elie Weisel’s Night, and Scott Russell Sanders’ “Under the Influence”
  • Part III: Looking at Superheroes in the Graphic Novel Classroom
  • 6. A Glimpse at the Superhero Genre: Teaching Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
  • 7. Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta
  • Afterword: The Value of Teaching Graphic Novels in School
  • Resources
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

The book will be used in a fall 2014 course for pre-services teachers. The text will be used to explore the various ways that graphic novels can be used in the classroom.
Professor Raphael Rogers, Education Dept, Clark University
y course is so overloaded as it is I cannot ask for students to adopt another full text (though I found it to be excellent!) We need a nonprint media literacy class. This would be perfect for that.
Dr Kim McCollum-Clark, English, Millersville University
"High school English teacher and graphic novel advocate Maureen Bakis offers educators a guide for using comics as teaching tools, based on her own experience. She examines the compositional elements of comics using several volumes as examples and demonstrates how they can be used to teach different concepts and skills."
Diamond Bookshelf
"There may be other books that promote the use of graphic novels, but none that are so specific or offer such concrete, user-friendly lessons. I really enjoyed reading this book—and now I want to read and teach some of these graphic novels."
Rebecca Rupert, English Teacher, Bloomington New Tech High School, Bloomington, IN
"This book shows without a doubt how a graphic novel can foster deep thinking, vibrant discussion and multiple opportunities for writing with a purpose."
Rachel Hanson, Writing Coach & Gifted Language Arts Teacher, Lakeside Middle School, Cumming, GA

Recommendations