Crazy Comics
Developing Voice by Writing Dialogue
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 2: Consolidation / FluencyStage 3: Literacy for Growth
Ages:
7-10
Grade Range:
2nd 3rd 4th 5thFood Groups:
Primary:
Writing Processes & Strategies, Motivation for Literacy
Secondary:
Writing Conventions
Activity Description
Preparation:
1. Collect examples of comic strips involving dialogue
a. Examples should have a variety of characters, plots, and styles of layout
2. Create blank comic strips for students to fill in
a. It is ideal if the comic has two or three speaking characters and visual clues about the tone and topic
of conversation
b. If you are using an existing comic, remove the text from each speech bubble and enlarge the image
c. Depending on the writing level of your students, you may want to add guiding lines to blank speech
bubbles
3. Make copies of the blank comic for each student
4. If desired, gather additional materials that represent dialogue, such as a written scripts, videos, or audio clips
Implementation:
1. Show students examples of comic strips that involve dialogue through speech bubbles
2. Have students volunteer to read each of the characters' lines and act out the dialogue
3. Discuss with the class the way that authors conveyed voice with the dialogue through the use of vocabulary, punctuation, sentence structure, order of speeches, and so on
a. For example, characters sound excited when speaking in short sentences with lots of exclamation
points
4. Provide each student with his or her own comic strip to fill in
5. When most students are finished, meet again as a whole group to share examples and techniques for creating voices and dialogue
Adaptations For
English Language Learners/ESL:
- Look for examples of comic strip dialogue in the students home language
- Choose scenes that are clearly represented with pictures
LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:
- Help students to dramatize their envisioned scripts
- Scribe for the student or allow him/her to work on the comic strip using a computer program
- Allow students to work with a partner
Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:
- Aim for diversity in characters and situations portrayed in cartoon and in examples
Differentiated Instruction:
- Have a range of comics for students to choose from, for example, scenes could be very clear or more ambiguous
Related References
Source:
Culham, Ruth. (2005) 6+1 Traits of Writing: the Complete Guide for the Primary Grades. Scholastic, Inc., Oregon. pp234
Evidence:
Ranker, J. (2007). Using Comic Books as Read-Alouds: Insights on Reading Instruction from an English as a Second Language Classroom. The Reading Teacher, 61, 296-305.
Activity Objective
The goal of Crazy Comics: Developing Voice by Writing Dialogue is to develop students ability to use different voices in creating a variety of sentences within a dialogue using a comic strip format.
What You Need
Prep Time:
30 minutes - Find 5-6 examples of comic strips containing speech-bubble dialogue
- Create blank comic strips for students to fill in
Task Time:
40 minutes
- Teacher introduces students to dialogue using examples
- Students write their own dialogue in comic form
- Class shares their creations and discusses strategies for creating voice in dialogue
Materials Required:
Teacher:
- Samples of dialogue in a comic strip format
Students:
- Blank comic strip worksheets (1 per student)
Optional:
- Additional dialogue representations
What You Do
Teacher Role:
Direct instruction:
- during class discussion of voice and dialogue and when demonstrating how dialogue is communicated in cartoon scenes
Consultant:
- when helping students to choose language in creating their own scripts
Facilitator:
- when students share their comic strips during the final sharing time
Student Grouping:
Whole class:
- during review of ideas about dialogue, discussion of activity goals, and final sharing time
Individual:
- during student writing time
Assessment Ideas:
- Record student comments on creating voices for different characters and perspectives a. Note whether students discuss qualities of tone, word choice, punctuation, or other elements of language
- Final products can be assessed for students' use of voice (for example, qualities of tone, vocabulary, sentence structure and so on) and other conventions such as appropriate spelling, and punctuation, and creative, logical progression of dialogue
Quick Tips
Activity Extensions:
- Ask students to create a subsequent frame in the comic strip
- Ask students to represent the same scene as either a script or a narrative, without pictures
- Have students create comics based on characters in books they have read or movies they have seen, integrating this assignment with art
Additional Comments:
- Using comic books to teach a variety of literacy concepts can be very motivating and effective, especially for English language learners and students with learning disabilities.
Other Adaptations/Modifications:
- Provide manipulatives such as puppets for students to act out their comic strips during the final sharing time
