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Lesson

Objectives

1. Compare and contrast the affordances of comic strips and books

2. Create a comic strip using visual and linguistic semiotic modes while demonstrating awareness of PACC

Resources

  • Physical Book or E-book of Geronimo Stilton 

  • Comic Strip

  • iPads


     

Prior

Knowledge

  • Students are familiar with the organisation structure and type of language used in comic strips 

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lesson 2

This lesson compares and contrasts the affordances –– that is the potentials and limitations of the different meaning-making resources (Lim, 2018) –– found in books and comics and examine how they work together to contribute to a cohesive and coherent multimodal text .

 

This lesson also helps to reinforce what was learnt in lesson one where students analysed the different interaction between images and texts, with a greater focus on how images can replace text in carrying the narrative load. 

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Compare & Contrast 

  • Building on what students have learnt previously, the teacher gets students to quickly identify descriptive language as well as images found in the book that helped students have a better understanding of his appearance and personality. 

    • Since this was gone through in the previous lesson, the bulk of the focus is on analysing the comics​

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Books & Comic strip

Lesson Development

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  • As a class, the teacher lists the traits identified and attributes each trait to the semiotic mode(s) that helped to convey the meaning. For example: Trap is annoying (text), Trap is plump (image), Trap is a prankster (text and image)​

The teacher guides students to recognise obligatory and optional features of the two text-types, foregrounding the communicative purpose of each and highlighting how the semiotic choices are organised towards fulfilling their respective purposes (Lim, 2018). 

  • The teacher guides students to analyse the semiotic modes used in comic strips that capture the essence of the character: Trap (the mouse in the yellow top)

  • Using the EEE framework, the teacher provides opportunities for learners to interpret, analyse and evaluate how meaning is made through visual forms as well as the intent behind using particular visual elements (Lim, Nguyen & Tan, 2020; Rowsell, McLean & Hamilton, 2012). 

Guiding Questions

Encounter

Action: What is the character doing in the image? 

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Emotions: How did you feel when you look at the image? 

 

From the book and comic strip, what is your impression of Trap? Do you like Trap? What are some traits that you like/ dislike about him? 

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Engagement

Mood: What do you notice about the colours used in the image? What mood did they create?

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Relation: What do you notice about the arrangement of the character? What kind of relationship does Geronimo and Trap have? 

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Importance: What do you notice about the size of the characters? Why are they different in size? 

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How does the facial expression or body language of the characters convey their emotions?

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Evaluation

Intent: Why were certain choices made? (e.g. why were bright colours used?) 

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If other choices were made, would it be better? Why or why not?

(e.g. if instead of bright coloured clothings, Trap was wearing black and white, would your impression of Trap change?)

 

Affordances

What are some similarities between how meanings are conveyed in both the book and the comic? 

What are some differences between how meanings are conveyed in both the book and the comic? 

Which is more effective in telling an engaging story? Why?

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Would you prefer reading a book or a comic strip? Why? 

Anchor 1

Creating A comic strip

  • Using a scene from the Geronimo Stilton book, students are tasked to create a four-to-six-scene comic strip that conveys the same storyline. 

    • Students are able to build on or make use of the mouse avatar that they have created in lesson 1 

  • Before they start the creation process, the teacher familarises students with the main functions of the digital tool that they will be utilising through teacher modelling. 

  • The teacher also provides a checklist for students to know what to look out for in the creation process

Familiarising with the digital Tool

Checklist

Colour/Appearances :

Does the colour of the background convey the intended mood?

Does the choice of characters' hair colour, style, facial features, etc help readers to understand the character's personality better?

Relations :

Does the arrangement of the characters show the closeness of their relationship?

Importance :

Does the size of the characters shows who is more important/ plays a bigger role in that scene?

After students have completed the creation of their comic strips, they post it on a shared platform (e.g. Edmodo) 

  • To prompt student-to-student interaction, the teacher gets students to look at their friends' work and, under the comment section, make informed guesses of the reasons and intents behind choices made by their friends

  • This can be done as homework so that it doesn't take up too much class time

  • At the same time, teacher-to-student interaction is encouraged as the teacher can like students' post, pose question,  share his/ her feedback , etc.

 

 

In the next lesson (if time permits), or on Edmodo itself, the teacher can then prompt students to share the original reasons and intentions for the choices made using these pointers: 

(1) state the intended mood of the comic strip or of each scene 

(2) justify how the choice of characters' features match their personality

(3) describe how the arrangement of characters demonstrate their close/ distant relationship 

(3) explain why one character is made more prominent or important in the scene / why they are of equal importance

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