Students Can Create Daily Comix Diaries to Show What They Learn

[Guest guest]

Literacy, ELL Students Can Create Daily Comix Diaries to Show What They Learn

Dear colleagues,

If you're looking for an exciting new literacy activity for the new school year

why not start a daily 20-minute comic strip segment during which your students

create a comic diary about something they learned or read or experienced that

day? Creating such daily comix diaries provides a way for students to digest

and integrate key material that they are taught as well as to reflect on their

lives and experiences. And what better way for all students, including English

Language Learners, to improve writing, reading and storytelling skills!

To help educators, MakeBeliefsComix.com, the free online comic strip generator,

has launched a Daily Comix Diary Page offering many ideas at

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Daily-Comix-Diary/

Students can also draw their own comics with pencil or crayons and use stick

figures or pictures cut from magazines. By making their own comic strips,

students will realize that they can create stories and make art. They will learn

that they, too, are capable of generating their own learning materials, their

own memoirs, and that their `'take'' on the world is so very special – everyone

sees things differently.

What to draw and write about?

..For starters, why not have students create autobiographical comic strips about

themselves and their families or summarizing the most important things about

their lives? Let each student select a cartoon character as a surrogate to

represent him or her. They might also summarize what their individual interests

are or some key moments in their lives.

..Maybe students create a comic strip with a new ending for a book that they've

read, or an extension of the story, or a deeper exploration of a character in

the book.

..Maybe theirs is a comic strip using new vocabulary learned that day.

..Maybe their comic is about a concept they learned in science or in social

studies.

..Maybe their comic captures an interesting conversation they overheard.

..Maybe their comic is about something sad or bad that happened to them, such as

someone bullying them. Or about something special, such as a birthday wish.

..Maybe their comic is about something fun or wonderful that they or a friend

experienced – perhaps an adventure they had. Or, about a great or important

memory they will never forget.

..Maybe their daily comic contains a joke they heard or something funny a parent

said to them recently.

..Maybe they're exploring a problem at home that's bothering them, such as a

sibling who's driving them crazy.

..Maybe their comic strip is a fantasy story that came to their imagination.

..Or, how about creating a political comic strip commenting on some new

development in government or a news event?

Now, imagine the student's comic-filled sketch book or folder containing daily

diary entries created over the course of a year that will trace each child's

thoughts and learning, that will reflect what was important to her or him.

They'll have composed a comic book diary that they will treasure for the rest of

their lives.

Most important, the 20-minute-a-day daily comix diary challenge offers students

the chance to become creators as they find their voice, rather than just passive

learners. What better gift can you give them?

Sincerely,

Bill Zimmerman,

Creator, MakeBeliefsComix.com

wmz@...