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Do you use graphic novels in your classroom?
I haven’t yet, but I want to, and as I’ve been reading them in preparation for this, I realize that there’s much more to them than I originally thought.
For instance, there’s lots of vocabulary connected to the things that make graphic novels unique. Motion lines, panels, gutters, speech and thought bubbles, and much more – these are important words to know when discussing graphic novels.
If I’m going to use them with my students, then I definitely want them to be able to discuss them intelligently, and that means knowing about and understanding this vocabulary.
Taking that a step further, we can also analyze all of these elements That will add depth to the story and allow us to look not only at how the author crafted the story itself but how the artist adds to that through the use of color, lines, spacing, lettering, and much more.
So students need to know these things before they dig into a graphic novel for a lesson, and we need to teach it, but I don’t want that to be boring. I think it should be just as exciting as the graphic novels themselves – and that’s why I’ve created a scavenger hunt that will both engage your students and teach them many important elements of graphic novels!
The scavenger starts with a direction card and a mission card for your students. The mission references the brand new Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library graphic novel, so it will fit perfectly with that – but you could use this resource to introduce these elements before beginning any graphic novel unit. (Pssst – why should you use this book? Find out here)
There are ten code word cards. Each of these cards features a short information reading passage and a question that leads to a code word that’s found on a different card. As the teacher, you choose whether to hang the cards around the room like a gallery walk, place them on tables, or hide them – it’s up to you.
To find the code words, the students move in groups throughout the space to read the cards and find the code words. They’ll likely need to read the cards several times to find all of the code words, which will help them to remember the information. They add the code words to their answer sheet and then unscramble the letters to find the mystery word.
I’ve also included a reflective writing prompt that can be used for group discussion or as an exit ticket to help the students think about what they’ve learned.
I think your students will love playing this scavenger hunt, so I’ve made it available individually and as part of a Lemoncello bundle.
Do you use graphic novels in your classroom? Do you teach the vocabulary and unique elements? Let me know in the comments and I’ll give away one scavenger hunt on December 4! Enter through the rafflecopter here.
