Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Textual Genre: Comic Strip

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is essential to direct the focus of the lesson and ensure that both the teacher and the students are aligned with the learning goals. By clearly establishing the objectives, students can better understand the importance and applicability of studying comic books and how these textual tools can be used not only for entertainment but also to enhance the understanding and interpretation of more complex texts.

Main Objectives:

1. Understand the concept of comic books and identify their main structural and narrative characteristics.

2. Develop skills in textual interpretation by analyzing and interpreting comic books.

Side Objectives:

1. Stimulate students' creativity and artistic expression by drawing their own comic books.

Introduction

Duration: (20 - 25 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the content they studied previously and to contextualize the importance of comic books, stimulating critical thinking and curiosity. Through problem situations, students are encouraged to apply their prior knowledge practically, preparing them for interpretation and creation activities. The contextualization reinforces the relevance of studying comics, showing how what they have learned applies in the real world and in pop culture.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine that you found an old comic book in your grandmother's attic. What elements would you observe to understand the story, even if there was no text?

2. Think of a comic book character you like. What does this character usually do or say that makes them unique? How do you think they would be represented in a situation of extreme action or emotion, just through drawings?

Contextualization

Comic books are not just a pastime; they play a significant role in popular culture, influencing movies, TV shows, and even literature. For example, adaptations to cinema of superheroes like Iron Man and Batman are based on comic books. Furthermore, renowned artists like Will Eisner and Stan Lee revolutionized the genre by introducing new narrative and design techniques that continue to influence contemporary artists.

Development

Duration: (75 - 80 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to practically and creatively apply the concepts studied about comic books. Through the proposed activities, they will have the opportunity to explore the narrative structure of comics, practice visual and textual interpretation, and develop teamwork, creativity, and expression skills. Each proposed activity is independent, allowing the teacher to choose the one that best fits the needs and interests of their class.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Comic Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop visual and narrative interpretation skills, stimulating creativity and teamwork.

- Description: In this activity, students will be challenged to analyze a comic book without text and identify narrative and structural elements that help tell the story. It will be like they are detectives trying to uncover the plot just from visual clues.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Give each group a copy of the same comic book, but without the speech balloons.

• Ask each group to analyze the sequence of frames and attempt to reconstruct the story, using only the images as a guide.

• Students should create a brief script describing what happens in each frame, justifying their choices based on facial expressions, actions, and settings.

• Each group will present their version of the story to the class and discuss the different interpretations.

Activity 2 - Comic Book Creators

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Encourage creativity and practical application of knowledge about textual genres, as well as develop presentation and argumentation skills.

- Description: Students will use their knowledge of comic book structure to create their own sequence. They should develop characters, a conflict, and a resolution, and then draw the frames, inserting speech balloons and sound effects.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into workstations, with each station containing paper, pencils, erasers, markers, and a ruler.

• Explain that each group should create a short comic book story, focusing on the elements of introduction, development, and conclusion.

• Students should first plan the story, deciding on characters, settings, and conflict.

• Then, they draw the frames in order and add the speech balloons and sound effects.

• Finally, each group presents their story to the class, explaining their choice of elements and how they contribute to the narrative.

Activity 3 - Comic Theater

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore the connection between text and image and promote students' verbal and physical expression.

- Description: In this activity, students will transform a comic book into a small play, acting as the characters and using the speech balloons from the comic as the script. This will help understand the relationship between text and image.

- Instructions:

• Select a comic book with simple and clear dialogues.

• Divide the class into groups, each responsible for acting out a part of the story.

• Provide copies of the comic book for each group and allow them to rehearse for a few minutes.

• Each group presents its part of the story, using the speech balloons as a guide for the dialogues.

• After all presentations, discuss how the combination of text and image in the comic influences the interpretation of the story.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning, allowing students to articulate what they have learned and share their discoveries with peers. The group discussion helps verify students' understanding of the topic and deepens critical reflection on the use of visual and textual elements in comic books. This moment also serves for the teacher to assess the impact of the activities and student engagement, ensuring that the learning objectives have been achieved.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher should gather all students and ask each group to share their findings and experiences during the activities. Start by asking: 'What did you find most challenging when trying to interpret the stories without the speech balloons?' and 'How did creating your own comic book stories help you better understand the elements of a comic book?'. Encourage students to explain their choices and reflect on the creative and interpretative process.

Key Questions

1. What are the main elements you identified in a comic book that help tell the story without using words?

2. How does the structure of a comic book differ from other types of narratives, such as books or films?

3. In what way can the visual interpretation of comic books vary between readers?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to ensure that students have a clear and consolidated understanding of the contents studied, relating them to the practical activities carried out. Through synthesizing key points and explaining the interaction between theory and practice, students are able to see the value of what they have learned and how it applies in real and imaginative contexts.

Summary

In conclusion, the teacher should summarize the main points covered about comic books, highlighting the structural and narrative characteristics, as well as the different ways to interpret and create comics. The activities conducted, such as analyzing comics without text, creating stories, and dramatization should be recapped, along with how these practices helped to understand the complexity of the genre.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the connection between theory and practice was established through interactive activities that allowed students to apply their prior theoretical knowledge practically and creatively. Group discussions and reflections helped solidify the understanding of theoretical content, showing how the theory on structure and language of comics manifests in practice.

Closing

Finally, the teacher should emphasize the importance of comic books in developing visual and narrative language and how these skills are relevant not only in the academic context but also in popular culture and various forms of media. This final reflection helps consolidate the appreciation of studying comics as a significant educational and cultural tool.