5. Independent Construction: Creating Graphic Texts

• Anne Frank’s Diary: the graphic adaptation, Folman, A. and Polonsky, D. (2018)
• Graphic novel bingo: PDF
• Survivor testimony (Melbourne Holocaust Museum)
• A selection of graphic novel panels
• ‘The comic tale of graphic novels’ and ‘What’s so special about graphic novels’
• Graphic organiser- text to visual adaptation planner: docx PDF
• Two Stars and a Wish Feedback Template: pptx PDF

In this stage of the sequence the focus is on the independent construction of texts, enabling students to create their own graphic novel panel whilst building skill through engagement in mini-lessons.

Invite pairs of students to participate in a game of bingo based on the visual metalanguage and structural features used in graphic novels. Populate a bingo table like the one in the Materials and texts section with relevant terminology.

Choose a selection of pages from a graphic novel that illustrate visual techniques and structural features and ask students to fill in their bingo card as they spot each feature. For example, a ‘splash’, or ‘focalisation’. The ‘Zoom In’ technique could be used to support this process. Alternatively, read a definition of each term, inviting students to call ‘bingo’ once they have identified all the terms in their table.

Once a student has called ‘bingo’, revisit the terms in the table as a class, focusing on the purpose of each visual or structural strategy.

If you have undertaken the ‘Go deeper’ phase of Stage four of this sequence, use the checklist created by students as a guide for task planning. Otherwise, use the terminology from the bingo card to create a checklist of the ‘essential elements of a graphic novel’.

Invite students to use the checklist to assist with the initial planning of their graphic panel, and to support peer-to-peer feedback. 

1. Exploring the stylistic variation of graphic novels

Provide students with a range of graphic novel styles to build understanding of the diverse range of illustration styles used in the form. It is recommended that simple illustrations as well as more complex drawings are used as examples. Ensure that the selection of graphic novels available to students are appropriate in content. 

Students undertake a think, pair, share about each panel to reflect on its illustrative qualities. For example, does the artist use stick figures, cartoon-like animals or people, realism or caricature?

Panels from Small Things by Mel Tregonning, Maus by Art Spiegelman, the graphic adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’ by Odyr and Stickman Odyssey by Christopher Ford would provide rich examples of the diversity of graphic novel styles.

It is strongly recommended that teachers review all suggested stimulus texts prior to their use to ensure their appropriateness and to enable rich, respectful discussion. For guidance on text selection refer to the department's Teaching and Learning Resources — Selecting Appropriate Materials policy.

2. Construction of independent texts

Explain to students that they will be planning, drafting and publishing their own graphic novel panel or series of panels based on a Holocaust text.

Ask students to choose a text to translate into graphic form. For example, students could use:

• Text from ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ that has not been illustrated in the graphic adaptation
• An excerpt from children’s diaries documented by Yad Vashem
• A poem. For example ‘First They Came’ by Martin Niemöller or Never Shall I Forget by Elie Wiesel
• An excerpt from a historical text about the Holocaust
• The testimony of a Holocaust survivor, such as those of Sarah Saaroni, Floris Kalman, Paul Grinwald and Arnold Erlanger.
• An excerpt from a memoir

Provide students with a curated selection of texts, or support students to choose their own.

When choosing materials and making decisions about their adaptation, students must be reminded to make choices that are inclusive of diverse learners and contribute to a safe, supportive and productive learning environment for all. See characteristics 4 and 7 ('Program is factually accurate, rich in primary source material, and incorporates Victorian-specific content' and 'Pedagogical choices enable deep learning, are sensitive to the particularities and complexities of the Holocaust and are inclusive of diverse learners') in the department's characteristics of a quality Holocaust Education program for further information.

Once students have chosen the text to adapt for their graphic panel, support them to:

• identify key pieces of information and decide which text will be retained in their visual adaptation
• consider the purpose of their graphic panel, for example, to move, inform or persuade the reader
• consider the setting and audience, for example, peers, parents, local community or government
• conduct a brainstorm to explore the visual techniques that could be employed and their potential effects
• plan how the structural features of a graphic novel will be used to communicate
• plan the basic composition of a tier of graphic panels by using a storyboard
• use a graphic organiser to visualise key ideas and supporting ideas
• use the class's collaboratively created checklist and a range of relevant planning tools to organise their ideas.

Stimulus material like ‘The comic tale of graphic novels’ and ‘What’s so special about graphic novels’ may support students to consider the planning and detail that goes into a graphic novel panel, and the way in which a reader may engage with it. Students may wish to consider what it might mean to ‘bruise’ the original text, and to devise some guidelines about how to avoid doing so.

Discuss assessment considerations with your students. Consider co-constructing an assessment rubric to complement your persuasive text checklist. There are digital tools available for this purpose. Further guidance can also be found here.

3. Mini-lessons

While students work independently to plan, draft and publish their graphic texts, provide explicit teaching and individual feedback using the workshop model. 

Possible mini-lessons:

a) Translating written text into a visual format

Students choose a written text about the Holocaust or provide a sample text for adaptation if preferred. Read the selected text as a group, taking note of interesting information, important information and key ideas in the text. In small groups, students complete a summary of the material to distil information for inclusion in a visual representation.

Use a handout like the Text-to-Visual planner as a prompt to discuss the impact of textual and structural decisions. A Text-to-Visual planner template is available in the Materials and texts section above.

Students practise adapting the selected text into graphic form before using the same process to make decisions about the adaptation of independently selected material.

b) Exploring structural techniques

View excerpts from a range of graphic novels that clearly illustrate the effective use of structural techniques. Support students to create a practice panel mimicking the techniques used by the author. Display student work and allow time for viewing, then ask students to add a coloured dot to the draft they thought was the most effective. Discuss both the strengths of the sample and how it might be enhanced, being mindful to encourage constructive feedback.

Enable students to engage in this activity by providing a template based on a panel from a graphic novel. Allow students to experiment with inserting their own ideas into the pre-existing structure.

c) Utilising visual language

Annotate a tier of panels or a splash from a graphic novel, looking for effective use of visual techniques. Support students to identify techniques and to experiment with adapting and modifying the techniques of the artist or author for use in their own panel.

As students are working on their own panel, provide individual feedback and support during guided student-teacher conferences. Additional instruction and support could be provided to students with similar needs during a guided writing group.

Promote a collaborative approach to the creation of texts in the classroom by providing many opportunities for students to:

• share their work on regularly and engage in group discussion about the creation process
• comment on each other’s strengths
• identify areas of drafts they had difficulty understanding or that they felt could be improved.

Students share their drafts and celebrate the progress they have made with their panel. Allow time for peer-to-peer feedback using the two stars and a wish protocol and ask students to reflect on any changes they could make to strengthen their work.

Assess student work against any agreed assessment rubrics or checklists. Allow opportunities for students to revise and improve their work. 

Encourage students to complete a self-reflection when they have completed their published piece.

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