Especially for Teachers

Newspaper Lesson Plans

Comic Strip Creations

Grade Level: 3rd- 5th
Subject: Math, Writing, Language Arts

I. TOPIC

Comic Strip Creations

II. CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will: use the newspaper to identify nouns, adjectives, and verbs; create a math story problem; create dialogue in a comic strip using words found in the newspaper

Language Objectives -- Students will: work with a partner to create two comic strips; identify common and proper nouns, adjectives, and verbs; use math vocabulary (take away, add, subtract, equals...)

III. SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS

Language Arts: (LA.B.2.2)- writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes. (LA.D.1.2)- understands that there are patterns and rules in yhe syntactic structure, symbols, sounds, and meanings conveyed through the English language.

Mathematics: (MA.A.3.2)- understands and explains the effects of addition, subtraction, and multiplication on whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers, and the effects of division on whole numbers, including the inverse relationship of multiplication and division.

IV. MATERIALS

Newspaper (one section per student is sufficient); paper and pencils (for each student); comic strips with the dialogue whited-out (two per pair of students)

V. TEACHING PROCEDURES

A. Introduction- Read a few funny comic strips from the daily paper to the students. Ask: "Where do you think comic strip authors get their ideas from?" Discuss possibilities. Explain that often the best ideas for writing come from reading. Tell them that today they will have a chance to create their own comic strips using words and numbers they read in the newspaper.

B. Developmental Procedures-
- Split the class into pairs (try to pair ESOL students with a student who speaks their native language.); Pass out one section of the newspaper to each student.
- Review parts of speech with the class by asking: "Can I please have some examples of common nouns (car), proper nouns (Mary), verbs (drive), and adjectives (beautiful)?"
- Next, tell the class to make a chart with these parts of speech as headings. Tell the students they must look through their newspaper to find 3 examples for each column. Then, tell them to make a list of at least 3 numbers they find in the paper (it is best to use 2-digit numbers or less.)
- Once students have gathered all the words and numbers have them exchange with the group sitting near them. Students can check each other´s charts to make sure their parts of speech are correct.
- Next, model for students how to write dialogue in a blank comic strip using words from the newspaper. Encourage the students to use humor and creativity.
- Also model for students how to make a math story problem part of the dialogue of the comic strip characters. The studentsshould try to use the numbers they found in the newspaper, or can alter them (ex: 82 can be separated in to 8 and 2 for a simpler problem.) Alongside or below the comic strip, students should show the number sentence for their word problem. Example) Garfield: "Odie, there were 10 squares of lasagna when I woke up this morning." Odie: "John ate 2 squares and I ate 3 squares for lunch." Garfield: "Now I only have 5 squares left to eat for dinner!" Number sentence) 10-2-3=5

C. Closure- Ask for volunteers to share their examples of parts of speech with the class. Then, ask for volunteers to share their comic strips with the class (math and writing.) The class could even make a "comic strip book" with all the students´ work included.

VI. LESSON EVALUATION

A. Ask: "Did you find any part of this activity too hard or too easy?" "Which part was the most fun?" "Would you like to do this activity again using new vocabulary words as the dialogue?"

B. Students will hand in all comics to the teacher, who will shuffle them and then hand them back out (making sure no student receives their own.) Then, the students will assess each other´s work using the appropriate checklist. ESOL students will be graded as: satisfactory/ unsatisfactory. The students can benefit from assessing each other´s work because they can see the creativity and skills of their peers, and learn from each other.

C. Dialogue Checklist:
- parts of speech: one of each part of speech is used in dialogue____, the parts of speech are used correctly ____, the comic strip makes sense ____.
- math: the answer is given ____, the answer is correct ____, all information is provided to solve the problem ____.

VIII. ANTICIPATED USE OF TIME

5 minutes: teacher reads comic strip; students listen and answer questions.

5 minutes: teacher explains activity; students listen, generate examples.

20 minutes: teacher monitors class, models examples; students find words and numbers in the newspaper, write dialogues.

5 minutes: teacher listens, monitors class; students share comic strips

10 minutes: teacher gives directions; students assess comic strips

IX. ESOL STRATEGIES

1. Reading aloud to students; 9. Question and answer drills; 11. Representation; 12. Modeling; 17. Samples; 22. Participation; 29. Labeling and categorizing; 42. Stetson University grading; 52. Emphasize key words

Megan Wolfe
Stetson University

Copyright © 2008 NIE WORLD (www.nieworld.com). All content copyrighted and may not be republished without permission. The News-Journal has no control over and is not responsible for content on other Web sites. Privacy Policy.