Visual Voices: Graphic Novels & Multimodal Literacy in the ELA Classroom by Alexa Ruff

Graphic Memoir - Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

alexaruff4 — 2025-06-24 14:34:31 UTC

Persepolis is a foundational and moving graphic novel that explores identity, political conflict, and childhood through visual and linguistic semiotics. It integrates linguistic and visual modes that are ideal for ENL students. This text relates to Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory to foster deep personal response and discussion (Raudenbush, 2012). Additionally, it offers symbolic visuals to serve as cognitive scaffolds (Clabough, 2017).

Attached is a PDF version of the graphic novel. Additionally, linked, you will find Google Slides to help provide context and build background knowledge and an end-of-text Presentation Project.

References

Clabough, J. (2017). Using graphic novels to open the gateway for struggling readers. AMLE Magazine, 5(3), 23–25. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1944517050

Raudenbush, D. (2012). How to use the transactional theory to teach reading. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. https://education.seattlepi.com/use-transactional-theory-teach-reading-5828.html

Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. Pantheon Books.

Visual Collage Narrative - The Arrival by Shaun Tan

alexaruff4 — 2025-06-24 14:55:43 UTC

The Arrival allows all students, regardless of language proficiency, to engage deeply through visual semiotics, encouraging inference, empathy, and storytelling. The literary focus is on building empathy and multimodal communication skills (Clabough, 2017). This story is great for ENL support.

Follow the link to see great resources for this dynamic text. Ex: Students will each select a key image from the story, and in pairs or groups, create a visual collage that maps the narrative flow.

References

Clabough, J. (2017). Using graphic novels to open the gateway for struggling readers. AMLE Magazine, 5(3), 23-25. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fusing-graphic-novels-open-gateway-struggling%2Fdocview%2F1944517050%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067

Disability Equality in Education. (n.d.). El Deafo: Teaching resource unit [PDF]. DisabilityEqualityEducation.org. https://www.disabilityequalityeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/El-Deafo.pdf

Accessible Graphic Memoir - El Deafo by Cece Bell

alexaruff4 — 2025-06-24 15:05:20 UTC

This resource explicitly teaches students about how images convey emotions and meaning. It discusses hearing impairment by using visual cues and first-person narration. This resource focuses on visual semiotics, developing a personal narrative, and disability representation (Clabough, 2017); (Lawn, 2012).

Linked here is a week-long theatrical unit for " El Deafo." For example, one lesson has students performing scenes using gestures, speech, and emotions to represent Cece's experiences.

References

Clabough, J. (2017). Using graphic novels to open the gateway for struggling readers. AMLE Magazine, 5(3), 23–25. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1944517050

Lawn, J. (2012). Frame by frame: Understanding the appeal of the graphic novel for the middle years. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 20(1), 26–36.

Lesson: Visuals

alexaruff4 — 2025-06-24 19:16:25 UTC

Provide each student a panel without indicators to infer meaning. Then students will compare annotations and justify their choices. You can use panels from a previous graphic novel reading. This lesson will help promote critical image reading and understanding the vocabulary of visual design. Linked here is a rubric to help you assess student work.

Lesson: Mini-Graphic Memoirs

alexaruff4 — 2025-06-24 20:14:25 UTC

Have your students use a digital tool (Pixton, Google Drawings, Canva) to produce a one-page autobiographical comic. Apply the attached rubric as a grading guide.

Lesson Plan: Literature Circle

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-01 22:35:28 UTC

This lesson plan is a 2 to 3-day dive into graphic novels and group discussion. You can use any graphic novel you would like. Students will gain confidence in their ability to critically think about a multimodal text.

References:

Chall, J. (2025). Chall on stages of reading development. https://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-15/chall-on-stages-of-reading-development

Raudenbush, D. (2012). How to use the transactional theory to teach reading. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. https://education.seattlepi.com/use-transactional-theory-teach-reading-5828.html

Ted-Ed Video - Comics in the Classroom

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-02 02:40:23 UTC

Yang is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Yang argues for incorporating comics into education. He does a good job of highlighting how visuals and words together boost engagement, empathy, and critical thinking. His perspective aligns deeply with multimodal literacy principles and helps educators justify graphic novels in instruction!

After watching with students, have them reflect on how Yang's points resonate with their experiences with visual media.

References

Yang, G. L. (2016, June). Comics belong in the classroom [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/gene_luen_yang_comics_belong_in_the_classroom?language=en

YouTube Video - Making Comics

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-02 02:46:22 UTC

This highlights paneling, perspective, and pacing in a performative, engaging way. McCloud also posts videos of graphic artists live-sketching their sessions and narrating their creative choices.

Stream the video and ask students to note the visual strategies the artist uses. Then, have students follow a similar modeling session to create their own mini-graphic scene (Griffith, 2010).

References
Griffith, P. E. (2010). Graphic novels in the secondary classroom and school libraries. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(3), 181–189. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40961524

McCloud, S. (n.d.). Live sketching workshop: Behind the panels [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsiUbzbF3hY

Animated Documentary - Waltz and Bashir

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-02 02:51:53 UTC

This visually moving documentary, produced as animation over live action, exemplifies how visuals carry emotional and historical truth. Exposing students to multicultural media helps marginalized students feel they have a voice (Hughes-Hassell, 2013).

Show the clip from the film and have students annotate visual techniques that convey mood or trauma. Then compare with panels from March: Book Three to analyze cross-media representation of conflict and memory.

References

Folman, A. (Director). (2008). Waltz with Bashir [Film]. Bridgit Folman Film Gang; Sony Pictures Classics.

Hughes-Hassell, S. (2013). Multicultural young adult literature as a form of counter-storytelling. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 83(3).

Graphic Novel - March: Book Three by John Lewis

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-02 15:20:07 UTC

March: Book Three is the last installment in the autobiographical graphic novel trilogy chronicling John Lewis’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an excellent example of historical nonfiction told through a multimodal narrative. This text provides a meaningful way to teach symbolic imagery, political rhetoric, and historical empathy through panels that are emotionally and semiotically rich (Lawn, 2012).

Students create a one-page graphic storyboard of a historical moment from their own cultural background or family history.

References

Lawn, J. (2012). Frame by frame: Understanding the appeal of the graphic novel for the middle years. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 20(1), 26–36.

Lewis, J., Aydin, A., & Powell, N. (2016). March: Book Three. Top Shelf Productions.

Interactive Digital Story - Inanimate Alice

alexaruff4 — 2025-07-02 15:36:45 UTC

Inanimate Alice is a series combining text, imagery, audio, and interactive elements to tell Alice’s story. It can help in teaching digital literacy, multimodal narrative structures, and cultural awareness. offering immersion beyond traditional text (Lawn, 2012). This is a paid resource, so talk to your administrators about integrating it into your classroom.

References

Alice Team. (2005–present). Inanimate Alice [Interactive digital story]. Inanimate Alice. https://inanimatealice.com

Lawn, J. (2012). Frame by frame: Understanding the appeal of the graphic novel for the middle years. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 20(1), 26–36.