Don’t Be Afraid of The Graphic Classroom
May 1, 2008
We should probably notice the trend of Manga and other comic literature making its way into the hands of students everywhere, but perhaps we shouldn’t be so fast to pull it away from them. The Graphic Classroom is a blog dedicated to helping teachers and librarians find high-quality literature in the form of graphic novels and comics. There are recommendations for different grade levels, ranging from illustrated classics like Treasure Island for middle schoolers to Art Spiegelman’s astonishing graphic novel Maus for ages 15 and up.
You can search the blog for ideas of graphic literature to use in your classroom, and even find some ideas of what is not recommended. (Journey Into Mohawk Land? Yeah, probably not…) Graphic lit is a medium that is as important as any in today’s age, so it is just as important for educators to understand how to teach it. Let your students know about Free Comic Book Day, which is this Saturday May 3rd. The Graphic Classroom recommends the anthology Graphic Classics, which includes stories by Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Shelley. -JEREMY S. GRIFFIN
