Exploring Comic Strips

Unit: Exploring Media Messages – Lesson 7 of 8

Grade: 6
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 24 students (including diverse learners as described)
Location: Sutton, Ontario

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Curriculum Expectations

This lesson aligns with the Ontario Language Curriculum, Grade 6 (The Ontario Curriculum, English Language Arts and Literacy, 2006, revised 2023):

• Reading: 1.1 – Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of texts by identifying some important ideas and some supporting details.
• Reading: 1.3 – Make inferences about texts using stated and implied ideas from the text as support.
• Media Literacy: 1.4 – Identify some techniques that an author uses to communicate meaning and influence the audience.
• Writing: 2.1 – Generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience (through comic creation).

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Learning Goals / I Can Statements

• I can identify storytelling elements used in a comic strip (such as characters, setting, plot, dialogue).
• I can discuss one message conveyed through a comic’s imagery and words.
• I can create a comic strip to communicate a message about a current event (extension).

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Success Criteria

• I can point out key storytelling elements in a comic strip and explain their role.
• I can describe at least one message or theme conveyed by the comic through its images.
• (Extension) I can plan and draw my own comic strip to share an idea about what’s happening in the world today.

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Materials

• Printed copies of simple, dyslexia-friendly comic strips (with high contrast, clean font e.g., Comic Sans or Arial, and simplified text).
• Copies of a more complex comic strip for advanced learners.
• Graphic Organizers: Story Elements Chart (characters, setting, problem, resolution).
• Whiteboard and markers/scanner for group discussion.
• Blank comic strip templates for extension activity.
• Visual timetable / step-by-step lesson outline displayed.

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Classroom Setup & Grouping

• Flexible seating clusters to encourage peer support and discussion.
• Small groups for guided reading, especially with lower-level readers and children with IEPs.
• Quiet area for students with autism or ADHD needing sensory breaks or reduced stimuli.

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Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction (7 minutes)

• Activate prior knowledge: “Who reads comic strips or graphic novels? What makes them fun or interesting?”
• Introduce the concept: Comic strips are a media format that uses pictures and words to tell stories and share messages.
• Share today’s I Can statements and success criteria on the board for visual reference.

Ontario Curriculum Links:

Focus on Media Literacy 1.4 with linguistic and visual aspects.

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2. Guided Exploration (15 minutes)

• Distribute two types of comic strips:

  • Group A (lower-reading levels/dyslexia-friendly): Simple three-panel comics with explicit imagery and straightforward text.
  • Group B (higher-reading levels): A single, more complex comic strip with subtler messaging and more text.

• Use a Story Elements Graphic Organizer together: Identify characters, setting, problem, and solution or story outcome with the whole class for one comic strip on the board.

• Guided questions for lower-level groups (examples):

  • “Who are the characters?”
  • “Where does the story happen?”
  • “What problem do the characters face?”
  • “How is the problem solved?”
  • “What do you think the comic is trying to tell us or show us?”

• For advanced students:

  • “What themes or messages can you infer beyond what the characters say?”
  • “How do the images help communicate that message?”
  • “Why might the author have chosen this style or these words?”

Differentiation:

• Provide sentence starters (e.g., “The main character is...”, “The comic teaches us that...”) for struggling writers or ELL students.
• Picture symbols to support comprehension for students with autism.
• Use peer partners to boost confidence and engagement.

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3. Whole Group Discussion (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a short class discussion:
  • Which storytelling elements did we find?
  • What messages did we discover?
  • How did pictures and words work together?
• Write student responses on the board, help expand vocabulary (media literacy terms like “message,” “story,” “imagery,” “speech bubble”).

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4. Independent/Extension Activity (10 minutes)

• Option 1: Independent (most students) – Complete the graphic organizer for a second comic strip or discuss verbally with a partner.
• Option 2: Extension (advanced learners/early finishers) – Begin planning their own comic strip about a current event (e.g., local news, environmental issues, school life).
  • Provide blank comic strip templates.
  • Encourage brainstorming with a simple prompt: “What message about today’s world do you want to share?”

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5. Wrap-Up and Reflection (3 minutes)

• Quick round: Each student says one thing they learned about comic strips.
• Remind students of next lesson focus (Lesson 8: Creating Media Messages).
• Collect graphic organizers and encourage students to keep their comic strip ideas for next class.

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Assessment

• Informal assessment through observation and participation during group discussion.
• Review completed graphic organizers to assess understanding of comic storytelling elements and ability to identify messages.
• Extension comic strip planning will show ability to apply knowledge creatively.

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Differentiation Strategies Summary:

• Lower-level readers: Simplified texts, guided questions, sentence starters, graphic supports.
• Students with IEPs: Small group support, visual cues, peer buddies, reduced verbal demands.
• Students with ADHD: Frequent check-ins, movement breaks, seating close to teacher.
• Students with Autism: Predictable routine, visual schedule, clear instructions, sensory tools available.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Options

• Use high-contrast printed comics with sans-serif fonts.
• Short sentences, fewer words per speech bubble.
• Line guides and coloured overlays available during reading.
• Read aloud comics or paired reading options.

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Teacher Reflection / Notes

• Note engagement levels of students with special needs; adapt timing as needed.
• Capture students’ comic strip ideas for sharing next lesson.
• Consider cross-curricular extension into Visual Arts or Social Studies for the comic creation project.

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Prepared by: [Your Name]
Date: [Insert Date]
Location: Sutton, Ontario