Possible Schedule for 5 week MAUS unit

Week One: Focus on Introducing Graphic Novels and The Holocaust

Introduce Graphic Novels

o Bring in samples to share/show

o Use the Journal Comic as an activity for the class

o Handout – Comic Teminology

Holocaust Scavenger Hunt

Holocaust Powerpoint for background knowledge

Start Reading Maus I

Optional Study Guide (Book One)

Week Two: Focus on Elements of MAUS I

Characterization Chart (as partial review of characters so far)

Making Inferences (based on discussion questions and images from book)

Writing: Essay about how the understanding would be different if in traditional text format. (or choose any of

the discussion questions)

Unit Test on Book One (based on study guide questions)

Week Three : Focus on Propaganda

Propaganda Powerpoint

Propaganda Scavenger hunt

Propaganda Techniques (glossary) and Seek and Find (HW)

WRITING: Students write an essay in response to a quote about propaganda

Optional Study Guide (Book Two)

Introduce Book Two

Week Four : Focus on Maus II

Fiction Elements (powerpoint)

Vocabulary – Acrostic Style

Create found poem

Writing- A-Z based on the story (summary, essay, review, story, etc. )

Unit Test on Book Two (based on study guide questions)

Week Five: Focus on Creating a Comic

Story ideas

o Need a Story Idea (use this to find a sense of plot and conflict)

Create Your Own graphic story

o Text image relationship handout

o Comic book creation

o Create your own comic rubric

Present graphic stories to the class

Resources and Activities for MAUS and other Graphic Novels

NPR interview with Spiegelman

Article in Mother Jones by Spiegelman “Getting in Touch with My Inner Racist”

LaGuardia Community College collection of resources and lessons for MAUS

Teaching Comics is a site with all the lessons, templates, resources, and samples to create your own comics or teach

others how.

The Graphic Classroom is a blog promoting high level comic novels in the classroom

Comics in the Classroom is a blog for graphic novel reviews

Activities

Free Choice Graphic Novel

Select an additional graphic novel from the classroom library (or your own find) to read. Using what you are learning

about graphic novels, write a reflection about the one you have chosen. Reflection should include a plot summary, a

major theme, -- how might the theme or topic differ if it were presented in a traditional text? What are your

impressions of visual presentation of text and imagery (are there words? How does text interact with imagery? What

are the effects of color use, angles and perspective, facial / body expression, realistic or fantastical illustration? There is

a lot you can think and write about your book! Use page numbers to support your ideas (where page numbers exist) or

use numbered Post-It notes to mark your text.

Comics and Poetry

Comics and Poetry: Every word in a poem counts. A word conjures an image, images juxtaposed to create something

new or suggest something elusive. Comics, like poetry, are about simplifying and paring down. There is only so much

space on a page and every mark must count. Visual concerns are crucial for both mediums. A cartoonist cascades panels

across a page as a poet decides the placement of each line and letter. Create a twelve panel grid and have text in each

panel that alternatively begins "I used to believe/but now I know."

Found Poem

Find 20 to 30 of the most significant words, phrases from the book. Write them on individual strips of paper and then

glue them onto another page to create a poem.

Acrostic Vocabulary

Use vocabulary from the text to create an acrostic that defines the word in a creative way (In other words—don’t just write a synonym for each letter). Conclude by writing a sentence that defines the word in context. RASH Really Acting Swiftly, sometimes Harshly Vladek had to make a rash decision in order to save his family.

Write an A-Z story This is a way to create a story or summary that will make students think outside the box and force them to make changes to sentence structure and length. This is a 26 sentence story (or summary, or essay). The first sentence starts with a word that starts with the letter A, the second sentence starts with a word that starts with the letter B, etc.

Making Inferences

Photocopy and blow up select images from the book and discuss the inferences that can be made. If applicable, white

out the writing so that the image portrays the message. Ask students what can be inferred by the image.

Discussion Questions for Maus I and Maus II

1. Why do you think Spiegelman makes the Jews mice? 2. Does Spiegelman use stereotypes in Maus and if so, how? 3. How are stereotypes harmful? 4. Graphic novels appeal to a variety of people. There are a variety of graphic novel genres such as fantasy, super-

hero, non-fiction, etc. Have you read graphic novels in the past? How did Maus compare? Graphically speaking what appealed to you? What did not?

5. Did you find the graphic novel an effective way to tell this story? 6. Whose story is this? 7. What does Maus do that pure text narratives cannot? In what ways do Spiegelman's crude drawings help us

visualize things that words alone, or more "realistic" images, might be unable to portray? How does Maus differ, both in its subject matter and visual format, from other comic books you have read?

8. One of the problems inherent in representing human beings as cats and mice is that animals have a narrower range of facial expression. Are Spiegelman's animals as emotionally expressive as human characters might be? If so, what means does the cartoonist use to endow his mice and cats with "human" characteristics?

9. On page 23, Vladek asks his son to refrain from telling the story of his youthful involvement with Lucia Greenberg, claiming that "it has nothing to do with Hitler, with the Holocaust." Artie argues that this story "makes everything more human." Which of these statements do you agree with? Should the Holocaust be treated as an event so catastrophic that it makes private experience irrelevant? How do other books and films about the Holocaust, like Schindler's List, Night, or The Painted Bird, deal with this predicament?

10. Why do you think some Jews assisted the Germans, either by policing the ghettos or by informing on their people (see pp. 113 and 117)?

11. Why might Vladek still send gift packages to Haskel, who betrayed his in-laws (p. 118)? 12. In Vladek's place, would you do the same thing? 13. Maus contains several moments of comedy. Most of these take place during the exchanges between Artie,

Vladek, and Mala. But humor even finds a place in the ghetto and the bunker, for example on page 119, when the cake sold to the starving Jews of Srodula turns out to have been made with laundry soap. What is the effect of this humor? Was it inaccurate or "wrong" of Spiegelman to have included such episodes within his survivor's tale?

14. Note 4 or 5 panels where Vladek's character traits are evident. Do the same for Art. 15. Pick five adjectives that describe Vladek's personality. Do the same for Art. 16. What are some of the central characteristics of the Auschwitz that Vladek experienced? 17. How does it compare to Dachau? Note which panels convey this information. 18. To what extent is Vladek's story typical of what Jews experienced during the Holocaust? In what ways is it not

typical? 19. From these books do you get a sense of what caused the Holocaust? Select some panels that indicate how Art or

Vladek might explain why the Holocaust happened. 20. What reasons does Art have for researching and recording his father's story? Is this book fiction? If not, explain

how mice can talk in the real world. 21. How do you think Vladek and Anja survive Auschwitz? 22. Why do you think Anja kills herself? 23. Explain what you believe will happen to Vladek and Mala’s marriage? 24. What will happen with Vladek and Art’s relationship? Why? 25. Why did Spiegelman write this book? Why did he call it Maus? 26. Why did Spiegelman portray his father’s story as a comic strip?

27. Maus portrays the Holocaust or a genocide. A genocide is a deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group . Do you know of any recent genocides? How are these genocides similar to the Holocaust? How are they different?

28. What would you have done if you were a Jew living in Poland during the Second World War? What would you have done if you were a Pole? A German? Why?

29. How did people survive in Poland during the Second World War? How do you think these survivors felt after the war? Why?

30. In Maus, Art interviews Vladek about the Holocaust. How reliable do you think Vladek’s memory is? Why? 31. What happens to people who live under a terror regime for a long period of time? Should people adapt to a

terror regime? Explain. 32. Look at the story about Vladek's father's efforts to keep his sons out of the army on pages 45 and 46. What irony

can you find in this story? 33. It's interesting to see some of the ways the author separates Vladek telling his story in the present from the

actual story in the past. Can you find some examples of these techniques in this chapter? 34. In the "Parshas Truma" episode on pages 57 to 59, we see an example of Vladek's sense of faith and fate. Later

in the story, we will see and hear a similar story about Vladek's "number". We see that Vladek is being superstitious. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Support your choice.

35. Why are Art's mother's diaries are so important to him. Why do you think he might want them? 36. What happened to little Richieu? When Vladek begins telling this story on page 81, the first three rows of panels

are set in the past, while the bottom three panels return us to the present and show the old Vladek pedaling his stationary bicycle. Why do you think Spiegelman chooses to conclude this anecdote in this manner?

37. In the concluding sections of this book Spiegelman's mice seem to become more "mouse-like." How does the author accomplish this? What reason might he have for doing so?

38. On page 131, Artie brings up the issue of stereotypes. Why is it important to him that in his book Maus, Vladek should not appear as simply "the racist caricature of the miserly old Jew"?

39. Do you think that Anja and Vladek would approve of this ending? (why, or why not). 40. Why do you like, or dislike, the ending of Maus? 41. Do you feel that you have heard the whole story? (why, or why not). 42. Why might you want to read Maus II? 43. On page 149 Vladek is almost betrayed by a group of schoolchildren. What stories did Poles tell their children

about Jews? How do you think such stories—and perhaps similar stories told by German parents—helped pave the way for the Final Solution?

44. What kind of man—or mouse—is Vladek Spiegelman? What details does Spiegelman use to establish his character? What traits do you think enabled him to survive events in which the overwhelming majority of Jews were killed?

45. The opening pages of Maus portray Vladek Spiegelman as an old man. Only later, when Vladek is telling his story, do we see him as he was in his thirties. What differences do you see between the old Vladek and the young one who emerges in his memories? How do you account for these changes in his character?

46. How does Spiegelman establish the old Vladek's "foreignness"? In what specific ways, for example, does his speech differ from his son's? Why does the author show the young, remembered Vladek, as well as his family, speaking "normal" English?

47. How would you sum up the character of Artie? How would you compare him with his father? What things about Vladek irritate him? Which of Artie's traits does Vladek seem incapable of understanding? In what ways do you think Vladek has influenced his son?

48. How does the author portray Anja as a young woman, and later as a depressed and suicidal older one? How are your earlier perceptions of her altered by the comic-within-a-comic "Prisoner on the Hell Planet"? If Anja had written a suicide note, what might it have said?

49. What is your reaction to Mala's sudden departure? 50. Artie's therapist, Pavel, says:

"You think it's admirable to survive. Does that mean it's not admirable to not survive?" What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?

51. Artie quotes a line by Samuel Beckett: "Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness." What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?

52. Artie wonders why the Jews in Auschwitz did not try harder to resist the Nazis. What risks were connected to resisting the Nazis? What were the advantages of cooperating with the Nazis? What was an obvious disadvantage of always cooperating with the Nazis?

53. Francoise picks up a friendly hitch-hiker; but Vladek is outraged. Why does Vladek object so strongly to the hitch-hiker? What does Vladek think the hitch-hiker will do? Does this incident surprise you, considering how well Vladek usually gets along with strangers?

54. On pages 102 and 103 we once again see conflict between Artie and Vladek. What is Vladek's main concern? What blocks Vladek from readily achieving his goal? What is Artie's main concern? What blocks Artie from readily achieving his own goal?

One Page Comic Book Story Name_________________________________Creating a one page journal comic entry:

STEP 1 Draw a full figure cartoon version of yourself.

STEP 4Utilize the template provided, and complete your one journal comic entry. Ink your drawing, erase pencils, and keep your letteringlegible. Use of white-out is okay.

STEP 2Think of an event that has happened to you within the pastweek at school. Describe the event in the space above.

STEP 3 Script your dialog and sketch your scenes in the space above.

Page

Panel/frame

Gutter (spacebetween panels)

"Camera" anglesshot-reverse shotclose uplong shot

Splash panel. Also, splash page (if full page)

Bleed (image runsoff page) Also, fullbleed, image runsoff page on all sides.

Borderless panel

Thought balloon/bubble

Speech balloon/bubble

Emanata

Narrativebox/voice-over

Other terms

Spread: two facing pages in a printed bookRecto/verso: technical terms for pages in a spread. Recto = right page, verso = left pagePrinter’s spread: the layout of pages for printing. Not the same as a spread in a printed book. Thumbnail: a rough sketch of a comic, delineating placement of figures, word balloons, and background elements, as well as content of word balloons.Pencil: a relatively defined drawing preliminary to the final inked stage. Inks: the final stage of a comics drawing (applying ink to the pencil guidelines)Mockup: a rough layout of pages to plan a bookPaste-up: the final artwork pages ready for printingIndicia: important copyight and other legal information printed in a book, usually at the beginning.

Comics Terminology

This document is free for non-commercial educational use.See http://www.teachingcomics.org/copy.php for complete copyright information.

The English Teacher’s Friend www.EnglishTeachersFriend.com

The Holocaust

Scavenger Hunt Complete all items on the list. Name: __________________________

1. Attach an article from the past six months about a country that is experiencing genocide and provide a brief explanation of the situation.

2. The National Day of Remembrance is the anniversary of what event?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. What was tattooed on Elie Wiesel’s left arm? __________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

4. List five movies that depict The Holocaust. Name movie, year and director.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

5. Interview someone who lived during World War II and ask them what they know about

the Holocaust . Attach the results of your interview. Ask at least five questions.

6. Attach an image of a concentration camp. Include name and information.

7. What happened at Hartheim castle during WW2?

_____________________________________________________________

8. When was Elie Wiesel liberated from the concentration camps?

9. When did he first write about the Holocaust?

10. What was his reason for the length of time between liberation and writing about his

ordeal? _________________________________________________________________

The English Teacher’s Friend www.EnglishTeachersFriend.com

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

11. What was the Warsaw Ghetto? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

12. How many weeks was Night on the New York Times Bestseller list?

The English Teacher’s Friend www.EnglishTeachersFriend.com

The Great Depression

Scavenger Hunt Answers 1.Answers vary 2. the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

3. His inmate number, "A-7713", was tattooed onto his left arm 4. Answers Vary –Run an internet search to check the answers 5. Interview attached 6. Attachment 7. Hartheim castle, a euthanasia killing center where 30,000 people with physical and

mental disabilities were killed by gassing and lethal injection

8. April 1945 9. 1954 10. Stated that he needed the time to find the words. 11. The largest ghetto in Poland was the Warsaw ghetto, where over 400,000 Jews were

crowded into an area of 1.3 square miles.

12. 80

Study Guide MAUS: Book One

1. What is your first impression of Vladek Spiegelman? What does his remark about friends suggest about his

personality? How does it foreshadow revelations later in the book?

2. Did you think about why the picture of Vladek riding his exercise bicycle takes up so many panels on the page?

What is that number on his arm?

3. What conflict will Art have in writing this book?

4. Why is Chapter One called "The Sheik"?

5. What three things does Artie say have "taken their toll" on his father?

6. True or False. Anja came from a very rich family.

7. True or False. Vladek married Anja for her money.

8. What has happened to Artie's mother?

9. How does Vladek get along with Mala, his second wife? What kind of things do they argue about?

10. How long has it been since Artie last visited his father? What do you think is responsible for their separation?

11. How does Vladek respond when Artie first asks him about his life in Poland? Why might he be reluctant to talk

about those years?

12. Describe Vladek's relationship with Lucia Greenberg. How was he introduced to Anja Zylberberg? Why do you

think he chose her over Lucia?

13. What do you think about the characters speaking instead of the story being narrated? How does this affect the story?

14. We're seeing new animal characters in this chapter--pigs and cats. Do you think Mr. Spiegelman wants us to see

each individual in a race or nationality as like all the others? How can you identify a specific character's picture?

15. What have you learned so far about treatment of the Jewish people at the beginning of World War II?

16. Can you find some contrasts in this chapter?

17. Where do Anja and Vladek go, when Anja is suffering from post-partum depression?

18. How can we easily tell that Richieu's governess, (nanny), is a non-Jewish Pole?

19. Why doesn't Vladek tell the young doctor about his left eye?

20. What is Vladek doing when Artie comes to visit him? How does his health figure elsewhere in the book?

21. How does Vladek become wealthy?

22. What does Vladek see while traveling through Czechoslovakia?

23. Why does the artist place a swastika in the background of the panels that depict the plight of Jews in Hitler's

Germany (p. 33)? Why, on page 125, is the road that Vladek and Anja travel on their way back to Sosnowiec also

shaped like a swastika? What other symbolic devices does the author use in this book?

24. Do you think that the diagram on page 56 and the map on page 60 help to tell the story? Why?

25. Mr. Spiegelman has characters wear masks at different times in the book. Vladek wears one on page 64. Why

does the author use this device?

26. Why does Vladek leave Anja and Richieu? a) he was in the Polish Reserves Army. b) he received a draft notice

to report for duty. c) Germany is ready to invade Poland. d) all of these.

27. As a soldier, Vladek fights in one battle. What does he do? a) gets in trouble for having cold gun. b) gets in

trouble for having warm gun. c) shoots a "tree." d) gets captured. e) all of these.

28. On page 51, how does the German officer know that Vladek is not used to physical labor?

29. What kind of work does Vladek do for the Germans?

30. ( T / F ) Vladek is lazy: he works as little as he possibly can?

31. How often does "Parshas Truma" occur?

32. List 3 important events in Vladek's life, which happened during a "Parshas Truma" week.

33. Why does the Orbach family help Vladek? (support your opinion with references to the text).

34. ( T / F ) Vladek actually wears a "Polish" mask on the train.

35. On page 65, we hear about Vladek's father being humiliated by German soldiers.

Why did the Germans act that way? What motivations might the Germans have had?

36. What happens to Artie's coat? What motivates Vladek? Why is Artie upset?

37. When Artie refused to finish his food as a child, what did Vladek do? How does he characterize Anja's leniency

with their son?

38. Why was Vladek's father so reluctant to let him serve in the Polish army? How did he keep himself out?

39. What is the meaning of the beard and skullcap that Vladek's father is shown wearing in the panels on page 46?

What happens to his beard later on?

40. How does Vladek feel after shooting the German soldier?

41. How did the Germans treat Vladek and other Jewish prisoners after transporting them to the Reich? How was

this different from their treatment of Polish P.O.W.'s?

42. How does Vladek arrange to be reunited with his wife and son? What visual device does Spiegelman use to show

him disguising himself as a Polish Gentile?

43. Did you think about some of the choices that had to be made in this chapter? What would you have decided in

the same situations?

44. We see some Jews who have been hanged by the Germans. What other "noose" is tightening in chapter 4?

45. In Chapter 4, on page 77, we see Vladek dealing in the "black market". How does he make money this way?

Why would there be laws making this illegal?

46. On page 79, why is Anja's father "so unhappy!" He has already been cheated out of his factories. Why would a

bit of furniture upset him so much?

47. On page 82, we hear the term "ghetto". What does that word mean to you? What did it mean to the Jews in

Poland?

48. On 83, why are the men/mice hanging? Who are those men/mice? What was their crime?

49. After seeing his business associates hanging, why does Vladek continue with his "black market" dealings? Does

he consider his dealings to be immoral or just illegal?

50. Describe the activities depicted in the family dinner scene on pages 74-76. What do they tell you about the

Zylberbergs?

51. Although Jews were allowed only limited rations under the Nazi occupation, Vladek manages to circumvent

these restrictions for a while. What methods does he use to support himself and his family?

52. During the brutal mass arrest depicted on page 80, Vladek is framed by a panel shaped like a Jewish star. How

does this device express his situation at that moment?

53. What happened to Vladek's father? What does the scene on pages 90-91 suggest about the ways in which some

Jews died and others survived?

54. Why doesn’t Art and his father get along? Can you find some answers in this chapter?

55. "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" uses people as characters rather than animals. Why does the author do this? Why

is Art portrayed as a prisoner?

56. What are some of the "mouse holes" in this chapter? How does this device help to support the cat and mouse

metaphor?

57. List two reasons why is Artie unwilling to help Vladek fix the drain pipe?

58. Why is Vladek unfriendly to Artie on page 98? What is going on here?

59. Why does Anja's suicide seem so much more disturbing to us than the other deaths we have seen in Maus? Do

the "mouse faces" have something to do with this?

60. Why do you think Art Spiegelman chose to include "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" in Maus? Couldn't he have just

mentioned that comic, instead of showing it to us?

61. Is Maus a better book, because Art Spiegelman chose to share his mother's suicide?

62. How does Richieu die? What is Tosha's motivation? How does Vladek feel about this?

63. Describe three separate hide-away bunkers that we see in Chapter 5. Which works best?

64. What happens to the informer who betrays Vladek's family? What was your reaction?

65. How do Vladek and Anja escape from Srodula? Did this surprise you? Why or why not?

66. Why does Artie claim that he became an artist?

67. How does the comic strip "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" depict Artie and his family? How did you feel on learning

that Artie has been hospitalized for a nervous breakdown? Why do you think he has chosen to draw himself

dressed in a prison uniform? What is the effect of seeing these mice suddenly represented as human beings?

68. Why did Anja finally consent to send Richieu away? Was his death "better" than the fate of the children depicted

on page 108?

69. What eventually happens to the "mouse" who informed on the Spiegelmans? What becomes of Haskel, who

refused to save Vladek's in-laws even though he accepted their jewels?

70. What does the incident on pages 118 and 119 tell us about relations between Jews and Germans? Does the

knowledge that some Nazis fraternized with their victims make their crimes more or less horrible?

71. How did Vladek care for Anja after the destruction of the Srodula ghetto? Contrast his behavior toward his first

wife, during the worst years of the war, with the way he now treats Mala.

72. Vladek and Anja have escaped capture until this point. How are the "mice" finally trapped?

73. On page 133, Vladek says "Yes. I know already my story by heart, and even I am interested". What does he

mean? Why did Mala assume that Vladek would be interested?

74. Vladek compares Artie to Walt Disney. Why does this seem so funny to Artie? Would Artie ever think of himself

as similar to Walt Disney? Why might we compare those two cartoonists?

75. Mrs. Motonowa, a seller of black market goods, hides Vladek and Anja in her own home. Why does she choose

to take such a risk? What is her primary motivation? What hints do we get which help us to determine this?

What other hints do we get that might change our view?

76. Even though Vladek and Anja have a hiding place with Mrs. Motonowa, Vladek decides to go to Hungary. Why is

this important to him? Why is Anja so afraid of leaving Poland?

77. Why does Vladek choose to trust the smugglers? What mistake has Vladek made? How is this situation similar

to when Vladek's cousin first introduces him to Anja, back on page 16?

78. Spiegelman is using a technique known as foreshadowing. Why is this effective in helping us to better

understand Vladek's strengths and weaknesses as a character?

79. Given the fact that the Spiegelmans are "mice," what is the significance of the panels on page 147, in which

Vladek and Anja's hiding place turns out to be infested with rats? Why might the author have portrayed this

incident?

80. After Vladek and Anja are arrested, Vladek still finds a way to make himself useful. Why is this always such an

important thing to Vladek? What does he gain by his actions?

81. How are Vladek and Anja eventually captured? What is the significance of the letter from Mandelbaum's

nephew (p. 154)?

82. Art Spiegelman dedicates Maus to Anja. He also thanks Mala, his wife Francoise, and

six other friends who gave moral support and encouragement to him while he wrote Maus. Surprisingly,

Spiegelman does not thank Vladek. He ends Maus with Artie walking away, still calling Vladek a "murderer."

What does this ending tell us about the relationship between Artie and Vladek?

83. Why do you think Art Spiegelman chose this particular ending for Maus?

84. What does Vladek mean when he says that reading Artie's comic makes him "interested" in his own story (p.

133)? Is this statement just a product of broken English, or does it reveal some deeper truth about what

happens when we record our personal histories?

Characterization in Maus

Character Relationships Past/Present/Both Traits Quote (to prove a trait)

Propaganda / Bias

Scavenger Hunt Complete all items on the list. Name: __________________________ 1. Attach an item from a newspaper or magazine that represents propaganda.

2. Attach an image of the World War II posters featuring Rosie the Redditor.

3. Attach an example of a slogan used for propaganda.

4. Who created this political cartoon of 1941 War propaganda: _________________________________ 5. Who received the NCTE George Orwell Award in 2005? _ _________________________________________

6. What is Richard Alan Nelson’s definition of propaganda? ___________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Visit two news websites of opposite political spectrum, such as FOX News and MSNBC . View their

article on the SAME topic. Attach copies of the same topic and note here how they each addressed the

topic differently: ____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

8. Which of the following is the correct definition of “bandwagon.” a. creates fear and arouses prejudice by using negative words (bad names) to create an unfavorable opinion or hatred against a group, beliefs, ideas or institutions b. only presents information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omits information contrary c. creates the impression of widespread support; join us or be left out d. attempts to convince by presenting it (the idea, person, etc,) as the least offensive option

9. Write a propagandized report of a well-known fairy tale. Attach.

10. Create a poster that propagandizes a school-related issue. Attach and write which propaganda

technique(s) you used: _____________________________________________________________

Propaganda / Bias

Scavenger Hunt Answers 1. Answers vary 2. Image of poster should be attached. 3. Answers vary 4. Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess) 5. Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" Cast (http://www.ncte.org/volunteer/groups/publiclangcom/orwellaward ) 6. "Propaganda is neutrally defined as a systematic form of purposeful persuasion that attempts to influence the emotions, attitudes, opinions, and actions of specified target audiences for ideological, political or commercial purposes through the controlled transmission of one-sided messages (which may or may not be factual) via mass and direct media channels. A propaganda organization employs propagandists who engage in propagandism—the applied creation and distribution of such forms of persuasion.” Richard Alan Nelson, A Chronology and Glossary of Propaganda in the United States (1996) pp. 232-233 7. Answers vary 8. C 9. Answers vary 10. Answers vary

Some more definitions to consider:

Accuracy free from error; fact; truth Arguments a process for reasoning Bias describes a preference toward a certain perspective and therefore removes objectivity. Contradiction a direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency Deductive reasoning reasoning from general to the particular (or cause to effect) Evidence something that proves or disproves Inductive reasoning reasoning from detailed to the general Inference to make assumptions or guess based on evidence Objectivity not influenced by prejudice or bias Paradox a statement that could be seen as true but also untrue Validity legally sound

Propaganda Techniques

Ad hominem attacking your opponent instead of attacking their

arguments

Ad nauseam tireless repetition of an idea so that people begin to

take it as truth. Media plays a large role.

Appeal to authority quoting or using prominent people to suport

their position

Appeal to fear seeks to build support by instilling fear, anxiety, and

panic in the general population

Appeal to prejudice using loaded terms to attach value or moral

goodness to believing in the position

Assertion Assertion is commonly used in advertising and modern

propaganda. An assertion is an enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true

Bandwagon persuades people that “everyone else is doing it” so

you should too

Black-and-white fallacy presenting only two choices

Common man convinces the audience that the position reflects

the common sense of the people, for the everyday common man

Demonizing the enemy making individual from the opposing

group appear subhuman, worthless, or immoral through suggestion or flase accusations

Direct order tells the audience exactly what to do

Disinformation creating or deleting information from public records to make false record of an event or

actions

Euphoria Use an event that generates happiness (military parades)

Half-truth a deceptive statement which has some truth like a double meaning or improper punctuation

Intentional vagueness generalities are intentionally vague so the audience can fill in the blanks

Lesser of Two Evils The "lesser of two evils" technique tries to convince us of an idea or proposal by

presenting it as the least offensive option

Logical fallacy a misleading or false argument, one that does not follow logically

Name-calling incites fears and arouses prejudices

Quotes out of context selectively editing quotes to change meanings

Red herring presents data or issues that are irrelevant to the argument

Scapegoating assigns blame to an individual or group to distract attention from the need to fix the problem

Slogans brief, striking phrase that may include labeling and stereotyping.

Spin a heavily biased argument

Stereotyping used to arouse prejudices by labeling the object/person as something that the audience fears

Propaganda Seek and Find As you read literature, magazines, newspapers, onine media and more, list the examples you find of propaganda.

Propaganda technique:

Source Description

Study Guide MAUS II

1. In some cases, survival can be a matter of luck. How has Vladek been lucky?

2. The Holocaust is about one group trying to dominate another group. Can you find examples of a parallel in the

Spiegelman family?

3. Who is Francoise? Why is Art Spiegelman unsure of how to draw her?

4. Vladek calls and says that he has had a heart attack. What really happened?

5. How does Artie feel about Richieu?

6. Compare Francoise to Anja and Mala: (the other two major female characters in Maus).

-List positive attributes of each of these characters.

-List any negative attributes of each of these characters.

-List the reasons that each of these characters might appeal to Artie.

7. Vladek makes a huge fuss about matches and salt, even though they are very inexpensive.

-Why is this so important to Vladek?

-Why might this be a problem for him in his life?

8. The Karps are also Auschwitz survivors.

-How are they similar to Vladek?

-How is their situation different than Vladek's?

9. Do Artie and Francoise have a restful vacation at Vladek's bungalow in the Catskills?

-Why or why not?

10. Vladek continues to tell his story to Artie. We see our first glimpses of the living nightmare which was

Auschwitz. Vladek says: "They took from us our papers, our clothes and our hair..."

-What does he specifically mean by this statement?

-Why did the Germans process new arrivals to Auschwitz in this manner?

11. Consider how clothes were given to the prisoners. Why did the Germans use this method?

12. A fellow prisoner, who is a Polish priest, tells Vladek about his number.

-List three reasons why Vladek's number is auspicious.

-How do these details help Vladek to better cope with the conditions of Auschwitz?

13. Why is Mandelbaum's situation funny? Why is it sad?

14. How is Vladek able to help the Kapo? How does this benefit Vladek? Mandelbaum?

15. Vladek tells Artie a story about playing Bingo at The Pines.

-Why is this story important enough to include in Maus II?

-How might it help us to have more sympathy for the old man version of Vladek?

16. In some cases, survival can be a matter of luck. How has Vladek been lucky?

17. In this chapter Art is a human wearing a mouse mask as he works at his drawing board. What's that about? And

why are there flies and bodies in the room and a guard tower outside the window?

18. Art shrinks in size when he goes to visit his shrink. Why?

19. What is Art's problem in this chapter? Why is he struggling so much?

20. Vladek seems especially eager to tell Art about how he helped to dismantle the gas chambers and ovens at

Auschwitz. Why is this so important to him?

21. When was Nadja Mouly Spiegelman born? Did Vladek or Anja ever get to see her during their lifetimes?

22. Why do you think Artie has "shrunk-down" to child size? What point is Spiegelman trying to make?

23. After the session with Pavel, Artie "grows-back" into his normal size. How can you explain this?

24. Artie listens to his conversation with Vladek, hears himself yell at Vladek, and becomes small again.

-Why does Spiegelman choose to keep drawing attention to this? Do you think this technique is effective?

25. Why does the tin shop foreman, Yidl, dislike Vladek? What does Vladek do to change Yidl's opinion?

26. Who helps Vladek establish and maintain contact with Anja? Why does she help Vladek and Anja?

27. How does Vladek become a shoemaker? Why is this a good job for him to have?

28. How is Vladek able to help Anja survive Auschwitz? Would she have survived without his assistance?

29. Vladek sees the gas chambers and crematoriums at Auschwitz, yet he was able to live to tell the story.

-Does Vladek's description of those places help you to better understand what happened at Auschwitz?

30. Is the scene with Artie and Francoise, on page 74, ironic? What is Spiegelman reminding us about?

-Why do we not care about the mosquitos that Artie kills with his can of poison gas?

31. What is the irony in the title of chapter 3?

32. What is strange about Vladek's comments about the African-American hitchhiker?

33. What is Vladek counting at the beginning of Chapter 3? Why is this funny? Why is it sad?

34. Why is Vladek so concerned about not wasting food? Do you agree with him?

35. Why does Vladek's plan to escape from Auschwitz fail?

36. Vladek marches 200 miles from Auschwitz to Gross-Rosen. What happens to the people who cannot keep up?

37. Vladek is packed into a train cattle car with about 200 other prisoners. How does he survive that ordeal? (hint:

there is no food or water in the train car). Does it surprise you that Vladek shows little concern for all those who

died in his train car?

38. On page 89, Francoise says, "I'll bet you that Anja's notebooks were written on both sides of the page..." What

does her comment tell you about how she views Vladek?

39. Where do Vladek's troubles begin? (hint: not in Auschwitz)

40. What is the number one killer in Dachau? (hint: it is what almost kills Vladek).

41. How does Vladek "organize" so that he and his French friend were always able to get soup?

42. How is Vladek able to get on the train which carries him away from Dachau? (hint: how does he "pay" for the

assistance of others).

43. American soldiers are only portrayed briefly. What do you think of them? What does Vladek think of them?

44. What do you think about Mr. Spiegelman placing the pictures of the extended family at the end of the second

volume of Maus rather than earlier in the two books? Do you like this placement?

45. On page 105 we learn that the war is over; yet Vladek does not immediately gain his freedom. Why not? Why

didn't the German soldiers put down their weapons and surrender? The German soldiers had planned to kill

Vladek and his comrades at the lake. Why didn't they?

46. After their reprieve, why didn't Vladek and his comrades keep the abandoned Nazi machine guns?

47. Does it surprise you that Vladek and his comrades get captured again by the Nazis?

48. Why do the American soldiers like Vladek?

49. What treasure does Vladek find for Artie?

50. List six things that Vladek's treasure teaches Artie about his family's history.

51. These items are priceless, yet Vladek wants to keep the cigar box where he has been storing them. Why does

this seem so odd to us? Why would this seem like perfectly acceptable behavior to Vladek?

52. What do you think really happened to the other valuables which Vladek and Anja left with Richieu's Polish

governess, Janina?

53. Given the choice, would you prefer to have the treasure Artie gets, or those other valuables that "the Nazi's

grabbed away"?

54. Chapter 4 ends with Vladek worrying about storm windows. Why does this matter so much to him?

55. What do you think Spiegelman means by the "second honeymoon"?

56. Chapter 5 begins with Artie listening to a tape recording of Vladek describing Richieu's death. What literary

device is Art Spiegelman using here?

57. Why is that portion of Vladek's tape so important to the story as a whole? How might things have been different

if Tosha and the children had survived the war?

58. On page 121, why does Mala call Artie?

59. How did Mala and Vladek get back together? Do you consider their reunion a good thing? (why or why not?).

60. Vladek sees a small plane, which reminds him of when he and Anja left Poland after the war. Why didn't Vladek

and Anja just stay in Poland? Why do you think Jewish people might have instinctively chosen to leave Poland

after the war?

61. Anja has her fortune told by a Gypsy moth. Why does that experience give her hope?

62. On page 136, when Vladek is finally reunited with Anja, he says with great sincerity: "More I don't need to tell

you. We were both very happy, and lived happy, happy ever after". Considering what you have read in Maus

and Maus II, why is this such a sad and ironic statement?

63. Vladek's last line in the book is "I'm tired from talking, Richieu, and it's enough stories for now..." What does it

tell us about Vladek? What does it tell us about Artie? Why do you think Art Spiegelman chose to end his Maus

books in this manner?

64. On page 136, we learn that Art Spiegelman worked on Maus and Maus II for 14 years: (1978-1991).

We also learn that neither Anja nor Vladek lived long enough to see their stories published in book form. List

three reasons why Vladek would approve of these books. List three reasons why Vladek would not approve of

these books. List three reasons why Anja would approve of these books. List three reasons why Anja would not

approve of these books.

65. Considering your answers to the previous question: Would Vladek and Anja be pleased to know that you have

learned so much about their lives?

66. Does your knowing their stories attach greater meaning and/or value to their lives?

Need a Story Idea?

Occupation Setting Conflict 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Somebody Wants But SoEX. Cinderella to live happily ever

afterher stepsisters and step-mother are evil

her fairy godmother helps her

Somebody Wants But So is a formula for plot. Fill in the chart (also add many more

BUT and SOs to make it more complex) to get the basis of the plot started.

Fill in each column. Do not worry about them connecting, just fill them in. Then, ask someone to give you three random numbers 1- 10. Use those numbers across to select an occupation, setting and conflict to get started.

PRACTICING TEXT-IMAGE RELATIONSHIPS by C HILL

1. Fill the thought balloon above with REDUNDANT text. 2. Fill the thought balloon above with CONTRASTING text.

Comics express ideas through both words and images. The comic artist should play with both. That is how you learn to best use these two modes of storytelling. Some relationships to explore:

1. REDUNDANT The words and the image say the same thing. It is useful if you need to make an important point crystal-clear or if your audience is less flexible (as with young children or foreigners) 2. CONTRASTING The words and the image convey opposites. This will startle the reader or suggest sarcasm. For example, the opposite of fire is no fire (or water, right?! Think broadly). 3. COMPLEMENTARY The words and image combined tell an idea that neither alone completely expresses. 4. UNRELATED No connection seems obvious between the words and the image. It can suggest confusion, stream-of-consciousness, altered states, or poetic associations. Practice combining words and image in the next 4 panels… 3. Fill the thought balloon above with COMPLEMENTARY text. 4. Fill the thought balloon above with UNRELATED text. Experts such as Thierry Groensteen, Benoit Peeters, or Scott McCloud have come up with other words-image categories. McCloud lists seven (Understanding Comics, 153-155; Making Comics, 131-140).

Find more comics teaching resources at the National Association of Comics Art Educators website. www.teachingcomics.org

Adapted from: C., Alison. “Create Your Own Comic.” Brigham Young University. February 2009

Creating an Original Comic

Create your own “comic”

Maus author Art Spiegelman included another comic created by him within Maus. He created this strip about

his experience with his mother’s suicide during his childhood. Although his mother had survived the

Holocaust, she was too depressed to go on with her life. Her entire family had been killed, except for her

husband. Spiegelman’s comic expresses his anger, sorrow, and feelings of abandonment from his mother’s

decision.

Using Spiegelman’s work as an example, create your own “comic” style representation of a real life event in

your life. The comic should be serious rather than humorous, as is Spiegelman’s. Choose an event that was

difficult for you at the time. It could be a challenge you have overcome or another trial, however you do not

need to share anything personally uncomfortable.

“Maus” your school, how would you represent your peers?

In Maus, each race or nationality is represented by a different animal. For this activity, you will use this same

technique to characterize different groups or “cliques” at our school. What animal would you choose to

represent yourself and your group of friends? What features distinguish them? Once you have an idea, draw

a picture to represent this stereotyped character and write a brief explanation of their traits. You should have

at least five different groups represented and an explanation of why each choice is fitting. Do NOT use other

students’ names, but rather use a group designation or association with a certain activity, i.e. jocks, geeks,

preppies, etc.

Once you have your representations of each group, create your own “comic” style representation of a real life

event or situation, which occurs within the school. The comic should be serious rather than humorous, as is

Spiegelman’s. Choose an event that is/was difficult for you. It could be a challenge you have overcome or

another trial students face on a daily basis. Think about instances of bullying, sexual harassment,

discrimination based on social status, treatment of special education students, etc.

Adapted from: C., Alison. “Create Your Own Comic.” Brigham Young University. February 2009

Your comic must include, at least the following:

- Book Cover

o Story title

o Picture/Drawing of at least one character from your comic

o Author

- Panels / Pages

o At least 15 panels and

o At least 3 pages (not including the cover)

o I do have some templates available if you need these please check with me

- Terms and Concepts (at least one example of each (marked with a sticky note and explanation)

o Bleed

o Background

o Graphic Weight

- Figures (at least one example of each (marked with a sticky note and explanation)

o Faces (tell if they are dramatic, iconic, etc.

o Hands/Feet (what does the placement express)

- Text

o Captions

o Thought balloons

o Speech or Dialogue balloons

o Special Effects or Sound effects

o

- Plot

o Rising action

o Climax

o Falling action/resolution

- Medium

o May be color or black and white

o May be hand drawn or computer generated

If you choose to use the computer, make sure you are comfortable enough with the program

you pick to be able to work on this project outside of class. I will be more than happy to help

you figure out how to do something, but you have to remember that you will be doing a

majority of this project outside of class, and the longer you spend trying to figure the program

out, the less time you will have to work. I am not trying to “talk you out of” using an electronic

program to help you, I am simply asking that you think the process through.

Comic Life is a downloadable program that works well and is very fun

Do a Google search for “comic creator” and see if you can find a program that works

Using word is also an option

The following website offers some tutorials for sketching different items

http://www.flummery.com/teaching/

Please note, it is better to draw your panels in pencil first, then go back and ink them in. The

final copy must be inked.

Category 5 4 3 2 - 1 Pts

Cover

Includes story title, picture/ drawing of at least one character from the story, and author’s first and last name.

Includes all but one required element.

Includes all but two required elements.

Missing three or more required elements. ___

10

Panels & Pages

At least 15 panels and 3 pages present.

Some examples of using panel size and/or shots to emphasize the information and/or emotional content of the work. 12 – 14 panels present and 3 pages.

One or two examples of using panel size and/or shots to emphasize the information and/or emotional content of the work. 10 – 11 panels present and 3 pages.

Panel sizes and the framing of shots confuse, rather than add to, the story. Less than 10 panels present and/or less than 3 pages.

___ 10

Transition & Layout

Most panel-to-panel transitions are well-planned and appropriate to the information and/or emotions conveyed. Panel order and word balloon order within panels are always clear.

Some panel-to-panel transitions are well-planned and appropriate to the information and/or emotions conveyed. Panel order and word balloon order within panels are usually clear.

One or two examples of well-planned panel-to-panel transitions. Panel order and word balloon order within panels are sometimes confusing.

Most panel-to-panel transitions are random and haphazard. Panel order and word balloon order within panels are consistently confusing.

___ 10

Artwork

The artwork is consistently readable and understandable. Characters are always distinguishable from one another. The art style closely matches the tone of the story. Outlining is at least done in ink.

The artwork is usually readable and understandable. Characters are usually distinguishable from one another. The art style loosely matches the tone of the story.

The artwork is sometimes illegible. Two of the characters look the same. The art style neither adds to nor takes away from the tone of the story.

The artwork is illegible. Many of the characters look the same. The art style contradicts the tone of the story.

___ 15

Lettering

Lettering is neat and legible. Ample space is always given to the lettering in word balloons and captions.

Lettering is adequate. Ample space is usually given to the lettering in word balloons and captions.

Lettering is somewhat messy. Some examples of lettering crammed into word balloons and captions.

Lettering is illegible. Lettering is consistently crammed into word balloons and captions.

___ 15

Terms & Figures

All of the requirements of the comic are met:(Bleed,

background, graphic weight, faces, hands/feet, captions, thought balloons, dialogue

balloons, special effects). All explanations are extremely thoughtful.

Many of the requirements of the comic are met. Some explanations are extremely thoughtful.

Some of the requirements of the comic are met. Some explanations are thoughtful.

Many requirements of writing a comic were not met. Explanations are not thought through or are missing all together.

___ 25

Creativity

The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has really used his/her imagination.

The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has used his/her imagination.

The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his/her imagination.

There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.

___ 25

Problem/ Conflict

It is very easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem. The solution is appropriate and well thought out.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem. The solution is appropriate.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face but it is not clear why it is a problem. The solution shows some thought and planning.

It is not clear what problem the main characters face. The solution is not clear. ___

25

Spelling/ Grammar

There are 0 spelling or grammar errors.

There are 1 – 4 spelling or grammar errors

There are 5 – 7 spelling or grammar errors

There are more than 7 spelling or grammar errors.

___ 15

Comments:

Total

___ 150

Create Your Own Comic Rubric