Using Graphic Novels in the High School

Classroom

By Annie Fisher

Should graphic novels be taught in the HS English

classroom?•Reasons for and against

•Who would benefit?

•Why not just read novels?

Who benefits:

•Struggling readers•ELL students•The hearing-impaired•Foreign language students•The Millenials (AKA all of your students!)

Why not just novels?

•Visual lessons to be taught•Another medium that is open for interpretation•More interesting to many students

Figure : Spiegelman uses many visual symbols in his work, including Swastikas, Starts of David, and the different species that each race is portrayed as (Spiegelman 84, 127).

Why not teach graphic novels?

•Some are inappropriate•Not all of them have a lot of literary merit

So….•Teachers should choose wisely

Title Author Connection to Curriculum

Copyright Date

Beowulf Gareth Hinds Based on A.J. Church’s translation; classics; epic poetry/

legends

1984

Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography

Andrew Helfer Biography 2006

The Complete Maus (Maus I and II)

Art Spiegelman The Holocaust, biography,

storytelling

1997

Fallout Jim Ottaviani Examines the scientific and social

aspects of the development of the

atomic bomb

2001

Pedro and Me Judd Winnick Social issues, AIDS, social stigmas

2000

The Tale of One Bad Rat

Bryan Talbot Social issues: sexual abuse

1995

American Born Chinese

Gene Luen Yang Cultural identity, folk tales, stereotypes

2006

The Complete Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi Cultural identity, history, Islam

2007(Bucher 69, Griffith 188)

In conclusion…

• If a teacher chooses the right graphic novel for their classroom, teaching it can be a great experience for all students, especially when it is a very diverse classroom.