Middle School English: Graphic storytelling

April 2023  

by Sarah Callender and Adam Graham-Silverman, Middle School English teachers

The project, originally developed by former Lakeside teacher Susie Mortensen, was inspired by ND Stevenson’s graphic novel "Nimona," a story about Nimona, a wannabe super-villain sidekick and master shapeshifter.

In addition to exploring and writing about theme, character, archetype, symbol, and conflict in "Nimona," students learn to recognize and analyze the elements of visual storytelling. They are then tasked with this creative challenge: Think about a pet peeve or something that really irritates you, then tell a visual story about how you deal with that pet peeve or irritant through shapeshifting.

While it’s never difficult for 8th graders to come up with a list of pet peeves and annoyances, the project does challenge students to hone the skills addressed in the unstructured problem solving competency as well as those in the communication and listening competency. After all, students must build a story from scratch and demonstrate what they have learned about how to communicate plot, dialogue, conflict, emotion, and sound through imagery.

Most students must also push through this uncomfortable question: How am I supposed to make art if I’m not a good artist? But in completing this project, students practice the growth and learning mindset. When their artwork is displayed in the hallways, they recognize their ability to learn new skills, take public risks, and measure success through effort and growth.