The Power of Graphic Stories to Build Content Knowledge

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Between the Panels: The Power and Possibilities of Co-Constructing Comics Research

Abstract

Research suggests teachers are beginning to use graphic novels as an alternative for traditional-print text (Author, 2017b; Brenna, 2013; Frey & Fisher, 2004; Gavigan, 2010; Monnin, 2010). In one study (Hawkins, Lopez, & Hughes, 2016), two 11th grade classes read March: Book 2 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (2015). The authors report, students in both classes demonstrated growth in the knowledge of content. Another study (Author, 2018c) explored the possibility of learning content while using of an historically accurate graphic novel as part of a language arts instructional unit. During a 6-day unit, 16 sixth-grade students first learned how to actively engage with graphic novels and read, One Dead Spy, (Hale, 2012). The findings suggest reading the graphic novel developed background knowledge and furthered student understanding of the topic. These results of the two studies indicate that teaching students to read content rich graphic novels has potential to improve learning outcomes associated with content-area learning. The current study explores how teachers assume ownership of instructional strategies shared during professional development and integrates the strategies into a cross-curriculum unit developed around Nathan Hale’s Underground Abductor (2015). Furthermore, the study investigates to what extent are students’ knowledge of the content is improved.

Author

• Carla K Meyer, Duquesne University