Sigrid Rose - Critical Graphic Response: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Storyboard Text
- In 2015, Ms. Rose introduces a cross-curricular unit focusing on War in Syria and Autobiographical Writing featuring the graphic novelPersepolis: The Story of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.
- This is going to be too much work...
- I promise this won't be boring!
- The Syrian Civil War that began in 2011 is in the news daily and the class discusses the humanitarian and refugee crisis in the region.
- Miss, why are we getting into business happening over there?
- I've never heard of Syria
- This book reminds me of something...
- Ms. Rose and her students begin reading the novel and learn about the text elements of the graphic format.
- Sure Miss, I'll read next
- I collect comics!
- She wondered if this Graphic Novel format would engage the many reluctant readers and writers in her class...
- The Persepolis Change Project
- You will create one fully illustrated panel - "Change in My Life" Must have a title modeled after Persepolis chapter titles ("The Veil", "The Bicycle", "The Party"...)You are the narratorTell your story with thoughts, words, sounds, visualsAll space should be used thoughtfully...color, sizing, words, expressions, foreground/mid/background all count!You may work with a partner for some assignments
- Ms. Rose encourages connections to students' own experiences (or family experiences) needing to flee their countries for safety and opportunity.
- Students create "Splash" pages of their own experiences that mimic some of the pages in the novel.
- We left El Salvador when my cousin was getting recruited into the gangs...I miss my family who stayed.
- Leaving my traditional high school was hard, I feel like a failure.
- With less 'word text' and more artistic and graphic features, students who hate to read aloud are suddenly more willing to participate. They are accessing prior reading interest and experience with comics! And they are engaged in the life of a young girl experiencing trauma and struggling with change.
- The class put together a 'Book of Change'
- Fantastic job everyone!
- It was the beginning of a graphic response assignment template that would stand the test of time...
- I LOVE drawing!
- What am I willing to share?
- I HATE drawing!
- Students spent hours, in community, on ink drawings and finding the right way to express themselves with very few words.
- You're an amazing artist!
- In future assignments with traditional novels, students summarized chapters or stories with 'Splash' pages in place of written summaries with near 100% participation. However, there is still work to do with engaging students in Global Issues...and learning Geography!
- I needed to express myself...change is hard.
- THIS WAS COOL! I ACTUALLY READ THIS WHOLE BOOK! I LIKE ART!
- Wait...where's Syria?
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