Use in the Classroom
There are a variety of different ways that Comic Life can be integrated into the life of the classroom. Activities that link to the Australian Curriculum as well as cater for all students have been outlined below.
Science
In Science this year, 5M examined how structural features and adaptions of living things help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043). For their piece of assessment, the students had to pick an Australian animal that was discussed over the course of the unit, and using Comic Life, describe the behaviours and features of the animal to help it survive. The children had the option to create a purely factual piece or create a story that integrated the features of the animal. Children were encouraged to create the story as this promoted more critical thinking in combining factual information with a comic story. As a result children found this more challenging, however were generally rewarded with a better mark.
This unit catered for the different students in the class due to the openness of the assessment where students were allowed to pick their own animal and choose their own mode for creating a comic. Students created many ways of presenting their piece due to the numerous options provided in the program. Some children were encouraged to focus on particular animals that were a heavy focus during the unit as there was a heavy amount of information already provided for these students. The students were also given time to explore the program before actually creating their assessment piece.
If we were to look at Bloom and his Taxonomy, we can see that this activity helps develop critical thinking as this framework outlines. Students are firstly expected to:
* Remember and understand the information provided throughout the unit.
* Apply this information into a new program.
* Create a comic based on a fictional story from the information they have learnt.
This unit catered for the different students in the class due to the openness of the assessment where students were allowed to pick their own animal and choose their own mode for creating a comic. Students created many ways of presenting their piece due to the numerous options provided in the program. Some children were encouraged to focus on particular animals that were a heavy focus during the unit as there was a heavy amount of information already provided for these students. The students were also given time to explore the program before actually creating their assessment piece.
If we were to look at Bloom and his Taxonomy, we can see that this activity helps develop critical thinking as this framework outlines. Students are firstly expected to:
* Remember and understand the information provided throughout the unit.
* Apply this information into a new program.
* Create a comic based on a fictional story from the information they have learnt.
Health and Physical Education (HPE)
For HPE in 5M, the students have been examining games that they are familiar with in their own culture and comparing them to those in other cultures (ACPMP066). For their final assessment, they have taken pictures of themselves in groups acting out a game from a different culture, and then communicated the nature of the game in Comic Life while using those pictures. This piece was done in small groups when taking their photos and individually when creating their comics. This allowed the students to create a procedure or a story of their learning journey in HPE. An example of one of the games students chose was Marngrook, a traditional Aboriginal game that is said to have laid the foundations for Aussie Rules.
This unit catered for the different abilities in the classroom due to the fact that students had the choice of which game they would like to present and how they would like to present it. Students who work well in groups were able to do so by taking photos in their groups, and those who do not were able to create their comic on their own. In this way, students were able to develop their team-building skills as well as their ability to create something unique in Comic Life. Students who struggled to pick a game were given options and encouraged to do particular games that had a lot of information them.
Again, if we looked at Bloom's Taxonomy, this assessment piece helps develop the students critical thinking in many ways:
* Students had to remember the information they learnt in class.
* They then needed to research and understand the information about their chosen game.
* Students then needed to interpret this information to play the game themselves.
* They then created a comic as a procedure or story and make connections between these games and the ones of their own culture.
This unit catered for the different abilities in the classroom due to the fact that students had the choice of which game they would like to present and how they would like to present it. Students who work well in groups were able to do so by taking photos in their groups, and those who do not were able to create their comic on their own. In this way, students were able to develop their team-building skills as well as their ability to create something unique in Comic Life. Students who struggled to pick a game were given options and encouraged to do particular games that had a lot of information them.
Again, if we looked at Bloom's Taxonomy, this assessment piece helps develop the students critical thinking in many ways:
* Students had to remember the information they learnt in class.
* They then needed to research and understand the information about their chosen game.
* Students then needed to interpret this information to play the game themselves.
* They then created a comic as a procedure or story and make connections between these games and the ones of their own culture.
English
Both of these tasks fulfil the English curriculum in a few different ways. Students are experimenting with a specific text type by structuring their assessment in a certain way to convey a message (ACELT1798). They are also interaction with others in informal situations and connecting gained ideas with their own experiences (ACELY1699).
Resources
ACARA. (2015). Australian curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
Woolfolk, A. & Margetts, K. (2010). Chapter 12: Teaching for learning. In J. Tylman, S. Lewis, J. Davis, E. Driver & E. Gaulton (Eds.), Educational Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 460-506). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.
Woolfolk, A. & Margetts, K. (2010). Chapter 12: Teaching for learning. In J. Tylman, S. Lewis, J. Davis, E. Driver & E. Gaulton (Eds.), Educational Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 460-506). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.