MAKING COMIC STRIPS

Below is an e-mail I received from Bill Zimmerman, Creator, MakeBeliefsComix.com 

"If you could not attend my workshop on Creating Comic Strips Online to Encourage Writing, Reading and Storytelling at the TESOL Boston 2010 conference you can find a handout on my website that lists 21 ways to use MakeBeliefsComix.com in the classroom. Go to: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/.

 

Some examples:

.At the beginning of each new school year have students create a comic strip online talking about themselves and their families or summarizing the most important things about their lives.  These then can be read aloud.

.Have students create a comic strip story using new vocabulary words that are being taught.  Or have them create a comic based on a book they are reading.

.Create comic strips in which students can practice such real-life, practical scenarios such as looking for a job or dealing with a school bully.

 

On the MakeBeliefsComix.com home page you can click on a demo to show how the site works. And click on the Teacher Resources button for a video of ESL students at City College in New York talking about how creating online comics helps them learn English.

 

I hope you will try the free educational comics website with both younger and older students to help them improve their English and literacy skills. MakeBeliefsComix allows users to create their own comic strips online; it offer 80 fun characters with different emotions, blank talk and thought balloons to fill in with words, story prompts and printables. Google and UNESCO selected MakeBeliefsComix as one the world's most innovative sites to encourage literacy and reading. It is now being used by educators in 180 countries to teach English and other languages. Your feedback and suggestions are very welcome."