How Owly and Wormy became friends: Using a “Silent” comic to inspire creative writing
Grade: 1 - 2
Subject: Language Arts / Art
Lesson Description: Students will read a silent/wordless comic and use it as a story starter. This lesson can be used to help teach many writing concepts: Beginning-middle-end, punctuation, good word choices.
Time Required: Two classes
Equipment/Materials Required : lab or a computer and a computer projector or both; writing template.
Lesson Procedures/Teaching Strategies:
Before beginning YOU should read the online comic Owly: Splashin' Around at http://www.andyrunton.com/comics.html .
As a warm up to this lesson you could have your students read the one page stories found here http://www.andyrunton.com/comics.html ( Owly and Wormy: Aw Nuts! , Owly and Wormy: Let's Go Fly A Kite , Owly and Wormy: Gone Swimmin') as a way to introduce the characters.
The teacher will bring the students to the computer lab or set up a computer projector (In-Focus machine) in the classroom and read the 21 page preview of Owly : Splashin' Around (the projector set up in the lab with the students at their own computers works well). In this story Owly and Wormy enter a bird bath competition and lose, but what they learn is more important.
1. Ask the students how they think an owl and a worm ended up being friends?
2. Send them off to do their rough draft. The writing template can be copied for the final draft.
3. If you want to send it to the Owly creator, you can find his contact information at http://andyrunton.com
Project/Lesson Resources
Teacher Generated Resources: Writing Template
Web-Based Resources: andyrunton.com/comics.html
Disclaimer: The recommended web-resources included here have been scrutinized for their grade and age appropriateness; however, contents on links on the Internet change continuously. It is advisable that teachers preview all links before recommending them to students.
Additional Comments: This lesson can be used to help teach many writing concepts: Beginning-middle-end, punctuation, good word choices, many of the Write Trait lessons.
Credits: Thanks to Andy Runton for allowing me to use the Owly image on the writing template.
Lesson by S. Tingley, comicsintheclassroom@gmail.com
Any questions or comments, contact me at comicsintheclassroom @ gmail.com