Comics are fun. There is no cultural baggage of fear associated with a blank comic panel the way there is with a five-paragraph essay. Lowering the "affective filter" (anxiety) allows language and ideas to flow more freely.

Comics aren't just "picture books for reluctant readers." They are a sophisticated form of sequential art that requires the brain to work harder than prose alone. When students create a comic, they engage in:

| Theme | Example | |-------|---------| | Forgetting homework | “My dog ate it… again.” | | Pop quiz surprise | Teacher walks in with test papers | | Group project struggle | One person does all the work | | Asking for pencil | “Third time this week!” | | Hall pass | Epic journey to the bathroom |

Stuck for a prompt? Here are cross-curricular ideas categorized by subject.