Lessons first define comics while looking examples of illustrated writing in various media and languages. After reading a Little Sammy Sneeze strip from 1905 students review panels, captions and speech bubbles. They play a group activity requiring pencil drawing and organizing stories about three caricatures. Below are instructions along with four panels by elementary to high schoolers.
As homework or in-class, students draw new characters and are encouraged to add further detail. Practice may also entirely focus on first observing and depicting volume through shading while observing personal objects at home, an assembled still life in the classroom, or their reflections in mirrors.
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| 2nd grader |
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| 9th grader |
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| 5th grader |
Students examine more illustrated and literary devices, including examples from the anthology
Masters of American Comics (2005) before storyboarding then final drafting their own. Elementary schoolers sometimes select storylines from
monthly writing prompt lists, high school students also look at Ad Reinhardt's art comics.
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| 3rd grader |
 | 5th grader
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| 9th grader |
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| Etching by 10th grader |
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| An assignment to depict a metaphor |
