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Dilbert is a great comic that satirizes office culture and the idiocy of it all. I’ve always loved it!
Whether it’s a comic strip or a whole comic book, the humor, drama, development, and social commentary has always entertained me.
Do you like comic books or strips? How about your students? I teach creative/essay writing to my elementary ESL students on Friday each week. Sometimes we write a story, and others we choose a topic from the textbook or about a special event. The students usually write a paragraph or two (depending on their level).
Last Friday, I decided to try something new and fun instead of the usual format. I printed off a (free) PDF file that had blank comic strip templates. I put them together and had my students write a story with a topic of their choosing. The results were quite….interesting, a little confusing, and funny!
Here is a small sample of some students’ work. These are second-grade students, so there are quite a few errors, nonsensical pictures or phrases, etc. The point was to get them to be creative and express something fun. The grammar and whatnot will come later.
We had a lot of fun, and a few students who disliked the essay-style of writing really go into this.
And here’s a short comic from one of my fourth-grade students.
If you’re struggling to get your students interesting in writing, try this approach!
It helps them develop creativity, basic writing skills, and can help visual learners, too!
So, You Think You Can Teach ESL? 