Jonathan R. Aubin
Today's class is the culmination of all your students' hard work. During the first half of class, students will present their graphic novels to the class. This will work best with a document projector, so that the student may read their graphic novel to the class in such a way that the whole class can see the work clearly. Students are encouraged to write and share their impressions of each classmate's graphic novel. These impressions should be in regard to specific details, techniques, or symbols that students notice, or any questions they might have regarding the subject material or creative process.
After students have shared their work with the class, students will break into small groups and discuss the book–length graphic novels that were assigned at the beginning of the unit. Ideally, this will be a student–led discussion, but the instructor should emphasize discussion involving the how graphic novels can be used to represent an individual's life.
If students struggle with this, the instructor can catalyze discussion with leading questions, like: Why does the author choose the details and episodes they have included? What sorts of visual metaphors or symbols does the author use? Do you think you would get along with your book's protagonist? Explain why/why not. How does the protagonist change throughout the course of the novel? How does the author represent shifts in time? How is that change represented visually?
Conclusion
This discussion will bring the unit to conclusion, but if your students show an increased interest in comics and graphic novels, you may find that it is beneficial to use them as a teaching tool throughout the school year. Nearly every concept we teach via literature can also be taught using the graphic novel. Please refer to the section titled "Further Suggested Reading" for other invaluable resources that will assist you in teaching graphic novels as literature.