May 16 & 19, 2025
Agenda
Starter: 5/16 & 5/19
Watch the TED Talk and answer the questions below.
What is the main idea of this TED Talk?
Write three (3) key takeaways that support the main idea.
How is there bravery in caring?
Think about a time when you felt afraid to care or show compassion—perhaps due to fear of rejection, vulnerability, or potential hurt. What held you back, and what were the consequences of not expressing your care? (2-3 sentences)
Assignment: “Night Life” / “The Lives of the Dead” Quickwrite
Project: “Night Life” / “The Lives of the Dead” Comic Book
Directions
For this project, you will create a comic book of two chapters of The Things They Carried: “Night Life” / “The Lives of the Dead.”
This adaptation will capture the essence of the story, its characters, and key events.
A variety of comic book templates will be provided.
-
Key Points
Kiley’s Breaking Point: While marching at night, Kiley is overwhelmed by haunting images of death and shoots himself to escape the relentless pressure.
Remembering Linda: O’Brien recalls his first experience with death, his childhood friend Linda, whose memory he keeps alive through stories.
Keeping Memories Alive: To cope with loss, O’Brien uses storytelling to keep Linda and his fallen comrades present in his life, finding comfort in their memories.
Key Analysis
“Night Life” and "The Lives of the Dead"
What is the theme (topic + author's opinion) of this chapter?
How will you convey this theme in your comic book?
What literary devices does O'Brien include in this chapter?
How will you incorporate these literary devices in your comic book?
Key Insights
“Night Life” and "The Lives of the Dead"
What key ideas does O'Brien include in this chapter?
How will you incorporate/convey these key ideas?
What is the chapter's primary conflict? What is the secondary conflict?
-
“Night Life” and "The Lives of the Dead"
What characters must be included from this chapter? How does O'Brien characterize these characters?
How will you visually convey this characterization?
-
Format
Number of Pages: 8-10 pages, each page containing 4-6 panels.
Art Style: Choose a style that reflects the tone of the story—dark, muted or lively, bold colors.
A variety of templates will be provided.
Layout
Cover Page: “Title Page” comic template is included.
-
Character Introductions: Introduce each character with a description and meaningful and relevant visual.
Key Events and Climactic Moments:
What plot points are SIGNIFICANT in this chapter?
What plot points are IRRELEVANT and do not need to be included?
What is the climax of the story?
-
Sketching: Begin with rough sketches of each panel. Focus on facial expressions to convey emotions.
Inking: Once satisfied with the sketches, go over them with ink or a digital tool to finalize the artwork.
Coloring: Use a limited color palette to maintain a cohesive look.
Speech Bubbles: Write dialogue in clear, legible fonts. Consider using different shapes for different characters.
Narrative Boxes: Include narration to provide context and reflections on events.
-
Final Touches: Compile the Comic
Assemble the pages in order, ensuring a logical flow of the narrative.
Create a title page and a brief author's note explaining your vision for the project.
Submit your digital comic (made on Canva or other software) to this assignment you are reading right now. Submit your paper comic in the basket.
Comic Book Conference → associated Canvas assignment
An in-class or after-school verbal conference about the specific plot and design decisions you made while creating your graphic novel. Questions will vary depending on specifics of your comic book.
Your conference must occur before 2:40 p.m. on May 23 in-person.
Template Options
PRINT: 1/2 Page Comic Book Template
DIGITAL: Canva
DIGITAL: Google Slides Comic Book Template
Anticipate: Comic Book Conference
An in-class or after-school verbal conference about the specific plot and design decisions you made while creating your graphic novel. Questions will vary depending on specifics of your comic book.
