Create Your Own Graphic Novella (Short Novel)

Name: Per:

Maus Project

Create Your Own Graphic Novella (Short Novel)

INTRODUCTION: Art Spiegelman’s Maus depicts the Holocaust in graphic form. It uses images and words to convey Vladek’s experience as a Polish Jew during World War II, as well as Art’s own difficult relationship with his father. Within Maus is another comic, “Prisoner on the Hell Planet,” that tells of Art’s struggle after his mother commits suicide. The novel and the comic within it are examples of how graphics and comics can be used not only to portray humor, but also to tell serious and often painful stories.

OPTION 1: Interview with your family member or other adult about

·  a story from your family’s history (ex: The Thanksgiving when your aunt put salt in the pie instead of sugar, but everyone ate it anyway because they didn’t want to hurt her feelings)

·  a meaningful personal event in their life (ex: The birth of a child, getting a college acceptance letter, moving to a new school)

·  the story of a historical event through the eyes of the person you interview (ex: 9/11, Vietnam War, fall of the Berlin Wall)

While the graphic novel should be a true story and focus on how that event/story affects or lead them to where they are today, rather than a humorous story, you do NOT need to write about anything you or your interviewer do not feel comfortable sharing.

OPTION 2: Research an historical figure (approved by your teacher) and retell an event from his or her life from his or her perspective.

·  www.biography.com/people

·  www.history.com/topics

STEPS:

1.  Complete the story map in the packet to plot the outline of your graphic novella.

2.  Complete the storyboards in the packet. This will be the draft of your graphic novella.

3.  Complete the final, full-size draft of your graphic novella.

a.  May be in color or black and white.

b.  May be hand drawn or done on the computer using a free comic creator like:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/

http://www.pixton.com/

http://www.scholastic.com/graphix/createcomic.htm

c.  MUST be neat and error free (check grammar, spelling, and punctuation).

d.  MUST have 15-20 panels (about 4 pages long).

e.  MUST include images AND text (a combination of narration and dialogue).

Project is due ______