Themes 1st Semester (Aug-Nov)

Comic book

Themes | 4G

  • Make sure that the “Wow!” moments of the projects are clear in the beginning of the Summary
  • Make sure you list all the required materials
  • Make sure that the Financial Literacy skills that will be developed and assessed are clear
  • Make sure you explain and justify the deliverable

Summary:

Comic book superheroes can solve a lot of problems. What if they can help our community with financial problems? In this project, students are challenged by a comic book publisher to create an engaging and meaningful comic book that will teach others about financial literacy. Students explore the imaginary world(s) of superheroes in order to generate problems that their favorite characters might face; they can be short on budget, they can plan next vacation. Throughout the project, students will reflect on the ways in which the problems they create in their comic books mirror real-life situations.

Learning goals:

  • Understand the concepts of money, savings, spending, and sharing.
  • Express your creativity through drawing, coloring, and storytelling.
  • Work as a team to brainstorm ideas, create characters, and design the comic book.

Skills and Standards:

Skills:

  • Financial Literacy – Identify the role of money in future life.
  • Financial Literacy – Relate everyday decisions and how they relate to money.
  • SDG 4 – Reflect on the pedagogical practices and participate in the choice of themes.
  • WEF Skill 2 – Seek knowledge based on interests; ask questions to teachers and colleagues.
  • WEF Skill 2 – Realize that making mistakes is part of the process and that learning can occur in these moments. Recognize that it is important to ask for help.

Standards:

  • ELA | Writing – With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
  • ELA | Writing – With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
  • Math – Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.
  • Cog Skills – Develop a strong opinion/argument through clear, well sequenced claims.
  • Cog Skills – Develop an oral or written narrative that relates connected experiences, events, procedural steps, or the like (whether they are real or imagined).

Deliverable

  • Comic books that incorporates different financial scenarios generated by the students, which can then be solved by using financial literacy principles.

Milestones

  • Milestone 1: The publishers contacted you.
  • Milestone 2: Which situations might involve financial issues and how do we know?
  • Milestone 3: Describe your character, what does it look/feel like?
  • Milestone 4: What is the plan for your comic book?
  • Milestone 5: How will we know if our audience finds our comics both fun to read and educational?

Planning suggestions:

Milestone 1

  • Narrative – Tell the class a story about being invited by a publisher to write a comic book that teaches concepts of financial education.
  • Brainstorm – Have students brainstorm their favorite comic books, graphic novels, manga, superhero cartoons, and movies. You can split then into groups based on their interests.

 

Milestone 2

  • Money concepts – discuss what money is and its different uses—saving, spending, and sharing. You can use relatable examples to explain these concepts.
  • Finance in comics – brainstorm different real-life situations that finance is important to. Have students sort them out and choose the ones they would like to introduce in their narratives.

 

Milestone 3

  • Brainstorm – As a class, brainstorm ideas for characters who will embark on financial adventures. These characters could be young superheroes learning about money.

 

Milestone 4

  • Hands-on – Work together to outline the comic book’s storyline. Each chapter or group can focus on a different financial concept, such as earning money through chores, making choices about spending, or sharing with others.
  • Financial vocabulary – Introduce financial terms appropriate for the age group, such as “earn,” “save,” “spend,” “needs,” and “wants.” Incorporate these terms into the comic book dialogues.
  • Design – encourage each group using different techniques to illustrate and color their story, ensuring characters’ actions align with the financial concepts being taught.

 

Milestone 5

  • Presentation – Each group can present their comic book to the class. Explain the financial lesson taught in your chapter and showcase the illustrations.
  • Reflection – Discuss the characters’ financial journeys and the lessons they learned. Ask students how they can apply these lessons in real life.

Golden Tip:

  • Additional resources – you can use Pixton or Solution Squad as a platform to design you comic book.
  • Going further – If your group engage in this theme, you can propose other activities:
    • Create simple budgets for their comic book characters based on their financial adventures.
    • Research and present about the history of money, coins, and paper currency.
    • Collaborate with older students to create an animated version of their comic book.
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