Virtual Worlds Virtual Literacy An Educa

K N OW L E DGE
QUEST
VISUAL LITERACY
Journal of the American Association of School Librarians

VOLUME 36, NO. 3 | January/February 2008 | ISSN 1094-9046 | <www.ala.org/aasl>
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of
the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
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Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for
Effective Student Learning in the Library Media Center
The focus on assessment in the Library Media Center continues with AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum in Chicago. Developed with “voices of the
participant” responses in mind, this program investigates assessment from three perspectives: program assessment, providing a base
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Receive instruction from the experts:

End Note Speaker: Barbara F. Schloman, Julie A. Gedeon, Ph.D.,
Everett Kline has been Ph.D., Project Director TRAILS project member,
a classroom teacher, for TRAILS, is Professor is Assistant Professor
building program and Associate Dean for and Coordinator of
leader and Assistant Public Services, Libraries Assessment, Libraries
Superintendent and Media Services, Kent and Media Services, Kent
for Instruction and State University. She State University. She is
Learning for the South serves on the executive a founding member of
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Jersey. He has consulted with public and Information Literacy Education (ILILE). Information Literacy Skills, an assessment
private schools, school districts, colleges aimed at undergraduate students.
and universities and state departments
of education in over forty-five states and
seven foreign countries Judith Dzikowski, School Celeste DiCarlo
Library System Director at Nalwasky, Ph.D.,
Onondaga Cortland Madison Educational Consultant,
BOCES, will present topics will present topics related
related to interpreting to constructing effective
statistical evidence of programs as a teaching
student learning. partner in assessment.
Participants will receive credit for 12 contact hours | For details and registration visit – www.ala.org/aasl/fallforum
CONTENTS
STAFF
Editor “Physical environment inluences both the
Debbie Abilock, Consultant, Palo Alto, Calif.
Managing Editor development of our culture and the visual
Andrea Parker
Associate Editors experiences available to us.”
Research—Nancy Everhart, Florida State
University, Tallahassee; Community—Sara Supporting Visual Literacy in the School Library Media Center
Kelly Johns, Lake Placid (N.Y.) Central School;
Resources—Carolyn Karis, consultant, see story on page 14
San Francisco; Web—Gayle Bogel, Trumbull
(Conn.) High School.
Editorial Board
Thomas A. Adamich, Robert Morris
University; Michelle F. Bayuk, The
Children’s Book Council; Anita Louise
Beaman, University High School, Normal,
Ill.; Gail Bush, National Louis University;
FEATURES
Christine Carlson, St. Charles, Ill.; Lori
Coffey Hancock, The Lexington School; 14 Supporting visual literacy in the school library
Jason Johnson, Washington, D.C. Richard
E. B. Lord, Belmont Preparatory H.S.,
media center
Bronx, N.Y.; Marjorie L. Pappas, Rutgers Developmental, socio-cultural, and experiential considerations and
University; Donald C. Adcock, Ex-Oicio/ scenarios
AASL Publications Committee Chair, Dominican
University, River Forest, Ill.; Adrian Stevens,
Linda Z. Cooper
Byrd Elementary School, Goochland, Va.; Sylvia
K. Norton, Maine State Library. 20 Creating Images to Understand Visual Literacy
AASL President
Nancy N. Palmquist
Sara Kelly Johns, Lake Placid (N.Y.) Middle/
High School 24 Cameras Ready
AASL Executive Director
Capturing a Digital History of Chester
Julie A. Walker Kathy Lehman
Production and Design
ALA Production Services: Troy D. Linker,
28 Making Information Visual
Karen Sheets, Chris Keech, and Tim Seventh Grade Art Information and Visual Literacy
Cliford. Design by Distillery Design Joel Shoemaker, Elizabeth Schau, and Rachael Ayers
Studio.
Author Guidelines 34 Seventh Grade Students and the Visual Messages
Would you like to write for Knowledge Quest? They Love
Author guidelines are available online Belinha De Abreu
at <www.ala.org/aasl/kqweb>
under “About Knowledge Quest.”
40 Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Contest
Advertising Esther Keller
Bill Spilman, Innovative Media
Solutions; 1-877-878-3260; fax
(309) 483-2371; e-mail <bill@
44 Reinventing the Book Club
innovativemediasolutions.com>. Graphic Novels as Educational Heavyweights
Acceptance of an advertisement by Jonathan Seyried
Knowledge Quest does not imply product
endorsement by AASL. 49 What is Manga?
Knowledge Quest is read by building- Gilles Poitras
level school library media specialists,
supervisors, library educators and
others concerned with the development
50 Virtual Worlds, Virtual Literacy
of school library media programs and An Educational Exploration
services in elementary and secondary Sharon Stoerger
schools.
Indexing and Abstracting
Knowledge Quest is indexed in Academic
Abstracts/CD-ROM; Book Review Index; Current
Contents; Social & Behavioral Sciences; Current Index
to Journals in Education; Exceptional Child Education
Abstracts; Information Science and CSA Illumina.
School Library Media Research, AASL’s

online research journal, can be accessed
at <www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR>.
2 Knowledge Quest | Visual Literacy
COLUMNS
58 PBS Column 64 Home Run Research
Focus on Visual Literacy My Journey as a Reader
PBS Teachers Staf Tatiana Cevellos
60 CBC Column 66 Social Responsibility

On Writing (And Reading) the Graphic Novel Join the Copyright Compliance Team
Stephan Petrucha Rebecca Butler
“A student playing Revolution becomes Catherine Grimes, writing

letters about the . . . instances of civil unrest she witnesses in
Williamsburg.”
Virtual Words, Virtual Literacy
see story on page 50
DEPARTMENTS
4 President’s Column 70 KQ Web Connections
AASL and Parents: A Partnership For Power Visual Literacy
Sara Kelly Johns Gayle Bogel
7 Homepage 69 Index to Advertisers
Visual Information Literacy: Reading a
Documentary Photograph
Debbie Abilock
Knowledge Quest (ISSN 1094-9046), is published bimonthly September through May by the American Library Association (ALA),
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Knowledge Quest, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
© 2008 by the American Library Association.
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose
of scientiic or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting,
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Volume 36, No. 3 | January/February 2008 3
president’s
COLUMN
Committed parents are the most powerful advocates we can have. This
doesn’t happen unless your program makes a diference for kids.
AASL and Parents: A Partnership for Power Moms were outraged by local cuts to school library
Sara Kelly Johns, 2007–2008 AASL President positions and thus started their quest to restore school
library positions in their own district. Unsuccessful in
I have vivid memories of my mother doing jigsaw Spokane, they moved “upstream” to the state capitol,
puzzles. She would sit at the dining room table, patient realizing that so many other Washington school districts
and tenacious, searching for just the right puzzle piece, had the same problems:
scanning the loose pieces, checking the it, gently nudging
them into place. As the image emerged, faster and faster, No one is arguing about the importance of school
her excitement was evident. Then, that moment of libraries. I don’t think anyone believes that a
delight, the last piece it! district or a school board wants to cut its library
program and the fact is that districts around this
The Spokane Moms—Lisa Layera Brunkan, Denette Hill, state have done so because they don’t have the money to
and Susan McBurney—brought her memory back to me. pay for it. This is the great hope for SB#6380 that
Like my mother they are persistent and patient. They see the school library program would never be at risk
the it between funding and twenty-irst-century skills— again. The longer this debate lingers, the more
puzzle pieces that strengthen school library programs— kids are denied equal opportunity education in
and are hard at work making them come together. They this state. (Blog entry, 1.27.08)
recognize that the AASL Standards for 21st Century Learning is
exactly how they want their children to learn. In fact, the Later in the same blog entry, the Moms admitted that
moms themselves are part of the big picture puzzle I wrote the biggest problem of being neophyte grassroots
about in KQ 36, 1—without parents, the strong school lobbyists was their lack of public relations skills. Their
library wouldn’t be complete. personal lobbying skills increased rapidly, but they also
realized that connecting with state and national library
Committed parents are the most powerful advocates we organizations gave them partnerships that increased their
can have. This doesn’t happen unless your program makes power. Washington Library Media Association (WLMA)
a diference for kids. And it won’t happen unless you have and Mike Eisenberg (University of Washington, Big6)
laid the groundwork for others to advocate for you. jumped in to help them by providing the expert research
and contacts for planning a rally and summit.
AASL has developed excellent resources and training for
advocacy, marketing, and promotion of school libraries, I personally found out about this efort through a Google
and each of us needs to include all three eforts as part news feed of an LA Times story and then quickly received
of our work. School librarians must show up to support an e-mail nudge rom Doug Johnson: “What can AASL
our causes, but when others show up to advocate on our do about this, Sara?” I promptly forwarded it to ALA
behalf, decision-makers pay attention. The Spokane Executive Director Keith Fiels: “Keith, when is ALA
going to ight against school library position cuts?” As AASL Board created Parent Outreach Task Force to help
I have advocated over the years for ALA’s activism for state ailiates seize opportunities to partner with parent
school libraries, Keith has pointed out that ALA could organizations. Simultaneously, the AASL Board and
ight school library cuts most efectively when there was a the Ailiate Assembly examined the Strategic Plan Mega
community group to work with, and here it was! Issue: How do we maximize our inluence and collaboration with the
educational and professional community? As a result of these
AASL, the ALA Advocacy Oice, and the Public discussions and encouraged by the Spokane events, the
Information Oice (PIO) got busy. AASL Executive Executive Committee is identifying parent organizations
Director Julie Walker communicated with the Spokane to work with AASL to extend their inluence in the
Moms almost every day about strategies and the research educational community. A subcommittee of the Board
supporting strong libraries. The AASL Research will develop an action plan for collaboration with parent
and Statistics, Advocacy, and Legislative Committees groups. Watch for online resources, which will help you
developed talking points. And, before we knew it, ive work with parent and community groups on both the
of us—Julie, Macey and Marci rom PIO and Advocacy local and national level.
oices, ALA President Loriene Roy, and I were on our
way to Olympia to rally with the Moms and WLMA. Is it worth it as a parent to set aside your life to work for
school libraries? Lisa Layera Brunkan wrote in a February
Even though the weather was wet, windy, and cold, the 14th blog entry ater SB#6380 passed unanimously in the
rally was upliting as speaker ater speaker spoke about Senate:
the importance of school libraries and support for the
proposed bills . . . and people dressed in black and Please, consider meeting with parents, educators
white (it’s a black and white issue, ater all) shouted their and business people. Fundourfutureoregon.
approval. There were kids, librarians, teachers, and org has already launched. The ALA and
parents, including a mother named Suzie Kabeiseman fundourfuturewashington will help. I KNOW we
rom Oregon who drove up rom Portland to announce can do this across the country and make this right
the beginning of a Fund our Future Oregon. It was so exciting for our children, for our economies and for our
when it was reported that House Bill 2773 moved out of democracy. BUT people have to stand up in order
committee while we were there! to take a stand. It is a tremendous amount of work
but it has been one of the most special things I
Within a few days of our return, Senate Bill 6380 was have ever been involved with and the rewards are
passed unanimously. The Moms’ Jan. 20th blog reported: great. I lew home rom Olympia last night so I
“What an incredible moment to hear Senators’ speaking could be here to wake up with my young children
passionately, earnestly and profoundly about school and walk them to school. My 8 year old daughter
libraries, librarians and how important they are to others had let a homemade newspaper on my (very
and have been to them.” The Moms were lauded on messy) desk. It read,
the loor of the Senate for listening and learning how
to lobby, how to know the facts, how to market their “Lisa Layera Brunkan who fought for
message. What a git their passion is to the students in school libareians won! The score was 49-0.
Washington! The Spokane Moms have vowed to help Congratulations. She worked on this for a year.
parent groups in other states become as politically savvy Thank you for saving school libareins! Thank
as they are now. And, on March 12, four million dollars you thank you thank you says school libareans.
was allocated for school libraries in the inal budget! The Isabel Brunkan 8 years old.”
groups are gearing up already to add to that igure next
year. Parents are our strongest advocates, whether it is the small
group who shows up at school board meetings to defend a
At ALA Annual in June 2007, AASL’s grassroots program cut or a group of moms (and dads) who, armed
organization, the Ailiate Assembly, raised as one of with a website, blog, e-mail, phone calls, and visits,
their concerns the lack of resources for parents to act challenge a state legislature to provide funding for school
advocates for school libraries. To answer that need, the library programs and resources. AASL and ALA recognize
the power of partnerships with parents and will work
side by side to make a diference for twenty-irst-century
learners, to see all the puzzle pieces of advocacy come
together in a grand picture of nationwide strong school
library programs.
Works Cited:
American Association of School Librarians. Advocacy. <www.ala.org/
ala/aaslaaslissues/aasladvocacy/deinitions.cfm> (accessed Feb. 5,
2007).
Brunkan, Lisa Layera, Denette Hill and Susan McBurney. “Found
our Future Blog.” <http://librariesfordemocracy.org/fundfuture>
(accessed Feb. 18, 2008).
Glascock, Stuart. “In Parents’ Book, Librarian Cuts go Too
Far,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 23, 2007. <www.latimes.com/news/
printedition/asection/la-na-librarians23dec23,1,7523162,full.
story?ctrack=2&cset=true> (accessed Dec. 28, 2007).
HOMEPAGE
A photographer who is out to persuade you of his “truth” will make choices to
support his view rather than reveal the truthfulness of the moment.
Visual Information Literacy: and prior knowledge. Eventually I add background

Reading a Documentary Photograph
information, including the photographer’s statement—if
Debbie Abilock, KQ Editor one exists—to enrich the discussion but not to propose
that the creator’s perspective and purpose is the “correct
Like a printed text, an architectural blueprint, a answer.”
mathematical equation, or a musical score, a visual image
is its own language. Visual literacy has three components:
learning, thinking, and communicating (Randhawa and
Cofman 1978). A “literate” person is able to decipher the
basic code and syntax, interpret the signs and symbols,
correctly apply terms rom an academic discipline or
ield of study, understand how things it together, and do
appropriate work. Visual information literacy is the ability to
understand, evaluate, and use visual information.
Just as reader response theory (Rosenblatt 1994)

conceptualizes textual literacy in terms of an interaction
between the text and the reader, a theory of visual literacy
ought to take into account the transaction of the viewer 1. What do I see?
with the image. To represent that relationship of the 2. What does it mean to me?
subject, the medium, the photographer, and the context
3. What in the photograph leads me to say this?
with the viewer, I modiied the classical rhetorical stance
to model the reading of a photograph (see diagram to the 4. Why was this photograph created?
right). In visual information literacy workshops, I refer to 5. What does it mean?
the elements of this diagram so that students and teachers
can conceptualize visual rhetoric. Our irst response to a photograph is unspoken—we
look. When you teach visual literacy allow two to three
Teaching Visual Information Literacy minutes to experience an image without discussion.
I prefer to use documentary photographs in teaching To prompt students or faculty to share their thoughts,
because they span many disciplines and rest on the provide a worksheet with questions <www.noodletools.
premise that they faithfully depict a subject. I choose com/debbie/literacies/newsmedia/polphoto.pdf> or
questions (Alfano and O’Brien 2005, 89–90; Center for use one of the photograph analysis worksheets at the
Media Literacy 2005; Koechlin and Zwaan, 90) based American Memory site <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/
on the learning goals. Then we practice interpretation: lessons/media.html> . Ater they label what they see
decoding the composition of a photograph, responding in words, ask them to0 add inferences based on the
to its aesthetic elements; and calling up personal beliefs visual evidence. For example, notice the subtle cues
elements. For example,
the Glanum columns
(right), photographed
rom below and ramed
vertically, feel imposing,
especially since the sun’s
rays illuminate the lintel
rom behind. Yet the
oddly-balanced top and
the unequal lengths of the
converging columns seem
unstable. Such tension
in a photograph creates
Glanum , Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. visual interest. Learn
Photo by Debbie Abilock about photo composition
elements such as leading
lines, Rule of Thirds, and raming <http://photoinf
.com> .
Collaborating with Faculty

Identifying similarities and diferences is one of the
nine categories of instructional strategies that research
shows is associated with improved student learning
(Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock 2001). Select a
pair of documentary photographs of similar subjects,
composition, and purpose, but created at diferent times.
Slab Man and Robert, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford.
Photo by Debbie Abilock If you are designing a collaborative project, co-teach this
lesson with your faculty partner to “set the table” for a
long-term research investigation (Abilock and Kosut
rom body language and facial expressions that help us 2000). If you are teaching visual literacy alone, choose
distinguish between a human (Robert) and a sculpture images that relate to topics that are being studied in the
(Slab Man, Duane Hanson 1976). Inferences also classroom. In either situation, you’ll want to meet with
emerge rom the composition: the angle rom which the subject-area teacher to explain the visual literacy
the subject is shot, what is illuminated or in shadow, activity and get suggestions for possible photograph
how objects are arranged and the tension among these pairings. For a faculty workshop, I select pairs rom
Table 1. Perspectives Chart: What do I bring to visual information literacy?

When I look through this lens... What I see is framed by my...
Personal Intuition, subjective responses
Moral, ethical Belief system, code of behavior
Historical, political, economic, social Knowledge of a time, place, government, society
Cultural Knowledge of a group’s shared way of life
Aesthetic Appreciation and critical analysis of beauty, art
Critical Analysis of society and human nature
Metaphoric Understanding of icons, symbols

An adaptation based on Lester’s six perspectives for analyzing any image (2000) 94–96.
Muir Glacer in 1941 Muir Glacier in 2004
Photo by William O. Field Photo by Bruce F. Molnia
National Snow and Ice Data Center/World Data Center for National Snow and Ice Data Center/World Data Center for
Glaciology, Boulder, Colorado Glaciology, Boulder, Colorado
diferent subject areas such as these sets about global to share what they’ve learned, as well as their feelings,
warming and child labor. opinions, and questions about the photographs. Our
values, emotions, and knowledge shape our responses
Ater comparing the photographs and sharing what to a photograph, just as they inform our responses to a
is observed and already known, the next activity is to printed text and indeed every experience in our lives.
research additional information. For example, the two Using the Perspectives Chart (previous page), ask for
child labor images were taken eighty years apart, one by an elaboration of responses and add questions that prompt
investigative photographer <www.archives.gov/education/ further thinking. Does the visual evidence of glacial
lessons/hine-photos> and the other by an occupational retreat have a
health physician rom Harvard <www.hsph.harvard.edu/ personal impact?
gallery/intro.html>. Information on the Muir glacier What is the efect
photographs taken over sixty years apart is on the National of the sharply lit
Snow and Ice Data Center website <http://nsidc.org/data/ oyster shells and
glacier_photo/repeat_photography.html>. unending stacks
of bricks? Some
Ater 10-15 minutes of investigation, invite everyone may focus on
their “personal
lens” by sharing
their qualms Stolen Dreams; Portraits of Working Children.
about climate Photo by David L. Parker
change or work
hazards. Others may be led by their “ethical lens” and
become outraged about child labor or global warming.
Intellectually, while they understand that these are
continuing problems, they may have reservations about
the options poor families or third-world countries really
have (historical, political, economic, cultural) or question
the role that countries and humanitarian organizations
currently play or might take in issues of social justice
(critical, metaphoric). The purpose is to become
conscious of the perspectives we bring to a visual image.
Photograph of a Young Shrimp Picker Named Manuel
Photo by Lewis Hine
Still Picture Records LICON, Special Media Archives Services A documentary photograph may have been created to
represent a reality, but it is also a vehicle for conveying altered the photographs he took for the National Child
ideas and a medium for personal expression. Early Labor Committee, recognized that his own perspectives
photographs were assumed to be scientiic evidence. inevitably inluenced his choice of subject, what angle
Eadweard Muybridge’s photographs of horses and people to use, etc. To add veracity to his documentation, he
were trusted as reliable scientiic studies of movement made notes about the time, place, and surreptitious
and were even published in Scientiic American. Today there interviews he conducted with his subjects. Yet he calls his
is evidence that he assembled and manipulated them for photographs a “reproduction of impressions made upon
artistic efect (Freeze Frame n.d.). the photographer
which he desires
Yet the premise of documentary photographs, whether to repeat to
they are of a wedding, an inauguration, a mutation, or others” <www.
a news event, is that they are truthful representations archives.gov/
of reality. Arnheim says of them: “We are on vacation education/
rom artiice,” (as quoted in Steiner 1995, 40). Indeed lessons/hine-
the events did happen: we were there to see this couple photos/> . A
get married (below); Lincoln was inaugurated on the documentary
steps of the Capitol (right); the scientiic paper provides photograph
experimental evidence of the mutations in zebraish is a mediated Abraham Lincoln giving his second inauguration
address.
embryos (bottom right); and Buddhist Monks were communication of American Memory, Library of
severely injured in recent demonstrations in Burma truthful evidence. Congress Prints and Photographs
(next page). Similarly, anthropologists and sociologists When displayed Division, Washington D.C.
have used photographic inventories of objects, people, in exhibits or
and artifacts, images rom the past of institutions or gathered photo essays, these photographs become an
individuals, and intimate images of a social group in argument with evidence for a claim.
support of anthropological ield studies or sociological
interviews Visual Rhetoric
(Harper 2002, The purpose of argument is to discover some version of the
13). At the truth, using evidence and reason. Argument of this sort
University of leads audiences toward conviction, an agreement that a
Rochester, claim is true or reasonable, or that a course of action is
librarians used desirable. The aim of persuasion is to change a point of view
photo-elicitation or to move others rom conviction to action. In other
interviews to words, writers or speakers argue to ind some truth; they
ind out what persuade when they think they already know it. (Lunsford
undergraduates and Ruszkiewicz 2001, 6)
Wedding Party really do in
Photo by Damon and Maria Abilock the dorms and While a single documentary photograph does not exhort
library when they
research and write an academic paper (Briden 2007).
But, even when photographs are unretouched, there is an

eye behind the lens, and a inger on the camera’s shutter
button. Subhankar Banerjee’s collected photographs show
the connection between destruction of the Arctic and
global issues such as resource wars, global warming, and
human rights <www.subhankarbanerjee.org/projects
.html>; he states unequivocally that oil development at
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will “forever unravel
the delicate pattern of nature” (Kammen 2006, 287). PCNA and Proliferation Patterns in zebraish mutant embryos.
Another social critic, Lewis Hine, although he never Image by M.J. Koudijs et al.
you to topple the the Great Depression (Lester 2000). Sitting side-by-
Burmese government side on a box, a Union and Confederate oicer, former
or to buy a hybrid classmates at West Point, epitomize the Civil War conlict
car, at some point the (Brimberg 2004, 65–66).
preponderance of the
visual evidence will A photographer is always tempted to arrange a scene for
probably convince symbolic, aesthetic, or dramatic reasons. In this personal
you that these are photograph (bottom let), one senses the great value of
faithful representations a newborn infant colored by a rainbow—but, was the
of a repressive child moved to that spot? (Not moved but steadied—see
A young demonstrator is shot dead in government’s actions the hand?) But wouldn’t it have been more visually
Rangoon, Burma and climatic changes. interesting if the baby had been crying? (Yes, but that’s a
Democratic Voice of Burma Such “picture stories” manipulation we weren’t willing to perform.)
<www.msnbc.msn
.com/id/3251645> and “photo essays” are efective visual Subjects have been moved, and negatives cropped
rhetorical arguments. and retouched, for every imaginable purpose rom
enlightening to misleading the viewer. Alexander
This distinction between argument and persuasion Gardner, a Civil War photographer, carried a dead body
speaks directly to the veracity of a photograph. A to a more picturesque location to evoke poignancy and
photographer who is out to persuade you of something pity in his audience <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/
makes choices which support his truth rather than reveal
the truthfulness of the moment. These distinctions are at
the heart of some of the most interesting aspects of visual
information literacy: credibility and veriication; point of
view, reality and truth; journalistic ethics and aesthetics;
expropriation as visual plagiarism, homage, or parody;
privacy and the public’s right to know.
Symbolic Meaning
Semiotics is the study of how our reading of signs and
symbols communicates complicated ideas in the form of
codes (Lester 2000). A visually literate person responds
to the icons and symbols, alone and together, to interpret
them within certain cultural constraints. In Lincoln’s
inauguration photograph, the United States lag and
the Capitol behind him are symbols of the authority
being conveyed to a president who had not believed he
would get this
second chance.
Dorothea
Lange’s iconic
mother and
child, “The
Migrant
Mother,”
became
symbolic
of families
Newborn Tobias struggling to Adolf Hitler in Paris
Photo by Debbie Abilock survive during Oice of the National Archives
documentary photographer should maintain a neutral
cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam1.html> . Public igures are point of view. When we look over the exhaustive list of
notorious for scripting the camera’s eye to their advantage permissible and impermissible procedures enumerated
(Muir 2005). Conscious of the propaganda value, Hitler in “To Protect The Integrity of Journalistic Photographs
staged this scene in ront of the Eifel Tower ater Paris in Digital Editing” <http://digitalcustom.com/howto/
fell (previous page). Even ater events have been shot, a mediaguidelines.asp> , we can begin to appreciate the
photographer might substitute a similar photograph taken complexity of this problem. It distinguishes between
at another time because it was truer to the story, sharper, “true-to-life” enhancing procedures (e.g., removing
more visually appealing, etc. red-eye, correcting color, eliminating glare and repairing
a deteriorating historical image) and impermissible
Access to cheap, powerful editing sotware provides alterations (e.g., doctoring a news photo to increase the
every grassroots reporter and amateur photographer impression of war damage; adding another animal to a
with sophisticated tools for photo manipulation. nature scene to make it more picturesque; and falsifying
Computational photography automates thousands of photomicroscopical evidence for scientiic proit or
microlenses, smart lashes, three-dimensional apertures, recognition). Egregious alteration procedures are easy to
multiple exposures, and cameras stacked in arrays to acknowledge but, just as there is a fascinating gray area
allow a photographer to take multiple shots of a scene between argument and persuasion, ethically ambiguous
and mathematically combine them to choose the lighting, examples complicate the job of news, travel or nature
the camera position, the focus point, and even the editors. Moreover, an editor usually selects rom a series
expressions on people’s faces (Barry 2007). of photographs each of which conveys something slightly
diferent; each editorial choice is but one version of the
Professional guidelines for visual journalism have reality. So, a photograph chosen to “sell” the ront page
been created to clarify the legal and ethical issues of might conceivably be more compelling, but less “true-to-
documentary photography. The German Press Council life.”
<www.presserat.de/uploads/media/Press_Code.pdf>
makes a distinction based on the viewer’s assumptions: One way to appreciate this dilemma is to study images
of the same event, selected for the ront pages of
Guideline 2.2—Symbolic Photographs multiple daily newspapers. On the Newseum’s website
If an illustration, especially a photograph, can be <www.newseum.org/todaysrontpages> ront pages
taken to be a documentary picture by the casual can be examined by state, country or region of the
reader, although it is a symbolic photograph, this world, and then compared side-by-side using a tabbed
must be clariied. For this reason: browser. If the publications are in a language that you
❍฀substitute or auxiliary illustrations (i.e., a similar can’t read, the image can be partially isolated rom the
subject at a diferent time, or a diferent subject at verbal, political, and social context. If it is an English
the same time, etc.), language publication, then the interplay between image,
❍฀ symbolic illustrations (reconstructed scenes, typography, layout, and knowledge of a particular time
artiicially visualised (sic) events to accompany text, and place will contribute to the “reading.” Whether it is
etc.), a newspaper’s ront page, a scientiic paper, or a family
❍฀ photomontages or other changes album, the context in which the image is embedded is
inevitably part of the communication.
must be clearly marked as such either in the
caption or in the accompanying text. (Deutscher At irst, when I used rhetorical analysis to rame my
Presserat 2007, 10) visual information literacy teaching, it felt contrived.
As I practiced using the worksheet, the model, and the
A new Code of Ethics (2008) rom The National Press perspectives, my comfort level rose. My next challenge
Photographers Association promotes “accurate and is to add digital cameras (as De Abreu and Palmquist
comprehensive representation,” and cautions against describe in this issue; see also Tyehimba 2007) so that I
active involvement in events that are being photographed can teach the process of constructing and deconstructing
and vigilance to avoid inluence or coercion by others. As in a visual language. Innovation and improvisation are
in good journalistic writing, the assumption is that the fundamental to twenty-irst-century literacies.
School librarians can learn to turn a seven-power lens on our learners will ind this process transformational when
documentary photographs (Abilock 2003) to teach visual they understand, evaluate, and use visual information for
literacy skills within an information literacy context. And authentic reasons.
Kammen, Michael. 2006. Visual Shock; A History of Art Controversies in

Works Cited American Culture. New York: Knopf.
Koechlin, Carol and Sandi Zwaan. 2006. Q Tasks: How to Empower
Abilock. Debbie. 2003. “A Seven-Power Lens on 21st Century Students to Ask Questions and Care about Answers. Portland: Stenhouse/
Literacy: Instilling Cross-Disciplinary Visual, News Media, Pembroke.
and Information-Literacy Skills.” MultiMedia Schools, Nov./Dec. Lester, Paul Martin. 2000. Visual Communication; Images with Messages
30–35. <www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/newsmedia/ 2nd ed., 48–51. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth.
PowerLensSingle.pdf> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008). Lunsford, Andrea A. and John J. Ruszkiewicz. 2001. Everything’s an
Abilock, Debbie and Cynthia Kosut. 2000. The More You Look, Argument. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martin.
the More You See [Lesson]. <www.noodletools.com/debbie/ Marzano, Robert J, Deborah Pickering, and Jane Pollock. 2001.
projects/20c/turn/teach/lp1.html> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008). Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing
Alfano, Christine L. and Alyssa J. Obrien. 2005. Envision: Persuasive Student Achievement. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision
Writing in a Visual World. New York: Pearson. and Curriculum Development.
Barry, Patrick L. April 7, 2007. “Pictures Posing Questions: Muir, Robin. 2005. The World’s Most Photographed. London: National
The Next Steps in Photography Could Blur Reality.” Portrait Gallery. <www.nppa.org/professional_development/
Science News Online 171, no. 14, 216 <www.sciencenews.org/ business_practices/ethics.html> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008).
articles/20070407/bob8.asp> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008). National Press Photographers Association. 2008. Code of Ethics.
Briden, Judi. 2007. “Photo Surveys: Eliciting More Than You <www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/
Knew to Ask For.” Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project ethics.html> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008).
at the University of Rochester. Chicago: Association of College and Randhawa, Bikkar S. and William E. Cofman. 1978. Visual
Research Libraries, 40–47. <www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/ Learning, Thinking and Communication. New York: Academic Press.
downloadables/Foster-Gibbons_cmpd.pdf> (accessed Feb. 14,
2008). Rosenblatt, Louise. 1994. The Reader, the Text, the Poem: The Transactional
Theory of the Literary Work. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois
Brimberg, Stanlee. 2004. “Strategies for Teaching History.” University Press.
Uncovering our History; Teaching with Primary Sources. Susan H. Veccia,
ed. Chicago, American Library Association, 57-72. Steiner, Wendy. 1995. The Scandal of Pleasure: Art in an Age of
Fundamentalism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Center for Media Literacy. 2005. Five Key Questions of Media Literacy
& Five Core Concepts [Poster]. <www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/14B_ Tyehimba, Cheo. May 2007. “Images Speak Words—
CCKQPoster+5essays.pdf> (accessed Feb. 14, 2008). Introduction.” I’ve Known Rivers: The MoAD Stories Project. <www.
iveknownrivers.org/read-2.0.php?id=216> (accessed Feb. 14,
Deutscher Presserat [German Press Council]. 2007. German Press 2008).
Code. <www.presserat.de/uploads/media/Press_Code.pdf>
(accessed Feb. 14, 2008). Victoria and Albert Museum (nd) Questions about the Posters
and Photographs. Available online: <www.vam.ac.uk/
Freeze Frame: Eadweard Muybridge’s Photography of Motion (nd) National school_stdnts/schools_teach/teachers_resources/image_identity/
Museum of American History, Smithsonian Instititution. questions/index.html>.
<http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge> (accessed Feb. 14,
2008).
Harper, Douglas. 2002. “Talking About Pictures: A Case for
Photo Elicitation.” Visual Studies 17, no. 1, 13–26.
FEATURE
Supporting Visual Literacy in

the School Library Media Center:
Developmental, socio-cultural, and experiential
considerations and scenarios
Linda Z. Cooper
linda.cooper@qc.cuny.edu
W e have been living in a largely
text-based culture for some
time. We have taken great pains
may note the literal meaning of a
graphic representation, he or she may
lack the experience to immediately
does not occur in nature) that we
use to convey a particular, agreed-
upon meaning. Without previous
to educate children in textual grasp meaning that is implied or instruction or experience, there is no
literacy so they might navigate abstract. This is an important reason why a child should understand
textual information, understand consideration when working with that an arrow means “proceed in the
meaning in textual messages, children to develop their expertise direction of the point.” Nor would
and construct textual messages in interpreting visual information. a child inherently understand that
to communicate with others. Yet They may need support to move to geometric silhouettes might represent
everyday throughout the world a more sophisticated level of visual concrete objects in a blueprint or
we encounter visual information. understanding. loor plan. The same image can
How might we educate children to carry what Schifman (1995) calls
become efective users and generators We can teach children to read visual both obvious and non-obvious
of visual information? To answer information in a manner similar to meaning. For example a skull and
this question, we must examine that which we use to teach them to crossed bones are the remains of
sociocultural and developmental read textual information. For both, a dead person in all cultures. But
considerations that afect children’s students bring prior knowledge to they also signal “pirates” in some,
understanding of visual information. but not all, cultures. When creating
or using images, we must recognize
Issues That Affect the “Children are natural visual that the message may be interpreted
Development of Visual Literacy diferently rom culture to culture
Sociocultural and experiential learners but they need instruction (Goldsmith 1984).
considerations
The way we understand images is a regarding the interpretation of In addition, physical environment
cultural convention that is learned inluences both the development of
(Randhawa and Cofman 1978). Any
culturally constructed visual our culture and the visual experiences
visual representation is an abstraction messages.” available to us as members of this
of a real experience; for instance, a culture. For example, a child who has
picture of a house is not the house grown up in a forest environment
itself but rather marks on a surface their understanding. In some cases, may interpret distance diferently
that we have agreed will represent the their visual knowledge is based on than a child who has grown up on
concrete object that is “house.” real-life experience, while in others, a savanna (Serpell and Deregowski
their prior experience reading 1979). Their visual experiences are
Vygotsky (1978, 1986) wrote that pictures enables them to understand distinctly diferent rom those of
our culture not only gives us or recognize images of objects they a child raised in an urban setting,
information, but also tells us how to have never physically seen but only an environment comprised of
think about that information. People visually “read” (Goldsmith 1984). many straight lines and right angles
ascribe meaning to a visual “sign,” Goldsmith reminds us that while (Morgan 1986). Thus the children we
but that meaning may not be the many children in New York City teach will ind it easier to interpret
same rom person to person or rom have never seen a real tiger, most images within their own physical
one group to another (Schifman are able to recognize a picture of experience, but will need scafolded
1995). For example, in addition to one. Similarly, children who use teaching to interpret images beyond
conveying the concept of “house,” a computers understand that an icon their physical environment.
picture of a house might also mean of a tiny open ile with an arrow
“home for a family” to one person swinging to the right means that they These types of variations in visual
or “real estate” to another. A picture can open a ile. experience have implications
of a middle class home in the United for academic contexts. Petterson
States may be “read” as an upper Some abstract images need to be (1982) noticed diferences in the
class home in another country taught explicitly. For example, illustrations used in textbooks in
(Goldsmith 1984). While a child an arrow is an abstract symbol (it diferent countries and observed that
in the picture. ●฀ can recognize the meaning of a
people tend to prefer colors relective
sequence of images;
of their natural environment
and daily surroundings. Further, Children in Piaget’s Concrete ●฀ tend to interpret visual
since color has distinct cultural Operational stage are around seven information literally;
associations, we cannot assume to nine years-old. By this time they ●฀ are not sensitive to the efect of
that a particular color carries a recognize that a picture represents the context on the image;
uniform message to everyone. In “something,” but they may not always ●฀ may become absorbed in either
some cultures black is associated with understand what that something the whole image or small details;
death and mourning while in others, means (Randhawa and Cofman and
white, the color of ashes, carries that 1978). While the ability to interpret ●฀ can learn to “read” complex
association. Therefore care needs to visual information increases with images, especially in a culture
be taken when using and interpreting age, it is also dependent on the where images are oten used.
color in visual information type of image, the task (Chipman
et al 1977) and the observer’s prior
Supporting the Development of
(Schifman 1995; Goldsmith 1984).
Rather than expecting color to experiences. To interpret a picture,
Visual Literacy
convey speciic information other a child must identify the diferent Children have many opportunities to
than that which is found in nature, elements, recognize corresponding develop textual literacy in the library.
it may best be used as an attention- real-life correlates, and then use Are they given as many opportunities
getting device. In general, the language skills to attach a label to to develop visual literacy? What
more a picture difers rom nature the entire image (Randhawa and follows are three examples rom
and real life, the harder it is for a Cofman 1978). Once this happens, my own school library classes in
reader unaccustomed to that mode the child can synthesize the meaning which children were encouraged to
of representation to understand it of the entire picture and assimilate communicate ideas visually and use
(Miller 1973). it into his or her cognitive schema. images to convey information.
For instance, a child might recognize
Developmental considerations images of chickens, ducks, cows, Vignette #1: Reading pictures for
While children acquire information and pigs as separate entities in a information
through their senses rom birth, picture. If these animals are shown A small group of irst graders came to
there are developmental stages that together in a particular venue, the the library to do research on diferent
determine their understanding of child might, depending on his or her countries assigned by their classroom
these experiences. From ive to seven experience and developmental level, teacher. Some children used a digital
years of age, Piaget’s Pre-Operational read the context as either “barnyard” encyclopedia. Other children used
stage (Piaget and Inhelder 1969), or “zoo.” If ducks are shown crossing books. One child was having trouble
children understand the world rom the street in Boston, a child with understanding her book. She was
their own point of view. Thus they urban experience will recognize the not a strong reader and the text
are unlikely to interpret implied incongruity of the visual situation. A in her book was above her reading
meaning in visual information child with a story-literate background level. But the book had pictures. She
(Higgins 1980). Children in the will identify the image as rom Make told me that she could not ind any
Pre-Operational stage tend to read a Way for Ducklings (McCloskey 1941). information on her country. I asked
picture as though an element that is Thus the derived meaning will her if there was any information in
out of sight is either incomplete or depend on the total elements in the the pictures and she said that there
does not exist. As a result, children picture and their relationship to was not.
in this stage would “read” an image each other, as well as the child’s prior
literally as what they see, rather than experiences and existing cognitive I sat down with her and told her to
what might be inferred (Higgins schema (Siegler 1991, 1998). look at the picture again and tell me
1980). For example, if one igure is what she saw. She saw a picture of a
shown waving to a second implied Goldsmith’s research on children’s mountain. I asked her to describe
igure outside of the rame of the use of visual information (1984) the mountain and she told me it
picture, a young child might not reports that young children had snow on the top. Her reading
“read” the implied igure that is not of the information in the picture
was supportive of Higgins’ (1980) their meaning pictures were attached to the wall
observations that young children tend in written display and the bottoms were let ree
to describe what they see in a picture format, so I so the drawings could be lipped up
rather than what might be inferred. decided to to reveal the words that the children
I asked her what that information include a visual had dictated about their information.
told her about how it was on top A Lizard Has a Very Long option. I said:
of the mountain. She thought a bit Tongue “I would like For example, one picture conveyed
Author illustration the information “A lizard has a
and replied “It is cold on the top of you to look at
the mountain.” This was the piece the books that very long tongue.” The drawing
of information she was able to write you have. Find something that looks used exaggeration in depicting a
on her worksheet. While she may interesting to you that you would like particular detail that engaged the
not have had personal experience in to share with other children in the child’s attention to convey a message.
that locale, she was able to observe school. Remember that you are the This is relective of Goldsmith’s
an element in a picture and apply oldest children in the school. The (1984) observations about children’s
previous knowledge (snow is cold; other children in the school cannot tendency to become absorbed in
it is cold where there is snow) to read as well as you. You may tell them small details of a picture. Another
infer a conclusion, with guidance. about your interest either in writing picture conveyed the information
She had expected to rely only on the or in pictures. If you decide to write, “Lava rom a volcano is very hot.”
text and was you may not copy rom the book. The visual message was delivered
delighted to Read about what you are interested successfully through use of realistic
realize that she in, then close the book and think to color to convey information about
could extract yourself, ‘What have I learned about temperature.
information this? What would I like to tell?’ Then
rom the write it in your own words. Your This vignette describes the
It is Cold on the Top of the photograph to words will be best for other children integration of visual information
Mountain complete her to understand. If you do not feel you literacy and textual information
Author illustration assignment. can write about your interest, you literacy. The children found visual
may draw a picture to explain. Your and textual information of their
Vignette #2: Drawing information picture must show the information own choosing, “read” and learned
Second graders were being that you want to tell. This is called something, then were able to
introduced to the concept of an ‘visual information.’” communicate it using a format
encyclopedia. Since the library had diferent
two complete sets of The Little Golden All of the children decided to draw rom the
Encyclopedia, every child could hold their information interest. This was a original. They
one volume. The books were colorful particularly empowering assignment learned that
and interesting and contained for the children who were not good information
information on many diferent readers and writers, because they can be
subjects. The children were excited. could participate fully and even excel. communicated Lava From a Volcano is
They liked being introduced to a new Ater children drew their informative in diferent Very Hot
information object (encyclopedia picture, I circulated among the tables ways. Author illustration
volume) and especially liked holding and asked each child to explain the
the concrete object in their hands information they were trying to Vignette #3: Understanding
and examining it carefully. convey. I wrote this in a sentence and creating an abstract visual
on the back of their picture. The representation
But the reading level and the size of children’s pictures were displayed in This was a much more sophisticated
the font in these encyclopedias was a class hallway exhibit for the school lesson. I was working with
going to be challenging for these to enjoy. The title of the exhibit was kindergarten, irst grade, and second
seven-year-old beginning readers. I Visual Literacy because the children grade children on helping them to
knew that they would need guidance had chosen to convey information think about how information in the
extracting ideas and communicating through images. The tops of their library might be organized. Our
conversation moved to the concept of large cardboard box and some their own literal point of view—they
room arrangement and then to loor pieces of doll furniture that I had could not understand that the black
plans as representations of physical brought rom home. We pretended geometric shapes were abstractions
space and furniture arrangements. that the cover of the box was a room of concrete objects. The exercise
with walls and played with various worked well for the two older classes,
Our culture understands a loor furniture arrangements. Since we however, and supported growth in
plan as an abstract representation on were somewhat crowded around our visual literacy. They were now able
paper of physical objects in space. pretend room, I remarked that it to understand an abstract visual
None of the children had previous would be better if I could hold the representation and they were able to
experience in the interpretation of box up for all to see whenever we create their own.
this culturally constructed visual changed the furniture arrangement
abstraction and I was having diiculty but, unfortunately, the furniture In the irst of these vignettes, the child
explaining it to them. I needed to would slide if the cover was held did not consider visual information a
think of something that was within sideways. At this point, I produced valid source for research. In addition,
their experience, something that they shapes cut rom black construction because her initial interpretation of
could recognize and understand, paper that matched the circles and the picture was merely literal, she was
as a bridge to the concept of a loor rectangles of the furniture tops. I not able to extract much information
plan. I asked them to imagine that told the children these were like rom the image. But with instruction
they were giants walking through the shadows of the furniture. Together in the interpretation of information
neighborhood of the school, looking we matched these “shadows” to that was visually implied, she was
down on all the trees and houses. their furniture pieces, slipping each able to deduce more information
While this was not within their actual shadow under its piece of furniture. rom the picture than a mere literal
experience, they did have enough A black circle was placed under the interpretation would allow. In the
experience with stories presented to circular table, a black rectangle was second example, children were able to
them visually to imagine that they placed under the rectangular book draw upon previous experience and
were very tall, looking down on shelf, etc. communicate information visually.
things. I suggested that they imagine Even children who had diiculty
reaching down, removing the roof Finally I proposed that we remove expressing themselves in words were
of our school and looking into the the furniture but not the “shadows.” able to convey information via their
library. Then, pointing to the round The shadows that were let in the images through the use of various
library table, I asked what shape they box gave us a visual map of where the visual strategies. For example,
would see. Most responded that they furniture had been. We were even focus on details of interest helped
would see a circle. Next, we tried able to move the black shapes around them to visually convey elements
the exercise with book shelves and and imagine how the furniture might of information that were most
children indicated that they would see be rearranged. When we found a plan important to them. Use of realistic
a rectangle. The story scafolded their that we liked, we glued the shadow color helped them to visually convey
transition to the more sophisticated shapes to the loor of the box/room signiicant information in their
perspective and the visual imagery so that it could be held vertically. pictures in a manner that supported
inherent in the narrative helped them The children now understood how to correct interpretation of the intended
to see the tops of library furniture as construct their own loor plans. That message. In the inal vignette, children
geometric shapes. is, the irst and second grades were who were cognitively mature enough
able to do this. When I went through to grasp a rather sophisticated visual
Then I produced the cover of a the process with the kindergarten cultural abstraction were supported
and, at the end, held the inished to a higher level of visual literacy
loor plan vertically so they could with which they had no previous
all see it, their response was that the experience. Careful instruction that
furniture would fall down. They were took into account their previous visual
Doll Furniture With Shadows/Floor Plan of Doll not cognitively mature enough to experiences was a necessary element
Furniture understand a visual representation in moving the children to this higher
Author illustrations that presented anything other than level of visual literacy. All of these
exercises took place in a school library moment, as well as through planned Dr. Linda Cooper
with primary grade students, and a instruction. Understanding is Associate Professor at
good time was had by all. developmental, sociocultural, and the Graduate School of
experiential considerations that
Library and Information
Children are natural visual afect their understanding of visual
Studies, Queens College,
learners—they have been absorbing information will help us support
information visually since birth. their growth in this area. Supplying City University of New
They welcome opportunities to learn children with opportunities to York. Her background encompasses study in
via images as well as to generate visual practice analysis and construction of information and library science, education, and
information themselves, and these visual material can provide rewarding art. This, together with her work as a teacher
opportunities present themselves avenues of expression, as well as with children in school libraries, has informed
every day. The importance of visual exciting paths toward communication
her research and writing.
literacy can be conveyed through and learning through visual literacy.
conversations and the teachable
Works Cited Miller, Robert. 1973. “Cross-cultural ethnic populations.” In R.E. Griin,
research in the perception of pictorial Ed., Eyes on the future: Converging images, ideas,
Chipman, Susan et al. 1977. “Sensitivity materials.” Psychological Bulletin, v. 80, n.2, and instruction. Selected readings rom the
to visual structure.” Paper presented at 135–150. Annual Conference of the International
the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Morgan, John. 1986. “Cultures, codes and Visual Literacy Association (Chicago,
Child Development. New Orleans, La., 17-20 conventions.” See what I mean: An introduction Illinois 18–22 Oct. 1995), 67–78.
March. ERIC ED 140 939. to visual communication, 67–89. Baltimore: Serpell, Robert and Jan Deregowski. 1979.
First Connections: The Golden Book Encyclopedia. Edward Arnold Pub. “The skill of pictorial perception: An
1996. San Diego: Jostens Learning Pettersson, Rune. 1982. “Cultural interpretation of cross-cultural evidence.”
Corporation. diferences in the perception of image International Journal of Psychology, v.15, 145–80.
Goldsmith, Evelyn. 1984. Research into and color in pictures.” Educational Siegler, Robert. 1991. Children’s thinking.
illustration: an approach and a review. New York: Communication & Technology, v.30, n.1, 43–53. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Cambridge Univ. Pr. Piaget, Jean and Barbel Inhelder. 1969. ———. 1998. Children’s thinking, Third Ed. Upper
Higgins, Leslie. 1980. “Literalism in the The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Saddle River, NJ.: Prentice Hall.
young child’s interpretation of pictures.” Books. Vygotsky, Lev. 1978. Mind in society: The
Educational Communication and Technology v28, Randhawa, Bikkar and William Cofman. development of higher psychological processes.
n2, 99–119. Eds. 1978. Visual learning, thinking and Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Pr.
McCloskey, Robert. 1941. Make way for communication. New York: Academic Press. ———. 1986. Alex Kozulin, ed. Thought and
ducklings. New York: Viking Press. Schifman, Carole. 1995. “Visually language. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Pr.
translating educational materials for
FEATURE
Creating Images to
Understand Visual Literacy
Nancy N. Palmquist
nancy.palmquist@oldham.kyschools.us
F rom today’s smallest MP3 players
to huge billboards lashing over
Times Square, we swim in an ocean
in Photoshop. Once the word was
out about the “class,” it was obvious
that I needed a curriculum if I was
in a project-based curriculum, the
amount of time I spend on it daily is
quite small.
of visual content. Little children going to ofer it for academic credit.
recognize their favorite sot drink Thus, over the past two years, I’ve The course includes the following
long before they can read the words developed a series of independent units:
“Coke” or “Pepsi.” Goggle’s Image projects that teach motivated students
Search delivers an embarrassment about visual literacy as they take ●฀ Introduction
of riches (which are sometimes photographs with a digital camera ●฀ Photojournalism
embarrassing as well!). How do we and edit them in Photoshop.
●฀ Portraiture
help our students make sense of all
this visual content? We started with an Internet- ●฀ Landscape and nature
connected computer loaded with photography
As the keeper of the library’s fun the current version of Photoshop ●฀ Abstract
tools, I was one of the school’s Elements (about $100), and two ●฀ Photography show
original digital photographers. I new digital cameras ($250 each).
was hooked on the ease of digital Of course, many students use their The introductory unit is designed to
photography ater using it one own cameras for the course, but establish good photographic habits,
summer and realized its value—irst this initial purchase was funded by a
personally, then professionally. Thus grant I wrote for a local educational
it seemed natural for me to develop foundation.
a digital photography class to address
visual literacy, giving interested Without a ready-made textbook,
students an opportunity to create I decided to create a series of
images of their own. Students step lessons that students could follow
behind the wizard’s curtain to see independently. When I started to
how the “magic” is done. look for resources, I was encouraged
by the abundance of ree material I
It all began with a single, interested found in books, magazines, and on
student who was my irst digital Web sites.
photography guinea pig. I simply
gave her ree rein throughout one Students complete six units in
semester to take pictures with a approximately two to three weeks
digital camera and edit the results each. But the beauty of this class
is its lexibility
responding to the
students’ needs Dancers using black and white camera setting
and interests. Photo by author
As a survey
course, it covers
a number of ways such as purchasing wisely, storing
photography photos in an orderly manner, and
can be used taking well-composed pictures.
and introduces Initially, students read several recent
students to articles rom Consumer Reports <www
various careers .consumerreports.org/cro/index
in photography. .htm> about purchasing a camera.
Since the class They compare online photo sharing
Slow shutter speed with holiday lights results in red abstract comprises their and storage sites and look up local,
Photo by author independent work national, and international photo
Association Web site <www.nppa. that Lie” photo gallery on C-NET
org/professional_development/ <www.news.com/2300-1026_3
students/entering_the_job_market> -6033210.html> . Stimulated by
and refer to professional work at the examining the doctored photographs
Time magazine “Picture of the Week” of Katie Couric and Martha Stewart,
<www.time.com/time/potw> they are invited to take pictures
site. As part of our school-wide of willing victims for an extreme
literacy initiative, I am always looking makeover in Photoshop! Hands-on
for interesting related reading awareness of the power of editing
and assign a number of articles sotware opens our animated
including one on Tom Abercrombie, conversation about the ethical use of
photojournalist extraordinaire, rom digital tools.
the August 2006 issue of National
Geographic. The project they develop The other major unit is on
for this part of the course emphasizes portraiture. This unit gives them
storytelling through pictures. more artistic license as they explore
Students document a particular the various ways Photoshop can be
aspect of their lives or an event like used on photos of people they know
a pep rally, or do a themed series of or family members. Students read the
Skiing with Aliens is the result of the
photos on something like our school cover story of Newsweek (2 Oct. 2006)
“solarize” ilter
Photo by author colors. Assuming the neutral point of on Annie Leibovitz <www.msnbc
view of a journalist is challenging, as .msn.com/id/14964292/site/
contests online. Another early they move rom consumers of visual newsweek/print/1/displaymode/
lesson explains the visual elements images to producers of images. 1098> to learn how she takes
of a photograph and asks students portraits, then look for other
to locate online examples of the Next students examine numerous Leibovitz photos. Note: It’s wise
work of famous photographers like examples of questionable to prepare them for her nude
Ansel Adams and Alred Stieglitz photojournalism rom newspapers photos before they stumble on
that illustrate visual composition and magazines rom the “Pictures John and Yoko or Demi Moore. If
elements such as horizontal, vertical, you are uncomfortable with these,
and diagonal lines and the Rule of substitute Yousuf Karsh’s photos,
Thirds. Finally, the irst unit ends which are equally compelling but
with students editing some holiday not as contemporary. The visual
or vacation pictures that they took tour of portraits provides them with
before the course started. This part background for a photo shoot with a
of the course can be expanded using riend or two, complete with props
a “how to” manual about the photo and costumes—just like the senior’s
editing sotware they’re using. yearbook portrait photographer!
The irst genre we study is For a related lesson, they read the
photojournalism. Because October 2006 Smithsonian article
photojournalists edit minimally “When He Said, ‘Jump’” <www
ater the picture is taken, this .smithsonianmag.com/arts
is a great place to start. It is -culture/10022756.html> ater
important to have students focus which they emulate Halsman by
on composing good shots and think photographing willing subjects
about what the photo will convey. leaping in the air. Kids are quick to
At the same time, they read about respond to the goofy nature of these
photojournalism as a career at Light and dark in tobacco barn shots. Both assignments are favorites
the National Press Photographers Photo by author and have produced some of the most
enthusiastic participation. which contrasts attractive, healthy Like them, I continue to explore
girls and women with “Hollywood digital photography during the
Since photographers oten have beautiful” images. semester. Working alongside them, I
images of others but none of hang several of my own photographs
themselves, this unit ends with If time allows, I ask students to in each show.
self-portraits. In this assignment, choose a project rom a list that
students take control of how includes making abstract photos, Nancy Palmquist
others will see them. Students are capturing pictures of pets and/or is the Library Media
bombarded with sexy advertising nature, creating scrapbook pages on a Specialist at South Oldham
and their photos oten reveal how scanner, or doing a still life or a food
High School in Crestwood,
tempted they are to create sultry styling series. During a couple of
self-portraits in imitation. I address semesters we’ve been able to squeeze Kentucky. She supervises
this issue with them, discussing how in a ield trip to a professional a peer mentoring program at school and is
inappropriate it is to share such photographer’s studio or to a nearby currently listening to the audiotape of Prom
images on the Internet, such as garden where they work on a project by Laurie Halse Anderson. “My photography
posting suggestive pictures to sites to pair haiku and nature photos. We goal for the school year is to carry my camera
like MySpace. In contrast, we look at always end the course by showing
everywhere and practice taking good photos
the Dove Soap “Campaign for Real student work in a small art gallery at
Beauty” <www.campaignforrealbeauty school. Students help rame and hang consistently.”
.com/dsef07/t5.aspx?id=7373> the show, then add artist statements.
FEATURE
CAMERA READY:
CAPTURING A DIGITAL
HISTORY OF CHESTER
Kathy Lehman
kblehman@comcast.net
A rmed with digital cameras,
voice recorders, and movie
cameras, students rom Thomas Dale
History of Chester” has grown to
include photography, journalism,
and ilm students. As this article goes
High School have been exploring to press, we are working to pull all
neighborhoods, interviewing the pieces together in time to create
residents, and collecting memories a commemorative DVD to be part of
of their hometown. As our state the one-hundredth Commencement
celebrates the four hundred years celebration.
of Jamestown, the irst permanent
English settlement in America, In the beginning Chester Hotel. Guests came to Chester to escape the
we are also marking our own Kathy and Jim facilitated an intial summer heat of Richmond.
signiicant milestone this June—the brainstorming session with students Chesterield County Historical
one-hundredth commencement of to decide what information we Society photo
Thomas Dale High School.
mentioned no longer existed (such
We are proud that our roots go The project has given us all an as the Chester Hotel) students
back to 1611.Our school is named searched books and primary sources
for Sir Thomas Dale, credited
opportunity to ind meaning for old photographs. We discovered
for sternly leading the Jamestown in the simple things that make that primary sources abound in our
settlement through its hardest times. school and county libraries, the
Subsequently he established a second Chester special. To hear people county historical society, and attics of
settlement, Henricus, on the James our families and neighbors.
River in 1611, and our school district discuss what Chester means to
includes Henricus Park < www. them helps me appreciate the Looking for resources and advice
henricus.org> is our school district. beyond our building, we turned to
town I grew up in. the StoryCorps project, a national
This project began as a collaboration project whose mission is “to instruct
between head librarian, Kathy — Thomas Dale High and inspire people to record one
Lehman, and communications another’s stories in sound” <www
teacher, Jim Belcher. Our “Digital
School senior .storycorps.net> . Their
participation module became
would include, where we would our model for interviews. Using
need to search, and who we should their question generator. students
interview to gather information. compiled lists of higher-level
We projected a graphic organizer thinking questions such as “How
on a wall to help visualize our task. would your classmates remember
Students divided themselves into you?” for their interviewees.
interest areas and began contacting
potential sources for stories and
memorabilia to photograph or scan.
Students were directed to photograph
their interview subjects and the
places mentioned in the interviews
using digital still cameras with voice
recorders or digital video cameras.
For example, when Mabel Boyd,
now in her late nineties, mentioned The Gay Family Home sits on the edge of Sunset
Memorial Cemetery and served as a confederate
Re-enactment at Henricus Park playing basketball at the Methodist
hospital during the Civil War.
Photographed by Caitlan Partin, a Church, a picture of the church was Photographed by Amanda, a
photography student, spring 2006. included in her story. If a landmark communications student in 2006
Arts and has remarked on how much
this project helped prepare her for
college.)
The project grows

Although the project began in
communications class, the librarian
worked to involve other disciplines.
The photography class was enlisted
First graduating class to collect current pictures of the 1920s girls basketball team ball marked CHS for
Chesterield County Historical community. A stunning series of Chester High School.
Society photo used with permission pictures of a reenactment day at Chesterield County Historical
Society photo used with permission
The school library’s digital recording
equipment was distributed, and they
were instructed in the use and care These students are interviewing
of digital cameras, movie cameras, staf who are either alumni or who
and voice recorders. Our district’s have been at Thomas Dale for many
technology integrators guided years. When places are mentioned
students in transforming pictures, in the interviews, students search
audio recordings, ilm, and stories library and historical society archives
into inal Windows Media iles. Free for pictures. Ater several alumni
sotware used included Audacity mentioned hanging out at the
Corn Club [nd]
for sound editing, PhotoStory 3 drugstore ater school, a picture
Chesterield County Historical
for transforming still pictures into Society photo used with permission was found and scanned rom an old
videos with music and voiceovers, yearbook. Over and over we hear
students remark with amazement
Henricus Park was contributed by about the vibrant history they have
one student. Student Book Club uncovered in their own hometown.
members conducted interviews
in the community and researched
facts at the Chesterield Historical
Society. Journalism students report
on every aspect of the one-hundredth
commencement in the Knightly
News, our school newspaper. For
1911 Baseball team coached by Mr. Tyler, principal the commemorative edition of the
Chesterield County Historical yearbook, student staf members
Society photo used with permission are contacting alumni for vintage
shots to intersperse with current
photographs.
and Windows Moviemaker for inal 1935 team
compressed video Windows Media The culminating activity for the Yearbook photo
Video (WMV) iles. Then each 2007–08 school year is being
group’s segments were combined with undertaken by ilm students. Over In their own words
transitions, music, and voiceovers the summer, ilm teacher Sonja Mix About our town:
into a thirty-minute ilm by a senior collaborated with librarian Kathy Spencer: “Now I know why some
as an independent study project. Lehman to design the opening things are the way they are. I know
(She is now enrolled as a ilm student curricular unit for her advanced about the railroad in Chester, the
in the North Carolina School for the and independent-study students. houses of Chester, what students our
Sean: “Ater listening to how Thomas
Dale played such a huge part in so
many lives, it really changes the way
I look at my time here at school. In a
way, I’m part of a continuing legacy.”
So what have the students

discovered?
Sixth-grade agriculture class early 1920s
Chesterield County Historical
Society photo used with permission Lana locates and scans pictures.
Photo by Kathy Lehman
age did for fun in Chester.”
fought at Chester Station tore up
Lana: “I didn’t realize how rich the the tracks.
history is here for such a small town.” Thomas Dale today ●฀ With both northern and southern
Photo by Kristen Johnson. armies ighting in and around
Dan: “The project has given us all Chester local homes served as
an opportunity to ind meaning in both Union and Confederate
the simple things that make Chester ●฀ Our community goes back to 1611 hospitals.
special. To hear people discuss what when Henricus was established ●฀ 1906—Chester High School was
Chester means to them helps me on the banks of the James River established as a public school.
appreciate the town I grew up in.” by Sir Thomas Dale, acting royal
governor of the Virginia Colony. ●฀ 1908—Chester High School
graduated four women.
●฀ 1910—CHS Became the
Agricultural High School for the
Third Congressional District of
Virginia.
New Thomas Dale High School built 1942

Yearbook photo
Of teachers interviewed:
Zach: “They were once students, and Dan and Sean editing ilm.
now we are students, and it doesn’t Photo by Kathy Lehman
seem so distant.”
●฀ We grew into a small country

town surrounded by farms.
●฀ Chester is on the eastern
seaboard’s main north/south
corridor (Route 1 and I 95)
midway between Richmond and
Petersburg, Virginia. Spencer researching primary documents at the
Chesterield County Historical Society.
●฀ To bring tourists to Chester, a Photo by Kathy Lehman
hotel was built in 1840 next to
Junior Class Oicers pose for 1954 yearbook. the railroad.
Yearbook photo Continued on p. 32
●฀ During the Civil War a battle
FEATURE
MAKING INFORMATION
VISUAL
Seventh Grade Art Information and Visual Literacy
Joel Shoemaker, Elizabeth Schau, and Rachael Ayers

shoemaker.joel@iccsd.k12.ia.us, schau.elizabeth@iccsd.k12.ia.us, and ayers.rachael@iccsd.k12.ia.us
Seventh grade students entering South century sculptor. Using enlarged this with the main entry article
East Junior High in Iowa City come rom color transparencies, we introduce on Oldenburg, identifying the
eight elementary feeder schools, as well the terms listed above, pointing important facts within the irst
out that the index will enable them few sentences and noting relevant
as rom schools around the world. Their
to ind articles beyond the main details about the illustration Two
information literacy skills and knowledge entry for this artist. The index Cheeseburgers with Everything. Ater
of reference sources vary, but since all includes facts worthy of note and the they see the imbedded reference
seventh graders and new eighth graders are subheadings, such as “Performance to the encyclopedia’s article about
required to take one trimester of Visual Art,” suggest additional key words Iowa’s capital, where Oldenburg’s
Studies, all entering students are taught that might be used later within other Crusoe’s Umbrella is a centerpiece at
sources. the Des Moines Civic Center, we
basic reference tools. Rachael Ayers,
show them how to use the “Des
South East Junior High’s art teacher, and Moines” entry (not listed in the index
teacher librarians Elizabeth Schau and for Oldenburg) to glean further
Joel Shoemaker collaborated to develop information about Oldenburg.
the following lesson for Ms. Ayers’s Visual Finally, we look at the “Performance
Studies classes. Art” article rom the index to model
skimming for the artist’s name, then
Beginning in the Library reading the information directly
Students are assigned the task of around it.
making a book in one of two styles
about an artist. They are to use Having inished their research, students use print In the inal part of the lesson,
information they will ind during resources to begin creating their designs. students discuss their answers to
their library research. They need the pretest. When they have arrived
at least iteen facts about their at a consensus on the deinitions,
artist as well as visual examples of In the second part of the lesson, they make the necessary corrections
their artist’s work < http://www.ala.
students use photocopies of the index to their own responses. Then they
org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/
kqweb/kqarchives/volume36/363/ and a worksheet < http://www.ala. begin research on their chosen artist,
KQW36_3_Shoemakeretal_handout org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/ referring to the elements on their
.pdf > . During the irst period (42 kqweb/kqarchives/volume36/363/ index worksheet as they read the
minutes) we teach a lesson about KQW36_3_Shoemakeretal_worksheet relevant articles in the encyclopedia
using an encyclopedia to develop .pdf > to apply what they’ve learned and take notes on the provided
basic knowledge of an artist. We focus about an index and to develop a handout < http://www.ala
on how the index of the print edition research plan. They usually need ive .org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/
of World Book Encyclopedia can help to ten minutes to complete the index kqweb/kqarchives/volume36/363/
them locate important information worksheet, on which they record the KQW36_3_Shoemakeretal_handout
that can direct them to additional key word, the main entry, the volume .pdf > .
research. and page numbers, as well as at least
Initially we administer a simple, three subheadings (with volume and The next day in the library, the art
ive-item pretest < http://www.ala. page numbers). While photocopies teacher introduces the book project
org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/ limit their experience with guide
kqweb/kqarchives/volume36/363/ words, it focuses them on identifying
KQW36_3_Shoemakeretal_pretest the relevant information within
.pdf > to check their understanding the page. It also allows them to ask
of the following terms: key words, questions speciic to their own artist
guide words, main entry, volume and clarify the research task.
and page number listings, and
subheadings. Then we model how to The third part of our lesson involves
locate information through the index using the information that they’ve
about Claes Oldenburg, a twentieth- found in the articles. We model
having her students do research on
Student’s Thinking artists. Since every student was likely
Objectives: to ind at least one article on an artist
in an encyclopedia, Mr. Shoemaker
• Why should I use an developed an information literacy
encyclopedia’s index? lesson to match the need. Over
• How can I be sure I’ve time this lesson has been modiied
used the index effectively? and deepened. In 2006, we added
• How does using an index the photocopies of the index
help me research using pages to help students learn to use Ms. Ayers shows students how to construct a Jacob’s
additional sources? an index to complete a required Ladder book.
part of the assignment. Ms. Ayers
Student’s Active commented that the photocopies Continuing in the Classroom
Objectives: improved the teaching process: The library research component
“In the past they would wait for an inished, students are ready to use
• Use an encyclopedia index
index volume, doing nothing, or their researched information in
to research an artist
start researching noniction books a creative product. The project
• Use the encyclopedia
will demonstrate what they have
information to guide
learned about their artists, as well
additional research in other
as what they are learning about
sources
the visual arts. Ms. Ayers teaches a
• Work independently
lesson on books as art objects, using
• Practice note taking skills
information adapted for this age
during research
group rom a class she has taken on
bookmaking. Students learn to make
Vocabulary:
a book in either a Jacob’s Ladder or
accordion style. Although the Jacob’s
• Research
Ladder style is more diicult, it is
• Index
also more fun to play with. Typically,
• Guide Words
about half the students make each
• Main Entry
style.
• Subheading
• Volume, page numbers
Students are separated into two
groups according to the style they
choose, although at the end of the
and shows examples of the types unit they present their books to the
of book they will make. Students whole class. Their visual problem
continue their research using is to think creatively about the
encyclopedias but also use selected Students creating artwork in the style of their artists interaction of images and text, since
books rom the noniction collection for their Accordion books. they must ill their book with only
and issues of Scholastic’s Art and Man six images, integrating relevant facts
magazine. When their research is and forget to use the index at all. within the images. Each book has
complete, students turn in their Now all students are engaged in considerably more than six pages, so
notes handout and worksheet for productive learning throughout the their designs cover more than one
assessment. lesson.” As this collaborative project page. In fact, some students use up
grows more tightly integrated, she to four contiguous pages for a single
Initially, this lesson was developed in has seen improvement in the quality image.
2003 ater the art teacher, Rachael of student research and student
Ayers, approached the teacher projects. The accordion style is relatively easy
librarian, Joel Shoemaker, about to create, so Ms. Ayers begins with
Student’s Thinking
Objectives:
• How does learning about

an artist widen my view of
what art is?
• How can I be inventive
and creative with new
materials?
• How can I work with
mistakes or use them in the
composition?
• How can I use simple
materials to create
shape and form in three
dimensional design?
Student’s Active
Objectives:
• Discover new forms of

Jacob’s Ladder books in progress. book making
• Use a variety of sculptural
and book techniques that
reflect the student’s level of
understanding
• Demonstrate appropriate
and original use of
materials
• Experiment with two-
and three-dimensional
techniques combined in
one piece.
• Demonstrate knowledge
of artist’s life and work by
presenting their book to the
class
Example of inished Jacob’s Ladder book.
Vocabulary:
this group. Students learn how to
• Readability
make straight, even, folds. They
• Hinge
assemble their pages with glue and
• Spine
begin to sketch their design on
• Cover
separate sheets of paper, to be pasted
• Collage
into place at a later time.
Examples of inished Accordion books. • Accordion
• Jacob’s Ladder
Students who make the Jacob’s
Ladder-style books begin by allow their books to “tumble” when
assembling strips of material that will inished. The bookmaking involves a
series of complex steps, so students Joel Shoemaker is Rachael Ayers is the
need more direct instruction rom a teacher librarian at Art Teacher at South
the teacher. South East Junior High East Junior High School
School Library in Iowa Library in Iowa City, Iowa.
In summary, this collaboration
City, Iowa. Joel is a past Rachael is also a painter
between the art teacher and school
librarians has wide academic beneit president of YALSA and is series editor for the and photographer. She recently finished a show
for our students. They develop Teens@the Library professional books by Neal at a local coffee house. She is the mother of
information literacy skills such as Schuman Publishers. When he is not reading he Elizabeth (5) and Jack (2½).
the ability to search a basic reference is gardening, remodeling or motorcycling.
source, to develop a research plan, Elizabeth Schau is a
and to extract relevant information
teacher librarian at South
for a need. They apply visual literacy
lessons to incorporate text and East Junior High School
images into a creative visual product. Library in Iowa City,
Students see that library research Iowa. Elizabeth is currently
has practical uses beyond traditional working on efforts to increase reading and
products such as essays. Our participation in the Iowa Teen Award at South
collaborative planning, teaching,
East Junior High. She is the mother of William
and assessment supports both the
(2½) and Lucy (6 months).
art teacher’s and our key goals for
entering students.
Continued from Lehman, p. 27

●฀ by the Virginia General favorite hang-out for students: Kathy Lehman, a
Assembly. In 1964, the existing building
●฀
National Board Certified
●฀ 1920s—Agricultural classes were became known as Chester
Teacher and Librarian
phased out by 1928 and the name Intermediate School and a “new”
was changed back to Chester Thomas Dale High School was at Thomas Dale High
High School. built on the present site. School, presented this
th
●฀ Basketball styles changed for the ●฀ In 2000 renovations were project at the 13 Annual AASL Conference in
girls over the years completed. Thomas Dale is home Reno, Nevada. As chairman of the high school’s
●฀ In 1942 a new High School was to over 2,500 students. 100th Commencement Committee, she is busy
built next to the original school organizing monthly events at her school which
and renamed Thomas Dale High Our students are actively learning
involve students, parents, staff, alumni and
School. Elementary classes were more about Chester and Thomas
held in the old building. community leaders in this year-long celebration
Dale High School every day, and
the work they create will be a digital and digital history project.
●฀ In many interviews, the drug
store was remembered as a legacy for generations to come.
The A m eric a n A ssoc i at ion of S cho ol L ibr ar i ans
(AASL)
would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge
Follett Library Resources Inc.

for its support and generous contribution
toward the success of the Association.
2006-2007
Diamond Alliance Member
$100,000 or More
The AASL Alliance is the Amercian Association of School Librarians’ sponsorship recognition program.
FEATURE
Seventh Grade Students and

the Visual Messages They Love
Belinha De Abreu
belinha.deabreu@ischool.drexel.edu
H ow do seventh graders perceive
the world around them? What
is the best way to ind this answer?
In the English classroom we began
by discussing the meaning of visual
“messages.” We created a PowerPoint
How does a unit that asks students presentation to accompany Timothy
to look at the media in their most W. Maier’s article, “When Your
personal places, their bedrooms, Eyes Tell You Lies—distortion of
impact who they are as consumers mass media—Critical Essay.” The
and media consumers? Secondly, slides showed images rom popular 1. Erased lines
how can we teach them to consciously culture culled rom news sources around the eyes,
explore the many unrecognized visual and tabloids and rom Snopes.
2. Added hair on top of her head
messages in their daily world? com, a Web site that provides an
array of altered photos published in 3. Removed some of her upper back
Most seventh grade students magazines and newspapers across shoulder area — a little “hump”
partially deine themselves through the United States. These formed the 4. Removed part of the upper
everyday media messages. As a part basis for understanding the evolution shoulder and arm so you can now
of understanding how these images of photography and the ethical see the shoulder strap on the
and the media impacts their lives, questions surrounding the use of dress
three of us—a technology teacher, an photographic images today. 5. Made her thinner in the waist
English teacher, and a library media 6. Removed her hand . . . no
specialist—collaborated to develop a Many publications routinely publish manicure
unit to help teens learn how visual altered photos along with a disclaimer
7. Made her arm skinnier around
messages such as those in pictures, in barely legible type, unnoticed the elbow area
media icons, logos, slogans, clothing, by most readers, that indicates that
toys, and billboards can signiicantly the picture has been enhanced or 8. Changed her let ear
impact how teens represent themselves modiied. The altered image of 9. Removed some of her “sit upon”
through the media. We created a country music star Faith Hill on the 10. Removed some lesh at the back
series of lessons over the course of cover of Redbook’s July 2007 issue is of the dress
two years that asked students to use just one of many. The cover photo 11. Altered the cheeks
photographs, PowerPoint, narrative, was altered in ten diferent ways
and journal writing to describe in order to “beautify” an already The subtle power of such
and understand how their personal beautiful original picture. manipulation cannot be
responses were inluenced by various overestimated. For young teens,
media messages. Here were just a few things they did: such “picture perfect” images raise
questions of whether their normal
bodies are acceptable at a time when
“In an age when pictures have become more eloquent than words, their bodies are changing and they
are vulnerable to self-doubt.
schools are still programmed to reduce the child’s immersive interaction
with the visual world to the practical poverty of the alphabet. Visual In this second
example, talk
literacy should become a pedagogical priority in order to prepare our show host Oprah
Winrey’s head
children to function within the increasingly visual complexity of our has been digitally
cropped onto
environment.” the body of
—Vik Muniz, Artist and photographer, born in Sao former Governor
of Texas, Ann
Paulo, Brazil, he now resides in New York City. Margaret.
Coupled with the question on the
cover about her being the richest records for future generations.
woman on TV, the efect is to
minimize Oprah as a person, while The next part of our exercise was
at the same time emphasize that thin, to see how media images play into
rich, and sexy come as a “package students’ own lives, even their most
deal.” personal spaces. They took several
photos of their bedroom and were
A third image of Christina Aguilera, instructed to create a PowerPoint
a pop singer and very prominent presentation consisting of three
celebrity in today’s kid culture, that the real historic record will be slides:
underlines the ease with which visual indistinguishable rom digitally-
truth can be altered. The original fabricated fantasies. Indeed, history 1. Title: “Introduction.” A general
photograph showed Aguilera and her might be rewritten through pixels. picture of their room and a
manager, but what circulated around small photo of themselves in the
the Internet was a doctored photo of As teachers, one of the best outcomes bottom half of the slide.
Aguilera and a fan. Although experts of our classroom examples was 2. Title: “Media and Me.” Another
are able to determine when images seeing students react to the pictures, picture of their room with arrows
are doctored, many students do discussing them spontaneously in showing what media and visual
not see the diference. (Can you tell small groups. Many were outraged, messages could be found in their
which is real?) These images helped but others were not so certain. This rooms.
us push our students to analyze uncertainty is where the lessons 3. Title: “My Thoughts.” Analyzing
what is “ethical” or “acceptable” in of visual literacy really take hold; the visual media evident in their
terms of photographs taken for news students come to understand bedroom by responding to these
purposes, information purposes, and that, at any time, any image can questions:
for personal use. be manipulated. How easy it is to ❍฀ What is the basis for the choices
create doctored images—and how made in decorating your room?
Celebrities and politicians are treacherous! Some students come to ❍฀ Do the media help you
routinely the targets of visual understand this personally, admitting formulate ideas of what is
falsehoods. Alarmed by the loss of that they’ve digitally altered family “cool” or “not cool”?
documentary accuracy, historians, photographs without considering ❍฀ What inluence is greater—the
photographers, and journalists fear the implications of inaccurate family media, family, or riends?
❍฀ How do you think the media
Basketball, afects teen beliefs and values?
one of my
A hat
from the
Media & Me favorite
sports.
We gathered all eighty students’ work
Gap, it’s and, with the help of the technology
my teacher, created a multimedia
favorite presentation. We were stunned to
one realize the explicit amount of media
Some of the
found in our students’ lives!
station that I
watch are During the previous activity
ABC Family about their bedrooms, they had
and MTV
identiied what had visually attracted
them to a particular toy and what
Tweety advertisements might have piqued
Bird, my their initial interest in it. (Lively
favorite discussions always take place when
cartoon students talk about advertisements.
character
They are easily caught up by the
My bed
Student PowerPoint slide
●฀ Pick a toy rom the lyer that
attracts you. Be ready to tell us
about it and why it was selected?
Computer-To go online
There was quite a stir as the students
and talk to my friends Phone-To talk to my began to realize that the more
and play games and do Speaker-For friends expensive toys were always associated
home work and sound with the white child in the picture,
research. while the less expensive items always
pictured someone rom another race.
All three teachers ielded questions
on the ethics of producing such
advertising. Whether deliberate
or unconscious, marketers made
associations based on ethnicity.
Next students photographed their

toy and inserted it into a Word
Key Board-To type to
my friends online and
document. They were directed to use
Student PowerPoint slide to do home work. Consumer Reports <www
.consumerreports.org/cro/index
slogans, and even more by the catchy ●฀ Look at the pictures of the kids .htm> , <Zillions.com> , and
jingles.) Now we asked them to and estimate the age range. Creatability Toys: Museum of
continue looking at the inluences of ●฀ How many children in the Advertising Icons <www.toymuseum
media by bringing this toy to class— advertisements are Arican .com> to ind information about
either one that they favored or one American, White, Hispanic, their toy and answer the following
that they had been enticed to buy but Indian, and Asian? questions in their Word document:
were now disappointed to own. ●฀ What price toy is associated with
a particular demographic (kid)? ●฀ What is the name of toy and who
Then each student was given a Toys R’ What is the implication? makes it?
Us lyer and asked to review the items
advertised. (The best time to do this
is right before the Christmas holiday
Media & Me
since that is when the largest lyers Derek Jeter: One Of My
are produced.) We asked, “To whom favorite Yankees
is the toy advertising directed?” players. Steve Balboni –
Initially most students believed that Raven Manager
it was directed to kids. Ater further
discussion they recognized that the
toys are also marketed to adults, Mark McGuire Plaque
since they are likely to be purchasing
them. Then we introduce the term
“demographics” as it relates to race
and gender. (The math teacher on
the team followed up later with her
own lessons related to estimation,
percentages, and cost analysis.) As Yankee Stadium
they continued looking at the lyers, Yankee stadium 1st place in Globe ; Giveaway at
groups were asked to discuss and Model: Favorite drawing my first Yankee
Stadium. contest game.
answer the following questions:
any number of important historic
sites that we visited, including the
old Shubert Theatre, a hat-making
Red Sox hat, they
facility, or the cemetery where Eli
are my favorite
baseball team
Yankee
Candles
Whitney was buried. To help them
focus on their inal presentation,
students were given a pamphlet.
Pictures of my family and friends

The trip to New Haven was a
My
successful addition to the unit.
Panasonic
T.V. where I
Game cube where I
play my favorite
Besides appreciating the breadth
watch M.T.V. game (Zelda
Windbreaker) witch I
and scope of images in the world
DVD player where I
already beat around them, students learned about
watch my favorite
DVD’s
their government, the operation of
various museums and theatres, and
were introduced to a city that they
had rarely visited. They lunched in
●฀ When did you get the toy? The day before the outing, we gave historic Wooster Street, where they
●฀ Did you see an advertisement for students minimal instructions on were served both pizza and the story of
the toy and ask for it? If so, what using digital cameras and a brief its introduction to the city. Their inal
about the advertisement caught history lesson about New Haven. projects were narrative pictorial essays,
your attention? The following day they were bussed one of the writing forms to be taught
●฀ Why do you like or dislike about into New Haven where, in groups of in seventh grade. The project—and
the toy? two with a digital camera, they were our students’ enthusiasm—exceeded
instructed to observe all the images our expectations.
●฀ Where you disappointed with it
surrounding them rom the moment
when you received it or was it
exactly what you wanted? they stepped of the bus. They could Visual images unconsciously shape
photograph billboards, artistic our students thinking and their
●฀ Are toy advertisements ever structures—anything that caught their perception of the world. Working
targeted toward parents or are eye. They could also photograph together, teachers can develop lessons
they always directed at kids?
VISUAL LITERACY
These questions were designed A LOOK AT
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
to help students consider the full
spectrum of how a toy product comes ITINERARY
to be popular. It also helped them 8:45 Board Bus to NH
appreciate how the image afects their 9:00-9:30 Travel to NH
response to a toy. 9:30-10:00 Shubert Theatre
10:00-10:15 Walk Across the

Town Green to NH City Hall
During the second year, we decided 10:15-10:45 NH City Hall
to add another practical application 10:45-11:00 Walk to Court House
of visual literacy to this project. 11:00-11:45 Court Tour and discussion with Judge_______
11:00-11:45 Board Bus and Travel to Wooster Street

We arranged a ield trip into New 12:00-12:45 Lunch at ABATES
Haven so students could photograph 12:45-1:00 Board Bus and Travel to Downtown NH.
the visual messages found in the 1:00-1:30 Beineke Library
center of an urban community. We 1:30-2:00 Grove Street Cemetery
2:00-2:30 Board Bus and return to

prepared for the trip by identifying Walsh Intermediate School
and investigating places that would

allow students to walk in and observe
briely, then photograph.
Student Pamphlet for New Haven ieldtrip
PURPOSE Teaching Resources
NEW HAVEN STATE COURTHOUSE:
1. Listen to what the Judge tells you about how a courtroom runs.
The study of visual literacy asks you to take a look at the world
2. Take snapshots that seem similar to the scenarios presented during
Considine, David and Gail Hailey.
around you and examine it more clearly. You will be given a tour of
your reading of “Twelve Angry Men”. 1999. Visual Messages: Integrating Imagery into
the city of New Haven. At each stop you will need to listen, observe, Instruction. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries.
3. Do not take pictures of people in the courthouse, unless you are
and then capture through your camera what images captivate you.
specifically given permission.
You are to take a minimum of two snapshots at each location. Con- Hofman, Donald D. 1998. Visual
sider each question below as you take the photos.
LUNCH ON WOOSTER STREET Intelligence. New York: Norton.
SHUBERT THEATRE: Maier, Timothy. 16 Oct. 2000 . “When
This is your time to relax. However, you can take pictures of the
1. What makes the theatre so magnificent?
square or of yourselves at the restaurant. Enjoy!
Your Eyes Tell You Lies—distortion of
2. How can you capture the image of this grandeur? mass media—Critical Essay.” Insight on
3. Look around and see what is representative of the
theatre.
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY the News.
1. Your guide will show you some of the oldest pieces of books
found in the United States and even the World.
Messaris, Paul. Feb. 2001. “New
THE NEW HAVEN GREEN
2. Snap pictures of items of interest to you and what is repre- Literacies in Action: Visual Education.”
1. Take a few snapshots of your choice of what you
observe about the city of New Haven.
sentative of the Beinecke. ReadingOnline 4, no. 7. <www.
2. Look at the architecture, the people, and even the
3. Try to find natural pictures of people doing the most ordinary readingonline.org/newliteracies/
things.
advertisements around you. lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/
3. Step outside of the box and find something unique to capture on
GROVE STREET CEMETARY action/messaris/index.html> (accessed
disk.
1. This cemetery has some very famous people such as Eli Whitney. 15 July 2005).
2. What makes a cemetery a cemetery?
NEW HAVEN CITY HALL
3. Look around and see what is atypical and try to capture that idea
———. 1994. Visual Literacy: Image, Mind &
1. The history of city hall is amazing. Your tour guide is going to
on film or disk. Reality. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.
show you what makes it such a unique building and what happens
within it.
REMEMBER YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO DESIGN A PICTURE ESSAY OF
2. What picture can you take that would show how this place is
both business and history?
YOUR EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN. TRY TO KEEP Other Visual Literacy
THE PICTURES CLEAR, CONSISE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CREATIVE.
3. Take pictures of people, if possible, but make sure you ask their
permission.
Resources
Student Pamphlet for New Haven ieldtrip A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods
<www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_
to help students explicitly understand various technological environments. This would table/periodic_table.html>
in turn encourage students to be creative and Digital Cameras and Photography <www
these mediated messages. We hope .imaging-resource.com>
that our curricular experiments will conscious learners of technology and media. Digital Camera Basics <www
suggest ways for you to incorporate Prior to her work in education, Mrs. De Abreu .digitalcamerabasics.com>
The On-Line Visual Literacy Project
visual literacy into your teaching. enjoyed a fast-paced career in broadcasting <www.pomona.edu/Academics/
courserelated/classprojects/Visual-lit/
where she worked for NBC in Providence, intro/intro.html>
Belinha De Abreu
RI. She holds a BA in Communications with Is Seeing Believing? Video produced by
is an Auxiliary Assistant the Newseum <www.newseum.org>
a concentration in television production and
Professor at Drexel University Snopes.com <www.snopes.com>
public relations, an MLS in Library Science
in Philadelphia. Currently,
and Instructional Technology, and is currently
Belinha’s work in technology
pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
focuses on new literacies that encompass media,
at the University of Connecticut.
visual, and information literacy. The results of her
Her first book, “Teaching Media Literacy A
work have shown that media afects every part of
How-To-Do-It Manual” was just published
a student’s life, rom body image, viewing habits,
through Neal-Schuman Publishers this August.
and media choices. Her goal is to provide students
with viable, real-life opportunities for learning in
FEATURE
Ezra Jack Keats

Bookmaking Contest
Esther Keller
elewens@schools.nyc.gov
ongoing classroom instruction,
E zra Jack Keats is well-known
for his Caldecott-winning title
The Snowy Day. In New York City he
under teacher and/or librarian
supervision.
is also known for his bookmaking ●฀ Books must be handmade and
competition. Each year students irmly bound by the student.
in grades three through twelve ●฀ Books may not be larger than
participate in a competition that 12”x18”.
asks them to combine visual arts ●฀ All art mediums are acceptable
and creative writing to author and (Dunn 2006).
illustrate their own picture books.
The contest, in its twenty-second Teachers choose to have their
year, is sponsored by the New York classes participate in this project.
City Department of Education and Ater explaining the contest to the came up with his ideas, settings, and
the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation students, the teacher and I introduce characters. Aterward we brainstorm
in honor of the Brooklyn (N.Y.) the class to the works of Ezra Jack how students might get ideas rom
native who wrote and illustrated Keats. I oten begin by reading The their surroundings and their own
over twenty children’s books, and Snowy Day aloud, showing how, at lives. Since middle school students
was himself motivated by winning times, the words point to, but don’t want to write elaborate, mature tales
a medal for his work in junior high describe, the pictures. Peter treks more appropriate to a teen novel
school. New York City teachers and through the snow; sometimes with than a picture book, this preparation
librarians tap into the many talents of his toes pointed in and sometimes helps them look into their own lives
their students to encourage them to with his toes pointed out. Keats and experiences to ind a story for
express themselves in ways they don’t uses both the text and the images of young readers.
oten have the opportunity to show Peter’s snowy walk to provide the full
of in an academic setting. understanding of the story. One student spoke of her singing
talent and the anxiety she felt when
The contest guidelines are simple: Following the reading, I ask the trying out for her Church’s choir.
students, “What happened to Peter’s Another described getting lost in a
●฀ In the Ezra Jack Keats tradition, snowball?” Without hesitation they shopping mall. Students agreed that
emphasis should be placed on shout out that it has melted. I remind such stories could make excellent
illustrated stories that revolve them that a very small child, for children’s books because they
around intergenerational whom they will write their book, represented common experiences
relationships or inding support
might not know that snow melts that many young children shared.
for taking a path less traveled.
indoors. “How do you know?” I ask. “First Time” stories abound. “A
●฀ The story and illustrations must They identify the “visual proof” as First Trip to the Zoo” and “My First
be original. the wet spot on Peter’s jacket. Trip to the Dentist” are all examples
●฀ No more than two students may of stories that students turned in
collaborate on a book. Later on I read A Letter to Amy and ask as well as stories about moving and
●฀ Books must be created as part of students to identify the setting. While making new riends. We encourage
they can’t name the city, they can students to use themes relevant to
point to evidence of urban life in the their everyday lives and those of the
illustrations—graiti, overlowing younger students that will be reading
garbage cans, and brick walls. Some their books.
will infer that the story takes place in
a poorer part of the city. Throughout the project we inundate
them with picture books, including
Classes watch the author-interview the works of Ezra Jack Keats, Kevin
portion of the Snowy Day DVD Henkes, David Wiesner, and Patricia
(Weston Woods 1964) in which Polocco. Picture books are on display
Ezra Jack Keats talks about how he in the classroom, in the art room
I have been working for three years downloaded rom Scholastic’s site
with Labrini Delaveris, a talented <http://content.scholastic.com/
Language Arts teacher who works content/collateral_resources/pdf/s/
with both gited and low-level story_board.pdf> . One box each for
students. All her students, regardless the beginning, middle, and end of
of ability or level, do this project, the story as well as a box to add some
and all students who put in the efort details they will include in their story.
are proud of their product. It is Ms. The nature of the graphic organizer
Delaveris’s enthusiasm and excellent also allows them to sketch out some
classroom management skills that of the major illustrations they will
contribute to the students’ success. want to include so the art focus of
She sends much of the individual the project is maintained. We remind
and in the library. During ree time, work home with the students, while them to include important story
students are oten drawn to the immersing them in picture books elements like character, plot, setting,
library to browse the displayed books. in the classroom and library. Before and conlict.
Thus they learn rom a variety of each step, she models the process
examples how pictures contribute to for her students, showing them Initially we allowed students to
telling a story. A goal for this project how to outline, build a story rom draw or write but, when we saw
is that students appreciate the range an outline, and inally to edit their that students were losing sight of
of styles and techniques that authors irst drat. Her students complete the writing process, we revised
use to integrate words and pictures the book and the artwork at home, it to require a irst drat without
into a cohesive story. A picture is so when they come in with the inal illustrations. Second drats go a peer
worth a thousand words, and the book, we are oten surprised at the editing process and focus on creating
right words deepen and enrich the results. Other teachers allow their the artwork.
pictured experience. students to do much of the work in
class, even providing the students We give the students minimal visual
The project’s success lies with the with markers, glue, glitter, and other directions. We don’t want to tell
hard work of our students, but also supplies. While either method works, how to draw their pictures. Instead
with the collaboration eforts between student ownership is the key element we emphasize the relationship
the classroom teacher (and, at times, for success. between illustrations and the words
the art teacher) and the librarian. around them. We study diferent
While we work together as a team Only one student’s work will be uses of color, such as Kevin Henkes’s
to introduce the students to Ezra submitted rom our school, but appealing but muted colors, or
Jack Keats, it is up to the classroom that doesn’t seem to deter others Keat’s bold colors. We look at the
teacher to maintain the day-to-day rom working hard. In fact, they are artist’s medium, for example Eric
momentum of the project. Much of inspired by what their peers have Carle’s tissue paper collages, Henri
the responsibility of classroom or done in previous years when we show Sorenson’s oil paints or David
project management lies with the them a PowerPoint presentation of Wisniewski’s paper cut outs. We
teacher because the teacher must keep students’ books that I have scanned. examine how the mood is created
up with the due dates so students The quality ranges, depending on with illustrations, as in David
complete the work before the contest the medium used, but all show the Wisniewski’s dark, bold colors and
deadline. Ultimately, it is the teacher techniques we’ve discussed and the the eerie, jagged cut outs in Golem.
who assigns the grade, so the students integration of words and images. Past examples of student work are
look to their teacher for guidance. used here as well, to emphasize how
My goal for a successful collaboration We scafold the process over a color choice, technique, and layout
is that students will know they can period of four to six weeks. Ater match the intention of the words.
seek advice and assistance rom the the students choose a story idea,
librarian, even if they don’t meet me they outline the beginning, middle, When the inal product is submitted
every day. and end of the story. They use a by the students, the collaborating
graphic organizer with six boxes, teacher and I review the books and
choose a few exemplary works. We know that the judges are looking for authors and illustrators. Their books
conference with the student authors creative bindings, I also feel that this remain on display at the library until
so they can correct any spelling or is less important than the story and the end of May.
grammatical errors. We also reine pictures.
their artwork. For instance, last year’s This project requires time and
winning submission by a seventh We can only submit one book rom dedication rom both teachers and
grader, titled “Who Will I Be?” our school, but we work to recognize students. While I could enumerate
contained beautiful illustrations all the students’ achievement. We the many learning standards our
against an empty white background. hand out certiicates for excellent students achieve, I’d rather think
There was too much empty space. work and post these books on bulletin about the lasting outcomes. In the
In fact, the last page contained no boards. One class went to a nearby midst of rigid test prep regimen,
illustration at all. We suggested that elementary school to read their students are simultaneously creating
she add an illustration on the last picture books to younger students. extraordinary visual and literary
page and ill in the background Intergenerational and interschool stories about their lives to share with
– though we were vague in our audiences boost student-authors’ an authentic audience. We watch
suggestions, letting her use her own self-esteem, and allow the older their conidence build as this project
artistic intuition. The text was simple students to model proicient writing enhances their reading, writing,
and nearly lawless. The student had samples to younger students. comprehension, and visual literacy.
already used textured paper for her Their understanding of the dynamic
project, so she used diferent colored There are three categories for relationship of pictures and words
water paints to ill in the empty submissions: grades 3–5, 6–8, and is clearly an example of twenty-
space around the illustrations. We 9–12. A citywide winner is chosen irst century literacy. And, at the
suggested she outline the illustrations for each category as well as one conclusion of the project, students
in bold so that they pop out a little regional winner. (Every few districts can proudly claim that they are an
more. Her inal masterpiece was a were lumped into a region, but author and illustrator.
Regional winner. this year, with the reorganization
of the NYC School system, there Esther Keller is a school media specialist at
All books must be bound by hand. will be a Borough-wide winner JHS 278 Marine Park in Brooklyn, NY. Her
Stapling the pages together or in each category as well as a city-
background includes both public and school
going to Staples to bind the book wide winner.) The winners, along
libraries as well as an undergraduate degree in
professionally is not allowed. As time with their parents, teachers, and
runs short (we do this project in principals, are invited to the New Creative Writing. Most recently, she served two
the midst of the renzy of important York Public Library’s Donnell’s years on Yalsa’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens
standardized tests), we oten tell the Children Room in April. An Committee which has reinforced her love and
children to punch a couple of holes inspiring ceremony recognizes the passion for the visual medium.
and lace yarn through it. Though we outstanding achievement of our
Works Cited Dunn, Sharon. Dec. 2006. “21st Annual ———. The Snowy Day. 1976. New York:
Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Contest.” Puin.
“Art Standards.” New York State Learning Visual Arts Curriculum. Pope, Lillie. “The Many Rewards of
Standards. New York State Education NYC Department of Education. Bookmaking.” Ezra Jack Keats. Ezra
Department. <www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ <http://schools.nyc.gov/projectarts/ Jack Keats Foundation. <www.ezra-jack-
arts.html> (accessed 1 Oct. 2007). Media/Ezra%20Jack%20Keats%20 keats.org/programs/article.html>
“Children’s Picture Book Project.” Bookmaking%20Competition%202007 (accessed 1 Oct. 2007).
ReadWriteThink. 1 Oct. 2007. .doc> (accessed 1 Oct. 2007). The Snowy Day . . . and more Ezra Jack
International Reading Assoc., Verizon, “English Language Arts.” New York Keats stories. Dir. Mal Wittman. 2002.
NCTE. <http://readwritethink.org/ State Learning Standards. New State DVD. Weston Woods.
lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1022> Education Department. <www.emsc Wisniewski, David. 1996. Golem. New York:
(accessed 1 Oct. 2007). .nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elastandards/elamap Clarion.
Deedy, Carmen Agra, and Henri .html> (accessed 1 Oct. 2007).
Sorenson. 2000. The Yellow Star: the legend Keats, Ezra Jack. 1998. A Letter to Amy. New
of King Christian X of Denmark. Atlanta, Ga.: York: Puin.
Peachtree.
FEATURE
REINVENTING THE BOOK CLUB
Graphic Novels as Educational Heavyweights

Jonathan Seyfried
jseyfried@bhds.org
W e oten ind ourselves lamenting
the loss of emergent readers to
video games, television, and, most
getting an enthusiastic reception rom
the Middle School administration,
the stage was set for the Library’s foray
prose. Our middle school students
laugh at Karl Marx with an M-60,
but they are only able to get the joke
recently, the TTYL (talk/type to you into the elective curriculum. if they’ve understood concepts that
later) culture of text messaging and most of us grappled to comprehend
Internet social networking. Trying Before planning this elective, I could in college. The series was too edgy
to impart the joy of a good read to count on one hand the number of to be included as required reading for
middle school students feels like graphic novels I’d read. I considered the elective, but we selected some for
pushing religion onto the perfectly the genre to be enjoyably quirky, the library and they never stay on the
content worshippers of American but mostly irrelevant. As I sorted shelf for more than half a day.
Idol. Yet, almost as if responding through the recommended lists
to a distress call, a new type of book and talked with the staf in a comic At the outset of the elective, there was
has come onto the scene: the graphic book store (collection development quite a gap in experience among my
novel. This revitalized genre has not for graphic novels does not lend students. Five didn’t know what the
only saved the day for recreational itself to ordering rom reviews) term “graphic novel” meant, while
reading, it has also turned out to and fellow librarians, I found the rest spent entire weekends sitting
be a heavyweight in the teaching of myself struggling to select titles on the loor of the local bookstore
advanced themes in literature and that would accommodate the wide devouring manga. Therefore I began
visual literacy. variation in maturity I expected to with a discussion of the term “graphic
ind in our mixed sixth- through novel” using the ideas outlined in
When Brandeis Hillel Day School eighth-grade electives. I rejected Charles McGrath’s watershed article
in San Francisco ofered a library- The Pride of Baghdad, a story of the in the July 11, 2004 issue of The New
sponsored book club as an elective zoo animals who roamed the Iraqi York Times Magazine. Graphic novelist
class, no one ever imagined that we streets during the chaos of the 2003 Chester Brown drew the magazine’s
would have a waiting list. Ater one bombings. One full-page image cover, a nine panel interview between
semester the Graphic Novels Book of a girafe’s gruesome demise felt a journalist and a graphic novelist.
Group elective became the talk of just too disturbing for our younger The graphic novelist in Brown’s
the middle school. Further, students students. On the other hand, I cover is defending himself against the
who had dutifully read only required did select Persepolis, which contains accusation that his medium is “just
books in the past, continued to violent imagery, but depicted in a comic books.” He argues that “the
return to the school library well ater less violent, cartoonish style. By scope for telling stories of greater
the elective was inished to check navigating this tricky line, I gained complexity and depth is increased”
out prose iction for recreational the respect of my students; they (Brown 2004, cover) in longer comic
reading. The elective conirms the appreciated being trusted with books. When the story continues rom
impact of a Graphic Novels Book mature content, and this led to the cover into the magazine (25), the
Group on reading motivation. greater investment in the class. interviewer has been transformed
into a duck. Infuriated by this visual
It all began the previous year, when my The graphic novel genre prides mockery, the novelist storms out of his
colleague, head librarian Roz Tolson, itself on its edginess. For example, graphic interview.
and I were tossing around the idea the Action Philosophers comic
for a librarian-led elective that could book series by Fred Van Lente and I ask the students why Chester Brown
compete with attractive alternatives Ryan Dunlavey is full of immature chose this little story to accompany
like Drama, Digital Video-Making, jokes, gratuitous violence, and crass an article that argues that graphic
Triathalon, and Yearbook. With imagery. It’s also one of the best novels should be taken seriously, and
graphic novels sales estimated at over things published for philosophical that “comic books are what novels
$300 million in 2006 (Publishers education since the Symposiums. used to be” (McGrath 2004, 24).
Weekly 2007) and the increased buzz Students are introduced to The students recognize at once that
in professional publications (Kan complicated philosophical concepts a comic book’s tone is distinct rom
2006), we decided to propose a without having to trudge through prose iction. In Brown’s comic,
Graphic Novels Book Group. Ater ive hundred pages of academic for example, the sequence rom
one panel to the next is tinged with McCloud’s identiication of ancient beginning to fold it. The middle two
both humor and irony. Unlike prose Mayan writing as proto-comics was panels show the light of the airplane.
iction, comics depict the passage accurate. Others focused on the role The last three panels at the bottom
of time visually, as the reader moves of visual storytelling in a visually of the page occur in an extremely
rom one panel to the next. Artists saturated culture like ours, using close chronology, (perhaps not even
such as Brown become masters at examples of codes and signs based seconds apart). In these almost
exploiting the kind of humor that on McCloud’s lucid explanation identical panels, Delisle watches the
arises rom this type of narrative of semantics. Their engagement plane cross the skyline.
motion. In a snap, a human becomes demonstrated to me what theorists
a duck. Over the course of the like Janne Seppanen and McCloud In the middle two panels, the choice
semester, students continued to ind postulate: that visual literacy is “the of rame (or context) juxtaposes the
other examples of this simultaneous capacity to perceive the visible reality whimsical light of a paper airplane
use of both irreverence and a self- as part of broader cultural structures against the stark Pyongyang skyline,
relective silliness. And how twelve of meanings . . . the most essential emphasizing the emotional contrast
year-olds love self-relective silliness! thing thus is the understanding of in the story. The last three panels
the mechanisms of culture and the exclude most of the hotel room
What was remarkable to me, on meaning of production in society” to focus the reader on the main
that very irst day of class, was (Seppanen 2007, 133). character as he watches the plane out
that the students identiied and the window.
responded to the poignancy of the According to McCloud, every graphic
stories immediately. The jokes, the novelist must make certain decisions In one panel, for choice of image, Delisle
conclusions, and the characters made when creating a page (or more) of draws the airplane on its own, separate
sense at once. How oten, I wondered, panels. As we discussed each graphic rom the person who threw it. This
did they assimilate and understand novel we applied McCloud’s “ive choice suggests the reedom that the
assigned readings in their other choices” (2006, 37), a ramework paper airplane has rom its creator, in
classes so quickly? Throughout the that helped students understand how contrast to the highly controlled lives
elective I continued to be surprised a visual artist develops a meaningful of citizens in North Korea.
by my students’ responses. More than image for a story. We discussed each
just an elective or a book group, our decision—choice of moment, choice His choice of words, or rather lack of
experience together went right to the of rame, choice of image, choice of them, its these themes. There are
heart of books and the joy of reading. word, and choice of low—to analyze no words until the very last panel,
what was being presented to the reinforcing the understated tone
The structure of that irst class reader. of the whole novel. Finally, in the
determined how I approached each character’s cheer “C’mon, go!” the
week’s “lesson.” For example, I The sequential images on the inal reader becomes acutely aware of the
continued to use readings, primarily page of Guy Delisle’s graphic novel poignancy of small rebellions in a
rom McCloud’s Understanding Comics travelogue, Pyongyang (see p. 44), can repressive world.
and its companion Making Comics, be analyzed with this ramework. The
to apply to the graphic novels we page consists of three panels at the For the choice of low, or how the
read. McCloud’s analysis of visual top, two in the middle, and three at reader follows the sequence of the
literacy is always accompanied by the bottom. Delisle’s choice of moment panels, Delisle imitates the journey
visual examples (the book itself is a includes creating a paper airplane, of the airplane, with its curlicue trail
long comic). He outlines a theory a snapshot of the airplane mid- sequentially on the last page. He
of comics as an art form and a mode light, and Guy Delisle, a character could have concluded the book with
of storytelling while modeling them himself, watching and cheering a full page panel, or three panels in
in his drawings. We had animated rom the window as the lonely paper rows. Instead, his choice of three
discussions about the cultural and airplane descends rom the author’s panels at the top, two in the middle,
social implications of these texts. skyscraper hotel window. The irst and three at the bottom creates a
Diferent ideas appealed to diferent two panels show Delisle having the looping through the page as it is
students. Some disputed whether idea of making the airplane, and then read. The low of the story, through
the panel arrangement, matches the orders and the power until she inds the right person”).
low of the airplane, the lowing processes connected with Once they had created a character
of the curtains, and even the low them as well as to distinguish and plot, they turned to Comic Life
of Delisle’s body hunched over the alternative orders. Visual (ree sotware that comes with Mac
windowsill. In short, each choice on literacy is thus not only OS) to create their visual stories.
this magniicent last page contributed an understanding of the This easy-to-use sotware includes
to evoking in the reader the emotions visible reality, but at its best templates with pre-designed panel
that accompany Delisle’s futile it is also the production layouts and drag-and-drop speech
resistance to North Korea’s litter-ree of such presentations that bubbles. Creating their own comics
totalitarian regime. challenge pictorial stereotypes consolidated what they were learning
connected, for instance, to as readers. A few months ater the
Later that semester, another of our the presentation of race and class ended, one of my students said,
readings led to an exploration of gender. (94) “The class was diferent than a regular
themes in visual literacy—Gene Yang’s book group because we weren’t just
National Book Award-nominated In addition to being an excellent reading it, we were doing it too.”
graphic novel, American Born Chinese exercise in the understanding the
(FirstSecond, 2006). In this graphic presentation of race and ethnicity In my experience, middle school
novel, the main character, Jin, is visually, American Born Chinese challenges students are ready to engage with
rustrated with being a cultural readers’ observation skills. The intense emotions, emotions that they
outsider in suburban America. He book consists of three separate and are themselves experiencing for the
begins to see himself as his alter- intertwining narratives involving irst time, but they need appropriate
ego, the blue-eyed, blond-haired, Jin, Danny, Chin-Kee, and an material. My students crave stories
all-American boy “Danny.” In turn, archetype rom Chinese mythology, that they can relate to, written in a
this Danny is haunted by a character the Monkey King. Deceptively simple language they can understand, with
that embodies all the stereotypes of at irst reading, the structure builds jokes they can get, and metaphors
Chinese people, a “cousin” named a complex and extended metaphor that are clear to them. What adults get
Chin-Kee. I introduced the students and produces the poignant ending, rom Jonathan Franzen, Dave Eggers,
to a foundational theory in the which is easy to miss if read too fast. and Zadie Smith, my students got
symbolic interactionism school of Therefore I encouraged students to rom Guy Delisle. Graphic novels
sociology, Charles Horton Cooley’s read graphic novels slowly and, in provided them with a rich and
concept of “The Looking Glass Self,” fact, they oten came to class having rewarding literary experience at a
which suggests that we see ourselves read the book twice. Successful time when the duration, vocabulary,
as we imagine others see us (“Cooley, readers of graphic novels learn that and style of prose masterpieces
Charles Horton” 2005, 153–154). rereading and slow reading support cannot. A seventh grader marveled:
My students interpreted Yang’s visual close observation, a necessary skill of “We didn’t just read the story; we
depiction of the characters and visual literacy. read the story behind the story.”
story as larger statements about the
immigrant experience in America. For the last part of each class, the This elective held surprises for
One student said that American students worked on their own everyone, including me. For example,
Born Chinese “showed exclusion and individual, forty-panel graphic novels. I did not anticipate the ripple efects
questioned what is ‘normal.’” I was As creators and artists, they attempted of this “reinvented” book club. At
stunned that my students could learn to apply their understanding of the the beginning of the semester, some
to deeply question how cultures are basic elements of visual storytelling. of my elective students felt that the
shown and seen, an important aspect First, I asked them to develop a main library and the librarian had nothing
of visual literacy as Seppanen deines character and a distinct beginning, to ofer them for recreational reading.
it: middle, and end. Then we practiced Now they regularly seek me out for
learning to change scenarios (for iction recommendations—and not
Visual literacy also means example, “they’re on a bad date”) into just for graphic novels. One seventh-
the ability to conceive the storytelling (“my main character goes grade elective student has read both
historical quality of visual on horrible date ater horrible date Mark Zuckas’s The Book Thief and M. T.
Anderson’s The Astonishing Life of Octavian the managers at comic stores the collection so that students
Nothing. and librarians who have already will move beyond it to more
done collection development in sophisticated graphic novels
As my colleague, Roz Tolson, and graphic novels. and prose novels. Most series
Read reviews, but don’t purchase of manga can be given similar
I infuse graphic novels into other ●฀
based solely on a review. Just one treatment in the library as prose

grades, we see similar leaps in series like The Babysitters Club or
reading. Fourth- and ith-grade gory page could put a graphic
novel over the line of what you Goosebumps.
students, emboldened by their
reading of long graphic novels like are comfortable including in ●฀ There is not a single or standard
the school library. Be guided age-rating system for graphic
Jef Smith’s Bone and Larry Gonick’s
by selection criteria in your novels, so don’t depend on the
Cartoon History of the Universe, are now Selection Policy. age ratings on the back covers.
attempting sophisticated prose They are only general guides.
iction. And our success is spreading. ●฀ Have a discussion with students
about the responsibility that
Our teaching colleagues have begun This article, a bibliography of
comes with reading mature
using graphic novels to increase graphic novels used in our book
content like Persepolis or Action
students’ conidence as readers and to Philosophers. club, and sample of student work
develop their enjoyment of reading. are available online: <www.ala.org/
Instead of heralding a regression ●฀ Encourage younger students ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/
to read the more kid-riendly
rom the art of the written word, we kqarchives/volume36/363/363
graphic novels, like Jef Smith’s
are inding that graphic novels are Bone series. seyried.cfm> .
providing a new bridge to it.
●฀ Watch out for the cheap low-
Jonathan Seyfried is a librarian at
Tips for Choosing Graphic Novels quality graphic novels that lack
discernible storylines. Trust your Brandeis Hillel Day School. When not reading
own instincts about quality and that latest graphic novel, he writes fiction and
●฀ Read the whole graphic novel
before adding it to the collection. be picky. is currently working on a novel (not a graphic
●฀ Talk to people who already know ●฀ Limit the amount of manga novel) for kids.
about graphic novels, especially (Japanese comic books) in
Works Cited New York Times Magazine 11 July: 24+. Hosler, Jay. Clan Apis (Active Synapse,
Publishers Weekly. 2007. “Graphic novels 2000).
Brown, Chester. “[Interview with a by the numbers.” Editorial. 5 Mar.: 9. Kuper, Peter. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis
Graphic Novelist].” Comic strip. New InfoTrac. Electronic. Thomson Gale. (Crown, 2003).
York Times Magazine 11 July 2004: [cover]. Seppanen, Janne. 2006. “Power of Ottavani, Jim. Dignifying Science (G.T. Labs,
“Cooley, Charles Horton.” 2005. the Gaze: an Introduction to Visual 1999).
Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Vol. 1. Ed. Literacy.” New Literacies and Digital Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis (Pantheon,
George Ritzer. Thousand Oaks: Sage Epistemologies 20. N.p.: Peter Lang. 2003).
Publications. 153–54. Smith, Jef. Bone (Scholastic, 2005).
Kan, Kat. 2006. “Just what is it with Graphic Novels Mentioned Stamaty, Mark. Alia’s Mission (Random,
graphic novels anyway?” Knowledge Quest 2004).
35, no. 1 (Sept.–Oct. 2006). <www Arakawa, Hiromu. Full Metal Alchemist (Viz,
.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/ Telemagier, Rita. The Babysitter’s Club, Kristy’s
2005). Great Idea (Scholastic, 2006).
kqweb/kqweb.cfm> (accessed Feb. 13,
2008). Delisle, Guy. Pyongyang (Drawn & Vaughn, Brian. Pride of Baghdad (Vertigo,
Quarterly, 2005). 2006).
McCloud, Scott. 1993. Understanding Comics.
New York: HarperPerennial. Gaiman, Neil. The Books of Magic (DC Van Lente, Fred. Action Philosophers (Evil
Comics, 1993). Twin, 2006).
McCloud, Scott. 2006. Making Comics. New
York: HarperPerennial. Gonick, Larry. Cartoon History of the Universe Yang, Gene. American Born Chinese
(Doubleday, 1990) (FirstSecond, 2006).
McGrath, Charles. 2004. “Not Funnies.”
commitment on the part of the reader
What is Manga? to spend the time and efort to read
a longer tale. When the tale ends,
Gilles Poitras unlike American comics that oten
cowpunk@koyagi.com run for decades, the particular story is
over and the creators can move on to
another tale, as can the reader. This
In one deinition, manga are simply manga, illustrated narratives are inite run helps drive the vast variety
Japanese comic books—the Japanese approachable by many readers who and creativity of the manga industry.
part of the deinition is crucial, as may be reluctant to pick up regular
these are products originally published prose. The imagery increases the All of the elements one inds in
by Japanese companies for a Japanese reader’s enjoyment of the stories as manga can draw readers of diferent
audience. But that deinition does not the complimentary blend of pictures ages and interests to a large number
actually work well enough; manga is and the written word tell a tale. of works. In fact the variety of manga
far more complex than the American is important to consider in selection.
comic book that has been dominated But there are signiicant diferences Some of the adult manga may be
by superhero, underground, and what in the visual structure of manga when action oriented, with conlict played
are termed “art” or “independent” compared to comic books. First, for out on the page or may contain
comics for the past ity years. Manga those who pick up a translated manga a few scenes with sexual content.
is published with every demographic for the irst time, they recognize that These scenes may not appear in
and genre that one inds in prose, the cover opens rom let to right. early volumes, only occurring as the
iction, and noniction. Images and individual elements, relationships between characters
such as word balloons, are read change over time. (There are even
In the United States, the growth of rom right to let, the opposite of erotic manga in English, many
the manga market has been stunning. European books. It is surprising how written by and for women.)
A leading trade journal, the ICv2 easy it is for most readers to adjust to
Guide to Manga (2007) estimates that Japanese-style reading. All in all, manga is a diverse source
the North American manga market for material in a library and should
for 2002 was $60 million, and Second, Americans comics are still be selected with all the care that
that by 2006 it had grown to an largely done in a standard rectangular prose works are given. For more
estimated $190–205 million, with panel format, similar to comic information on manga and anime
over 5,000 paperbacks in print. strips in the Sunday newspapers. see The Librarian’s Guide to Anime and Manga
This growth is partly explained by Manga creators bent and broke those <www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html> .
one factor: manga for girls. The U.S. conventions decades ago. While there
comic industry has focused on boys is still a logical progression of images, Gilles Poitras is the Access Services
as well as young men and women, they are not conined to simple rows Librarian at Golden Gate University in the San
ignoring this demographic. U.S. of boxes. A panel may be a triangle, a
Francisco area. He is also a writer and speaker
publishers have also ignored another polygon, or circle; it may even overlap
on Japanese popular culture who has produced
interesting genre: romance stories for and low into an adjacent panel.
boys. These are coming of age tales three books related to anime and manga and has
centering on boy–girl relationships Finally, a less obvious but signiicant a regular column in Newtype USA magazine.
and oten dealing with issues of diference, almost all manga are
mutual responsibility and the risks of a single tale told over a series of
young adulthood. (Manga for adult volumes. American comics are still
Works Cited
men and women, considered separate mainly thin pamphlets with one story
demographics in Japan, may deal with per issue. A manga title can easily be “Manga Growth Continues.” 2007. ICv2
Guide to Manga 42, Q2, 4.
similar themes in an adult context.) ten to twenty volumes in length, each
volume with well over one hundred
Putting aside the thematic, genre, pages, telling a single longer tale. This
and demographic elements in requires, and in fact encourages, a
FEATURE
VIRTUALWORLDS,
VIRTUALLITERACY
An Educational Exploration
Sharon Stoerger
sstoerge@indiana.edu
Visual Aspects of Immersive Steadmond, performs domestic informal guides, working together
Learning duties wearing servant’s attire. Her to devise solutions to dilemmas
Imagine learning about the drab uniform hangs loosely on her based on politics, gender, and class
eighteenth century by becoming a thin rame with muddy gray sleeves issues typical of this period. Your
resident of colonial Williamsburg. rolled up to her elbows. Her short, moral beliefs may be challenged by
In the three-dimensional role- coarsely-textured hair is protected the choices you are asked to make as
playing game, Revolution, students are by a bright yellow handkerchief that a participant. For instance, Hannah
immersed in the political and social is tightly wrapped around her head. might be asked to hide a runaway
aspects of this history-themed virtual While no one would mistake Robert slave named Tom. She might disguise
world. Settings like Revolution allow or Hannah for real actors, their him as a ree black laborer in a set of
students to practice their skills and features, clothing, and body language work clothes that she obtains rom
learn rom their failures through simulate an actual person well the local tailor, Catherine Grimes.
authentic and active experiences enough to contribute to the player’s The game, while remaining true
that emulate those found in the real immersive engagement in that role. to the constraints of the historical
world or deviate rom it. Further, period, responds to the player’s
educational entities and business Within the colony, a student-player choices, and its outcomes are afected
have established locations in virtual may navigate through the grassy by the decisions the participants
worlds, and the Horizon Report open areas or relax at the rustic make.
(2007) indicates that “educational tavern in ront of a warm, glowing
use of these spaces is already ireplace. Or, if wealthy enough,
underway and growing” (18). the participant may travel through
Williamsburg’s more developed areas
From one of seven social perspectives among newly planted trees to drink
ranging rom an upper class lawyer tea using an exact replica of a colonial
to an Arican American slave, teapot (a classic 3D mesh that has
student players in Revolution become been used in early university 3D
residents of the colonies on the eve rendering experiments and in Pixar
of the revolt between the American ilms) on Mr. Steadmond’s palatial
colonists and the British Empire. plantation served by one of the house Residents of Williamsburg gather around the colony
If a student adopts the persona of slaves. courthouse.
a conservative patriot and skilled Revolution: The Education Arcade
lawyer like Robert Carter Nicholas, Players react to the various historical
he conducts legal business wearing events as they unfold. One might join Another example of a scenario-based
clothing that indicates his position a revolt among the colony’s politically virtual world is Prospero’s Island, based
in society—a formal suit consisting discontented as they wave laming on the play, The Tempest. In this space
of a royal plum–colored tailored torches in protest. Or, perhaps as the students become immersed in a
jacket with large brass buttons over colony’s wealthy blacksmith dressed Shakespearian narrative, initially by
a light blue, striped dress shirt with in elegant leather-like pants, a gray selecting a set of clothes to wear and
an elaborate white collar that forms blousy shirt with subtle rules at taking on the role of a storm-tossed,
a V across Robert’s broad chest. As his wrists, a player might decide to shipwrecked traveler (for example,
he speaks to his fellow colonists, support a local merchant who has a sailor, stowaway, or servant)
Robert’s pose is attentive, with well- been bullied by the Patriot group by by selecting an avatar—a digital,
manicured hands positioned at his merchants like himself to persuade animated character. This traveler
sides and spiral-curled golden locks that merchant to sign a formal struggles to survive massively peaked
pulled back neatly under a three- petition to be printed in the Virginia waves and is eventually stranded
cornered hat. Gazette. on a remote island. Generally the
setting is modeled on the text of the
In contrast, a student who has A participant can interact and play, but the designers of this world
become Hannah, a house slave for collaborate with other players and have also added features typical of
a wealthy patriot named George with colony residents, who act as an island, such as sandy beaches and
aspects of reality while games do not”
(344). For example, medical training
simulations model real experiences
to teach a process or procedure.
They employ structured narratives
rom real-life case-studies. They
prepare interns to apply techniques
that they’ve learned in class to virtual
A “Quester” prepares for action in Quest Atlantis.
patients in the simulation. A player
The traveler struggles to survive the storm in Quest Atlantis, Center for Research
Prospero’s Island.
may be assigned to a patient who on Learning and Technology, Indiana
The Royal Shakespeare Company shows signs of shortness of breath University
and the Massachusetts Institute of and complains of pain. As a medical
Technology investigator, the student must decide both educational and entertaining.
which tests to conduct on the basis They describe this MUVE, which
wild-growing, emerald-hued foliage. is set in a virtual world, as a
While everything seems somewhat “game without guns” that not only
fantastical, the game is grounded serves as a teaching tool, but also
in the period and scope of the fostered “learning, growth and the
play. For example, the objects were development of a sense of wonder”
inspired by artifacts typically found (87). Like other virtual worlds,
in Renaissance cabinets of curiosity, Quest Atlantis is navigated by players
and the events and characters are in with avatars that can be customized
keeping with the plot and tone of The by using the game’s avatar creator
Tempest. feature. Players undertake quests
An abstract image of one of the tears that players in hopes of helping the residents
Through the exploration of the island may ind as they travel through Prospero’s Island. of Atlantis. Along the way, they
and exchanges with other characters, The Royal Shakespeare Company also interact with other players and
the student is able to play out key and the Massachusetts Institute of mentors who provide information
Technology about the environment, culture, art,
themes of The Tempest, experiencing
them through self-discovery. At and music that will be useful when
the corner of the screen, a rip in of the diagnosis, the costs of the solving the quest. These educational
the image opens to the appropriate procedures, the time involved for activities, tied to local academic
section of the play (see igure 3). each one, and the side efects the standards, are designed to be
If a student tears back one of these patient is likely to experience. engaging and immersive.
small, triangular openings, it reveals
a canvas of text behind the island Of course, a virtual world can also Visualization Builds Affective
scenery. Thus the text is visually and create the equivalent of science Understanding Alongside
metaphorically mapped to the related iction in which certain information Content Knowledge
scene, encouraging students to switch is accurate, but the characters and In virtual worlds students are able
back and forth between image and narratives are ictional constructs. to experiment with identity and
word, experiencing them as related Within this vivid visual experience, develop shared values, learning-to-be
layers of meaning. students are encouraged to imagine, through seeing, knowing, and doing.
to actively investigate, and to As they handle tools and materials,
The lines between games conducted develop a deeper understanding observe and interact with others,
in virtual worlds and simulations that of the content. When Barab and student-players can experientially
take place in custom settings have his colleagues (2005) created Quest develop a deeper understanding of
begun to blur. De Freitas (2006), Atlantis, a 3-D multi-user virtual a theme, topic, period of time, or
a scholar who examined both, environment (MUVE) designed for concept. Since players are ofered
considers the diference to lie in children between the ages of 9 and many options and the game responds
the fact that “simulations represent 12, their goal was a game that was to their choices, student-players
oten feel as if they are in control of process that Kalay (2004) contends In this virtual library, visitors can
their learning and, as a result, own is a “combination of context, approach the reference librarian to
their learning process (Herz 2001). activities, and action” (196); they ind out how to locate a virtual book
employ intellectual decision-making by Jane Austen, where to buy custom-
Instead of reading a textbook entry to accomplish both personal and in- made jewelry for their avatar, or who
about the civil unrest before the game goals. they should contact to purchase land.
American Revolution, a student They may even ask where they might
playing Revolution becomes Catherine Successful players oten use visual locate building blocks, which are also
Grimes, writing letters to her parents thinking strategies. Students can plan referred to as “prims.” Opportunities
in Massachusetts about the struggles by mapping out (both mentally and to interact with objects, notecard
she faces and the instances of civil with pencil and paper) strategies to books (book-like objects that are used
unrest she witnesses in Williamsburg. overcome challenges and navigate to store and share text) and images
Adopting the stance of this business chartered and unchartered paths. that are difused throughout the
owner struggling to keep her shop Players may explore alternatives or environment are everywhere. Library
running smoothly, the student can diferent viewpoints by modifying users can lip through the pages of a
develop empathy while learning the visual display, for example by magazine while they read its bold text
about speciic events leading up to selecting the avatar’s expression rom a large display-screen. But the
the American Revolution. Similarly, or switching between irst- and Info Island experience is more varied
students are given the opportunity third-person viewpoints. Even the than a physical library. For fun, a
to get into the skin of Shakespearean physical act of controlling an avatar patron can pick up a multicolored
characters on Prospero’s Island while in real time may raise the students’ beach ball, rotate it in her hands,
they construct a visual, theatrical consciousness of the architectural and toss it up in the air. Or, at the
experience of participating in an constraints and possibilities. By end of a long day, a visitor may sit at
unfolding play. Some students have overcoming challenges, mastering a bustling waterside café and enjoy a
asserted that they learned more tasks, and participating in communal steaming cup of Moroccan tea rom a
through this game than they would activities presented within these white, porcelain mug while chatting
have if they had only read the text virtual places, students are typically with the dashingly handsome waiter
(Van 2007). As an added beneit, rewarded by gaining both points and who resembles a young movie star.
scafolded activities are far more status among other players (see, for
likely to create a safe environment example, Herz, 2001). One study Exhibits and special collections
with minimal risk of failure or (Green and Bavelier 2003) suggests are located throughout the island.
embarrassment (Steinkuehler 2004). that regular participation in these One recent exhibit, depicting
worlds can improve visual skills; nineteenth-century London, was
Visual Literacy skills that allow a student-player to created by J. J. Drinkwater, the
Virtual worlds have many common decipher complex scenes, adapt more Director of the Caledon Library. In
visual digital artifacts and computer- readily to distractions, and quickly a special collection in the Religious
based agents. Increasingly, modern and eiciently process fast-changing Resource Area, a patron can obtain
players expect complex special imagery and visual feedback. information about religious topics
efects and high quality graphics that by interacting with the objects or
create an immersive and realistic Visual Creativity through discussions with other
experience. Situated within a visually I am a participant in SL as a doctoral players. There is even a place to sit
rich and engaging space, players are student in the School of Library quietly on loor pillows in shades
encouraged to interact with each and Information Science at Indiana of rust and teal and meditate
other and travel to virtual lands by University, Bloomington. SL is while incense slowly burns in the
selecting rom a diverse array of paths a virtual world whose content is background.
at various points. The designers completely created by its users. For
utilize visual feedback such as hue, example, Info Island, merely one Although some artifacts and
lighting, and shape to guide player’s of the library locations in SL, was regions of Second Life were created by
activities. Moreover, players are able designed by individuals ailiated with individuals, many are the result of
to create a sense of space through a the Alliance Library System. the collaborative eforts of libraries,
non-proit organizations, for-proit could “speak his language.” In this because its presence deviates rom the
entities, educational organizations, case my initial visual impression of norm. In this case, for example, the
and other groups of volunteers this avatar was eventually modulated main topic of the reference questions
around the world. These spaces by my knowledge of new player being posed that evening was the
not only provide areas for players behaviors and by the likelihood that librarian’s tail. Other librarians who
to engage in conversations with we wouldn’t be able to communicate are experimenting with their avatar’s
others, but they also enable visitors with each other easily. Like Revolution, efect on others create two or more SL
to add their own creations or make these activities mimic real-life events avatars (or alts), one for professional
personalized modiications of the rather than those found in ictional purposes and the other(s) for
environment. constructs such as Prospero’s Island; personal exploration. In contrast,
instead of Williamsburg, though, I students who play Revolution or Prospero’s
First Impressions in a Virtual was interacting with and responding Island are restricted in their ability to
World to other players near the reference customize their identity and explore
As a player in Second Life (SL), I am desk at the library. the ways that appearance afects the
continually making decisions based interactions they have with others.
on visual input. For example, one day Players also experiment with the
as I approached a building adjacent visual impact that they have on each One example of how individuals
to the reference desk while reading other. On my way to investigate the play with identity when given the
the bright yellow news headlines that option to do so is evident in a class I
scrolled across my screen—much like am taking through the University of
students interact with the text found Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that
on Prospero’s Island—I was approached meets once a week in SL. Over the
by a young male avatar who was not course of the week, members may
wearing any clothes. Even though the alter their appearance. One week they
avatar was not anatomically correct, may have a conservative hairstyle and
I confess to being a bit lustered by outit (for example, sandy blonde
being approached by a naked male in A patron approaches the Info Island reference desk hair that skirts the shoulders with a
a secluded area—a striking visual irst- in Second Life. tailored navy blue pant suit) then this
impression! Then I recognized that Second Life, Linden Research, Inc. same individual may come to class
he was probably a newbie, new to SL. with chartreuse-streaked hair and
Unlike the pre-set personas students upcoming events that were displayed black combat boots. On occasion,
select in Revolution and Prospero’s Island, on the large plasma screen-like several members of the class were
“blank” new players in SL usually devices that mirror each other identical rom head to toe, confusing
begin their experience by altering along a perimeter wall, I passed me until I noticed that their SL name
the appearance of their naked avatar. the Reference Desk and noticed a appears in a bubble above their
Players are able to select clothing reference transaction between the head. When I see “twins,” I ind it
rom a wide array of items (including librarian on duty and a patron. diicult to think of them as unique
socks and underwear), as well as the The librarian was dressed in an individuals, and as we talk to each
shade of hair color, the style of their elaborate gray dress with a hem that other about our library experiences,
eyebrows, and the color of their eyes. hovered over the ground at her I ind myself wondering how closely
When he attempted to strike up a ankles. Despite the fact that real life my response to twins mimics what
conversation with me, chatting in at librarians normally do not dress in happens in the real world. Because
least ive diferent languages—none formal gowns when they go to work, Revolution and Prospero’s Island limit the
of which I understood—I decided the most striking element of the SL player’s choice of appearance, this
I was more interested in catching librarian’s attire was her bushy tail, confusion of identity is replicated in
up on the day’s news events and similar to one found on a squirrel. those worlds, as well.
trying to igure out how to get my While animal appearance items are
avatar to sit down in a black leather available for selection, there are times Since visual creativity is a key
executive’s chair. Eventually he let when wearing one may hamper or component of SL, we spent an entire
in search of more luent avatars who divert the purpose of the interaction class session discussing the issue of
avatar clothing and appearance in is challenging because men’s clothing occasion!
this world. There is a plethora of is diicult to ind in SL. One of the
ree clothing options available in SL, course instructors has served as a Real Problems of Virtual
but there are also virtual clothing personal shopper while she guided Experiences
stores that sell attire for Linden business men through stores that Virtual worlds enable students to
Dollars. A player may change the sell suits and other professional practice skills vital to businesses—
avatar’s appearance daily, or even work apparel for male avatars. communicating, critical thinking,
hourly, depending on personal Perhaps as the result of corporate navigating and evaluating resources,
preferences and the nature of an policies like IBM’s, SL participants to name a few. While the power of
event. Currently, my avatar has will increasingly seek assistance of play is motivating for some students
blue hair, multiple piercings, and an Info Island reference librarian (see for example, Squire 2005),
blood red rose tattoos that cover on how to match one’s visual impact not everyone prefers to learn in a
the upper portion of my arms. with the purpose, location, and visual manner, which is privileged
I am able to change any of these
features at any time with just the
click of my mouse. While players
in worlds like Revolution and Prospero’s
Island can select a diferent persona
rom the options that are available,
such as a shipwrecked stowaway on a
deserted island or a swashbuckling
sailor, they cannot alter the shade of
their avatar’s rusty brunette hair to
mousey-blonde tones. In addition to
my personal preferences, the norms
of a particular SL setting play a role
in determining what I will wear.
For example, some places require
avatars to be in semi-formal attire,
an outit I’d never wear on a white,
sandy beach while drinking a ruity
tropical drink. For me, learning
how to be part of the SL community
(what is acceptable and what is not)
oten comes through the visual cues
communicated by other players.
While this focus on appearances

may seem rivolous, corporations
are taking it quite seriously. IBM
(2007) has just distributed oicial
guidelines to their virtual world
employees regarding appropriate
avatar conduct. While not a
dress code per se, this document
emphasizes that employees should
be conscious of their avatar’s
appearance when meeting with
clients and conducting business
within SL. For male employees, this
in virtual worlds. Additionally, there to be willing to accept that in these Atlantis and Second Life students can
is a signiicant commitment by both complex and cognitively challenging customize the appearance of their
instructor and students; a teacher- spaces, “hard is not bad and easy is avatar and, because the content in SL
librarian wishing to introduce not good” (65). is created entirely by users, student-
students to a virtual experience players may build content or interact
should plan on prior instruction Conclusion with artifacts created by others. While
and hours of playing time before Virtual worlds enable students to visual learning is not for everyone,
students grasp the main concepts that learn through seeing, knowing, virtual worlds provide students
are introduced in the environment. and doing within visually rich and scafolded spaces that can support
Further, if students anticipate that mentally engaging spaces. Rather practical experimentation, critical
the virtual world will be game-like, than reading about events, such as thinking, and other information
they may expect the look and feel the bloody conlicts between the literacy skills, important qualities
of slick, commercial products—an colonists and the British soldiers, needed in today’s technology-focused
experience that is not always available students who navigate Williamsburg real world.
in education-themed spaces (see in the history-themed, role-playing
for example, Elliott et al. 2002). game Revolution become part of the Sharon Stoerger is a doctoral student in
In virtual worlds like SL, other events through the adoption of a the School of Library and Information Science
problems encountered by players pre-set persona. In more ictional at Indiana University, Bloomington. Her
may include banishment rom the constructs such as Prospero’s Island,
areas of interest include computer-mediated
world for violations of community students interact and collaborate
standards, encounters with “griefers” with Shakespearean characters and communication in learning environments and
(players who cause grief to others other players, as well as experience communities of practice. She has recently begun
in world through harassment), scenes as images mapped to text. to explore virtual worlds, their use in formal
and even the costs associated with Along with visual feedback that and informal educational settings, and the ways
inlation. At least initially, some guides the players’ activities and the visitors to the spaces communicate with each
learners may become overwhelmed development of visual skills, visual
other.
and rustrated with the virtual world, creativity can enrich the students’
but Gee (2003) argues that we need learning experiences. In both Quest
Works Cited Nature Journals Online (accessed 21 <www.itcon.org/data/works/att/2004_13

Barab, S. A., M. Thomas, T. Dodge, Aug. 2007). .content.04009.pdf> (accessed 8 May
R. Carteaux,and H. Tuzun. 2005. Herz, J. C. 2001. “Gaming the system: 2007).
“Making learning fun: Quest Atlantis, a What higher education can learn rom Squire, K. 2005. “Changing the game:
game without guns.” Educational Technology multiplayer online worlds.” Educause, What happens when video games enter
Research and Development 53, no. 1, 86–107. 169–91. <www.educause.edu/ir/library/ the classroom?” Innovate 1, no. 6. <www
EBSCO (accessed 27 Apr. 2007). pdf/fpiu019.pdf> (accessed 7 May .innovateonline.info/index.php?view
de Freitas, S. 2006. “Using games and 2007). =article&id=82> (accessed 8 May 2007).
simulations for supporting learning.” Horizon Report. 2007. The Horizon Report: Steinkuehler, C. A. 2004. “Learning in
Learning, Media and Technology 31, no. 4, 2007 Edition. A collaboration between massively multiplayer online games.”
343–58. The New Media Consortium and the In Y. B. Kafai, W. A. Sandoval, N.
Elliott, J., L. Adams, and A. Bruckman. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), Enyedy, A. S. Nixon & F. Herrera, eds..
2002. “No magic bullet: 3D video an EDUCAUSE program. <www.nmc Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference
games in education.” Proceedings of ICLS .org/pdf/2007_Horizon_Report.pdf> of the Learning Sciences: Embracing Diversity in the
2002 Seattle, WA. <www.cc.gatech. (accessed 20 Sept. 2007). Learning Sciences, 521–28. Manwah, N.J.:
edu/~asb/papers/aquamoose-icls02 IBM Research. 2007. “IBM virtual world Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. <http://
.pdf> (accessed 20 Sept. 2007). guidelines.”<http://domino.research website
.ibm.com/comm/research_projects.nsf/ .education.wisc.edu/steinkuehler/
Gee, J. P. 2003. What video games have to teach papers/SteinkuehlerICLS2004.pdf>
us about learning and literacy. New York: pages/virtualworlds.
IBMVirtualWorldGuidelines.html> (accessed 20 Sept. 2007).
Palgrave/St. Martin’s.
(accessed 21 Aug. 2007). Van, J. 2007. “Training for the poor
Green, C. S., and D. Bavelier. 2003. moves into computer age.” The Chicago
“Action video game modiies visual Kalay, Y. E. 2004. “Virtual learning
environments.” Journal of Information Tribune, 12 Aug, 5.1, 5.4.
selective attention.” Nature 423, 534–37.
Technology in Construction, 9, 195–207.
The A m eric a n A ssoc i at ion of S cho ol L ibr ar i ans
(AASL)
would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge
the organizations that generously contributed

to the success of the Association.
AASL gratefully acknowledges the contributions
and support of the following sponsors.
2006-2007 | Gold Alliance Members | $20,000 – $49,999
2006-2007 | Silver Alliance Members | $10,000 – $19,999
LIBRARY LEARNING RESOURCES

2006-2007 | Bronze Alliance Members | $5,000 – $9,999
The AASL Alliance is the Amercian Association of School Librarians’ sponsorship recognition program.
PBS teaching and
learning resources
Focus on Visual
PBS Teachers Staff
<www.pbs.org/teachers>
LITERACY
The following PBS resources enable teachers and students to explore the concept of visual literacy. They are
designed to help students develop composition and communication skills and think critically and creatively in a
visually saturated world.
American Masters—Through the American Photography: A Century understand their impact. The Digital
Lens of Robert Capa of Images Truth and Persuasion features
<www.pbs.org/wnet/ <www.pbs.org/ktca/ also provide relevant background
americanmasters/education/ americanphotography> information for students.
lesson27_overview.html> Resource Types: Lesson Plan,
Resource Type: Lesson Plan Interactive/Online Activities Art in the Twenty-first Century
Grade Range: 9–12 Grade Range: 9–12 <www.pbs.org/art21/education/
In this lesson, students use guided The Manipulating Photographs teachingmaterials/index.html>
reading techniques to learn about lesson plan on this site is designed to Resource Type: Lesson Plans,
Capa’s style and to discover the help students understand the power Educators’ Guides, Slide Sets
techniques that made him a great of photography, appreciate the role Grade Range: 9–12
photographer. Students also learn the of ethics in photojournalism, and The educational resources on this site
basics of telling compelling stories become informed consumers of have been developed to familiarize
through photos. In the culminating news photography. The Image Lab teachers and students with the work
activity, each student creates a photo interactive provides opportunities of living artists, to provoke critical
essay telling a story that has personal to experiment with image cropping thinking and problem-solving, to
signiicance. and digital manipulation to better present creative role models, to
bridge diverse subject areas, and to FRONTLINE—The Merchants of women, and what was considered
inspire new ways of teaching and Cool attractive during various eras.
learning through the study and <www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/rontline/
appreciation of contemporary art. teach/cool> Independent Lens: Sisters of
Sample lesson plans that incorporate Resource Type: Oline Activities/ ‘77—Women in the Media
visual literacy include: Projects, Online Video <www.pbs.org/independentlens/
Grade Range: 9–16 sistersof77/edu_2.html>
●฀ Mediating Media <www.pbs.org/ Through these activities, students Resource Type: Lesson Plan
art21/education/technology/ explore, analyze, and evaluate the Grade Range: 9–12
lesson2.html> many aspects of media marketing In this lesson, students explore
●฀ Converging Media <www.pbs targeted speciically at American how women and girls are portrayed
.org/art21/education/labor/ teens. Activities include holding a and the degree to which females are
lesson3.html> “no logo” day at school, creating a underrepresented in the mass media.
●฀ Conronting Conlict <www.pbs branding campaign, and analyzing They analyze the covers of magazines
.org/art21/education/war/ an ad or music video. The teachers that are popular with teenage girls
lesson3.html> guide also includes tips for teaching and write paragraphs describing
●฀ War on Film <www.pbs.org/ media literacy. Students and teachers their reactions to the images and
art21/education/war/lesson2 can watch the full program online the misrepresentation of girls in the
.html> <www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/rontline/ media. Students also learn about the
shows/cool/view> . 1977 National Women’s Conference
Arthur: Arthur’s Guide to
and the ight to pass the Equal Rights
Media Literacy Global Connections: The Amendment.
<http://pbskids.org/arthur/ Middle East— Stereotypes:
parentsteachers/lesson/medialiteracy/ More Than Meets the Eye NewsHour Extra—Analyzing
index.html> <www.pbs.org/wgbh/ Election Cartoons
Resource Type: Teacher’s Guide globalconnections/mideast/ <www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
Grade Range: K–2 educators/types/lesson1.html> teachers/lessonplans/socialstudies/
This teacher’s guide contains nine Resource Type: Lesson Plan Vote2004/political_cartoons.html>
media literacy lesson plans that Grade Range: 9–12 Resource Type: Lesson Plan
discuss topics such as the power In this lesson, students think Grade Range: 9–12
that advertising has on purchasing, critically about images and media In this lesson, students identify
how a picture caption can afect the that portray the Middle East and its symbols and caricature in political
meaning of a message, how the media inhabitants, make determinations cartoons and analyze how they
afects feelings toward body image about the impact of the images on portray a message, opinion or
and gender stereotypes, and the their perceptions, and consider ways point of view. They examine how
marketing efects of a simple logo. to overcome these stereotypes. political cartoons convey information
diferently than editorials and
Don’t Buy It In the Mix—Self-Image: The Reality, interpret a variety of political
<http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit> The Fantasy cartoons. Students then create and
Resource Type: Online Interactives, <www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/ present original political cartoons
Teacher’s Guide fant_real.html> relecting current events topics.
Grade Range: 3–5 Resource Type: Lesson Plan
This Web site ofers both a teacher’s Grade Range: 7–12 PBS Parents Guide to Creativity
guide and online interactives that In this lesson, students explore and <www.pbs.org/parents/creativity/
allow students to explore topics discuss magazine ads with images of index.html>
including food advertising tricks, models that send messages to teens Resource Type: Online Interactives
cereal box designs, cover model about how they should look. They Grade Range: PreK–2
secrets, and the format and structure then create a timeline of changing This Web site provides young
of print ads. body types, for both men and Continued on p. 68
MEET THE
author/illustrator
On Writing
(And Reading), the
GRAPHIC NOVEL
Stefan Petrucha
timetripper@petrucha.com
“Now kids don’t have to read them,” Being fortunate enough to also
the gentleman said as he squinted write novels (Teen, Inc. rom Walker
at the covers of my award-winning Books and, with co-author Thomas
Nancy Drew Graphic Novels at last Pendleton, the Wicked Dead series
year’s BookExpo of America. rom HarperCollins), I like to
believe I’m relatively aware of the
As someone whose been writing distinctions and similarities between
graphic novels since they were called the forms. The basic goal of both
comic books, I found his comment is the same—to convince the reader
disturbing, but not uncommon. they’re not looking at words or lines
Despite the growth in awareness, and drawn by an artist, but at something
the ot-acknowledged boon comics imaginatively alive.
provide educators striving to get kids to
read, some folks still don’t “get” them. Graphic novels accomplish that
through words and pictures
(panels). Obviously the words
have to be read, but, less
obviously, so do the pictures.
Just as a sentence creates a
complete thought, a sequence So, yes, I write comics, which
of panels creates a complete leaves some surprised to learn that
movement through time and I don’t also draw the pictures. The
space. It follows a grammar working process for Nancy Drew
similar to that of a shot goes something like this—I come up
breakdown in ilm or TV. with an intriguing and delightful plot
true to the original girl detective’s
character yet geared for today’s
reader, which is submitted to my
editor.
Once approved, I write what’s called

a full script, which is akin to a ilm
script, only the pictures don’t move.
Each picture (panel) is described,
and all the dialogue written. For
Nancy Drew, a maximum of three
to four panels a page works best.
Dialogue and captions are kept
brief to allow maximum space for
the images. The full script is again
eagerly read by my editor, and passed
into the talented hands of artist
Sho Murase. Collectors have been
disappointed to discover there is no
actual art to be had—all Sho’s work is
done on computer.
One would think that, in a

collaborative medium, what I see
on the inal page would wind up
diferent rom what I originally
pictured. Throughout my career
though, I’ve been impressed with how
a truly good artist, such as Sho, will
deliver exactly what I’m looking for,
only more so. The pleasant surprises
have always been about how much
more the artist brings to the story.
When I irst started out, fearful I

wouldn’t get what I needed rom
an artist, I’d write very detailed
panel descriptions. I’ve since
discovered that a better goal is to
keep the descriptions accurate, but
minimal, to more easily engage their and the words, no? At least a communicating a low of thoughts.
artistic sensibilities. These days, for thousand words can be written about It’s less eicient when dealing with
instance, I try to imply things like the Mona Lisa’s smile, but how many something like fast action. To use
angle of the image. I igure if I ask pictures can you get out of any given a garish example, an explosion,
for a trembling, sweaty hand on an poem by Emily Dickinson? Even so, no matter how well written, will
icy glass of water, I’m going to get a the various forms—prose, ilm, TV, always make more of an immediate
close-up. and comics—each have their strengths impression in ilm. A drawing of an
and weaknesses. explosion would come second, but a
They say a picture’s worth a thousand verbal description last.
words, but it depends on the picture Prose, I believe, is best at
also plays to the medium’s strength,
which lies in its combination of
words and pictures. Graphic novel
readers exercise both their verbal and
visual imaginations simultaneously,
creating, in their mind, all the
sound and movement, for a uniquely
intimate experience that sits
somewhere between ilm and prose.
Part of the trick is to make sure that

the words and pictures work together
to produce that experience but don’t
duplicate each other’s eforts by
providing the same information. It’s
a standard rule in comic writing that
one shouldn’t, for instance, show
a picture of a car pulling out of a
driveway with a caption reading “The
car pulled out of the driveway,” and
a character saying, “Look, a car is
Another advantage ilm has is that So, in dialogue sequences, I always pulling out of the driveway.”
an actor can say “the” a million try to have the characters doing while
diferent ways. Dialogue can be made they chat, rom the overt, like setting As with every art form, though, rules
fascinating by the talents of those the fuse on a bomb, to the sublime, are made to be broken. In scripting
performing it. In comics, what you like tearing up the last letter rom an adaptation of the epic poem
read—the words—is what you get. an ex-boyriend, to the small, like Beowulf for Harper Collins, with art
Aside rom the aforementioned licking some ice cream of a straw (as by Kody Chamberlain, I broke that
need to be brief, it can be downright pictured to the let). rule a few times. Why? Well, poetry,
tedious to have page ater page of by nature, communicates various
characters talking to each other. This not only keeps things moving, it levels of meaning, so I felt there were
times, (as pictured to the right),
where having the surface meaning
explicit in the images would make it
easier for the reader to focus on the
more poetic meaning in the words,
making the result, I hope, truer to
the original.
So yes, graphic novels are there to be

read. Is it the same as reading prose?
No. Better? Worse? For my money, it
depends entirely on the graphic novel
or the prose. As for Nancy Drew and
Beowulf (cover and spread shown
right), I prefer to think that rather
than people not having to read them,
now more people can.
A writer of novels and comic books for well over

two decades, Stefan Petrucha currently
scripts the exciting Nancy Drew graphic novels
(Papercutz), the first comic book adventures
of the iconic girl detective. His all-original
stories for the series won a Benjamin Franklin
Award for best graphic novel and have sold over
a quarter million copies worldwide. He lives in
western Massachussetts with his two daughters,
Maia and Margo (both of whom he hopes are
reading his Nancy Drew graphic novels), and
his wife and fellow writer, Sarah. His latest
novel is Teen, Inc., from Walker Books for
Young Readers, which has received a starred
review from School Library Journal and has
been optioned for development as a television
series. You can visit Stefan Petrucha on the
Internet at <www.petrucha.com> .
My Journey as
a READER
Home Run
Tatiana Cevallos
Editor: Stephen Krashen
RESEARCH
Homerun Research includes case histories. Oten Cevallos, and can conirm that her spoken English is
criticized as “unscientiic,” in my view case histories can extraordinary, as is her written English, demonstrated
be very scientiic and valuable. Quite oten, when we in this article. It is hard to believe that she came to the
see high levels of language and literacy development, United States as an adult.
reading is the only likely source. The writer of this It must be pointed out that Ms. Cevallos had an
case history, Tatiana Cevallos, credits self-selected advantage many young people lack: Easy access to
reading with her improvement as a student in her reading material. If all children had access to reading,
native Ecuador, and also gives reading much of the this kind of case history would, I think, be the rule and
credit for her competence in English. I have met Ms. not the exception. – Stephen Krashen, Column Editor
M y journey as a reader evolved
rom a poor reader who did
not like to read in elementary school
my culture.
Ater high school I spent a year

minutes per page. Through reading I
discovered the world of professional
journals, research, and theory on
into an avid trilingual reader in in Quebec as a student. I learned language acquisition and bilingual
graduate school. Once I discovered French and acquired the language education. Reading helped improve
the joy of reading, each language in fairly quickly by reading one or two both my spoken and written English.
which I read had its own purpose and books a month. My ability to speak
emotional connection. French improved and became more I am now an avid and passionate
stable through reading. I developed reader who enjoys reading books in
I grew up in Ecuador and I started and expanded my vocabulary, syntax, their original language. Not too long
irst grade excited to learn to read. and spelling in French. I enjoyed ago I read a book by Laura Restrepo
But I got discouraged because the reading French Canadian and French translated into English. What a
class wouldn’t move fast enough rom literature and discovering the culture disappointment! While the plot was
learning syllables in letters that I had and people through books. This was interesting and included elements of
already mastered. In second grade the irst time I requented libraries magic realism, the English version
I remember being uncomfortable and book stores. did not carry the richness and melody
during round robin reading because that Spanish words have in my heart.
I had no luency. By sixth grade I Once in college, I read textbooks
was embarrassed when I had to read and started interacting with books by For the most part, English has
aloud during Novenas because younger highlighting and taking notes in the remained the language in which I
children would read better than I margins. Never before had I dared to continue my professional reading. I
did. I had a lot of books available at write in a book. This time, however, read iction to practice French now
home, but reading was hard and I was the books were for my personal use, that I don’t use it every day. Spanish
not interested in it. and I reduced the amount of notes remains my language for pleasure
I took in class and relied more on reading and for reading anything
In high school I discovered “magic my readings. For my thesis I read faster.
realism,” a literary genre in which books and articles in English, which
ordinary events are illed with improved my academic English Tatiana Cevallos is an Assistant Proffessor
fantastic, magical elements and my and gave me a foundation for what of Education at George Fox Univeristy,
life as a reader changed drastically. would later become my ield of
Newberg, Oregon, and is a doctoral student at
I immersed myself in literature. I graduate studies. English became my
Portland State University.
enjoyed reading books by Gabriel professional language.
Garcia Marquez and other Latin
American writers who portrayed I came to Oregon for graduate Column editor Stephen Krashen is
the culture and richness of my school, and all the reading I did an Emeritus Professor of Education at the
surroundings. The stories were was in English and school-related. University of Southern California., Los Angeles,
interesting, colorful, and full of I started reading textbooks at a rate CA.
life. I read a lot and developed good of ten minutes per page, and ater
spelling. I also developed a love for two years I read at an average of ive
Social
RESPONSIBILITY
Join the
Copyright Compliance
Rebecca P. Butler, Ph.D.
rbutler@niu.edu
TEAM
I n the 12+ years that I have been
teaching copyright to educators,
one of the concerns I hear most
and addressing the issue. While an
educator may ind it easy to correct a
student who inringes, correcting a
educator’s cavalier attitude toward
the legal implications. So how can
the administration, the school library
oten is, “I don’t want to become the fellow teacher or administrator can media specialist, and other interested
copyright police in my school.” The be an uncomfortable place indeed. educators work together to create a
concern is valid. School librarians Therefore this article focuses on copyright-compliant school?
are oten the only educators in the how those interested educators can
school with copyright training and, work together to build whole-school It is likely that the school librarian,
by default, are perceived of as the awareness of copyright laws and or another faculty member, rather
copyright experts. Likewise, the buck develop a working compliance. than an administrator, will become
stops with the head administrator; aware of an inringement. Let’s
ultimately that person is accountable Sometimes educators think that being suppose that a school librarian
for the school’s compliance with in a nonproit, educational setting watches a sophomore social studies
policies and laws, including exempts them rom complying with teacher come into the library, open a
copyright laws and fair use. Along copyright laws, especially if they can sample workbook that a vendor had
with this, more and more faculty, rationalize that the school or school dropped of in the library a few weeks
whether technology coordinators district has little money and needs ago, and lines up all thirty students
or interested others, are becoming the materials. Plus, inringing on in her class in ront of the copy
aware of, and sometimes making a copyright law is easy to do. The machine. She instructs each student
study of, copyright as it pertains to equipment and supplies needed to to copy the same activity out of the
their professional responsibilities. copy print, videos, audio, computer workbook. When the school librarian
Along with all these perceptions and sotware—you name it—are oten approaches the teacher and asks
interests comes the responsibility of already in our schools. The ease her, in a non-threatening manner,
knowing when faculty, colleagues and of duplication on a copy machine, what she is doing, she answers that
students are copying or borrowing a VCR, a computer, a cell phone, there is a great activity in the sample
materials in an inringing manner or an iPod oten contributes to an workbook, and the cheapest and
she may feel more like she has tattled, Corporation; School District
quickest way to get it to her class is
89).
to have each student make his or rather than attempting to instill
her own copy. That way, the teacher ethical behavior. In any case, faculty ●฀ Suggest alternative ideas to the
reasons, copyright law is not violated. relationships are damaged and legal once-a-week class copying, such
compliance is at risk. So what should as:
Section 108 of the copyright law does be done? ❍฀ Jointly writing a grant to
say that within certain parameters purchase copies of the
single copies of library items can be Well, there are several steps that workbook for the class;
made by individuals (U.S. Copyright Law might be taken to create and preserve ❍฀ Using class fees, if available,
1976). But the teacher continues, a copyright-compliant school. First to purchase copies of the
“This workbook is perfect! I of all, a school administrator who workbook;
am going to have my class make believes in and supports copyright- ❍฀ Locating a set of similar
individual copies of each activity in compliance is essential. If this activities for her class to use
the workbook—one each week for the person is on board, then a good that are either in the public
whole semester. That way we don’t next step is copyright compliance domain or for which you can
have to spend the money for each training, ideally ofered to the entire obtain a license; or
student to get the workbook, and we administration, faculty, and staf. ❍฀ Asking a local business or the
get to use all these great activities!” Once educators have been trained to PTO if they would be willing to
recognize an inringement and also sponsor the purchase of a class
The librarian knows that a workbook how to work within copyright law set of the workbooks (Butler
is a consumable. While it might to obtain what they need, much of 2007).
be acceptable to copy one activity the trauma of seeing or creating an
rom the workbook for a one-time inringement is absent. Putting aside
immediate need, to reproduce the ideal situation, let’s look back to If the teacher is unwilling to work
multiple copies of the whole book the scenario above: with you on this issue, and insists
over the course of the semester could on copying the workbook, activity by
be considered an inringing use, Here are a few suggestions that activity, week by week, you might, in
one reason being that it represents may work for the copyright- addition to the above:
a inancial loss to the publisher. At compliant educator in the case of the
this point the library media specialist enthusiastic social studies teacher: ●฀ Ask for guidance rom your
faces a dilemma. How is she going to administrator or union
convey copyright information to the ●฀ Talk to the teacher in a calm, representative (if you belong to
teacher without ofending her? No non-threatening manner. such an organization).
matter how nonjudgmental this is ●฀ Tell her that you “think” ●฀ Document the inringement.
stated, the teacher may interpret this such use might be a copyright (You can do this privately;
to mean that the librarian does not inringement. Add that there no one else needs to know.)
have the best interests of the school may be a legal way to obtain what That way, should legal action
and students at heart. she wants. occur, you have a record that
you did recognize copyright
●฀ Show her that many schools
inringements were taking place,
Frankly, at this point, it may be too in their district code of ethics
and that you tried to ind another
late for a positive outcome. Without or acceptable use policies have
way for the inringer to get the
whole-school awareness of copyright copyright policies and procedures
material that she wanted.
laws and the guarantee of support to address student and faculty
use. Even when these discuss ●฀ Brainstorm alternatives with
rom the school administration
student use, such statements other librarians, administrators,
before a violation occurs, this school and educators.
insinuate that the policies and
librarian might decide to ignore the
procedures should be modeled by ●฀ Educate your community:
violation. If the librarian conronts school faculty as well (Columbus
the teacher, the teacher may become Public School District; Des ❍฀ Knowledgeable students or
angry or defensiveness. If the school Moines Public Schools; Monroe other teachers may inform the
librarian turns to the administration, County Community School teacher that she is inringing,
which may stop such actions
without you having to approach Whatever happens, be assertive, not copyright police.
her at all. aggressive; calm, not emotional.
❍฀ Encourage those who copy to Recognize that you may be in one of Rebecca P. Butler is an Associate Professor
come to one of the school’s those situations where the answer in school library media and instructional
identiied copyright “experts” is diicult to ind. Do the best that technology at Northern Illinois University,
for advice on the proper way to you can, and then let it go. Be the
borrow materials. DeKalb.
copyright resource, instead of the
Works Cited columbus.k12.oh.us/staup_revised.pdf> Community School Corporation <www.

(accessed Feb. 13, 2008). mccsc.edu/policy.html> (accessed Feb.
Butler, R. P. ETT 542T Class Discussion. Des Moines Public Schools. Student 13, 2008).
24 July 2007. DeKalb, IL: Northern Acceptable Use Policy <www School District 89. Code of Ethics, n.d.
Illinois .dmps.k12.ia.us/schooldir/stpolicy.htm> Maywood, IL.
University. (accessed Feb. 13, 2008). U.S. Copyright Law. 1976. Public Law Sec. 108,
Columbus Public School District. Student Monroe County Community School 94–553.
Acceptable Use Regulation <www. Corporation. Monroe County
Continued from PBS, p. 59
children the chance to create Projects Resource Type: Lesson Plan

art online through interactive Grade Range: 6–12 Grade Range: 9–16
experiences. Children have the These activity suggestions are This lesson introduces the concept
opportunity to explore color designed to help students develop of visual literacy and provides
and symmetry through a virtual both media and visual literacy opportunities to develop skills that
kaleidoscope; the relationship skills. Speciic activities encourage can lead to a better understanding
between foreground and background students to analyze the use of of the media in general. Students
in a Matisse-inspired shape activity; visual arts and design elements in become familiar with the criteria
line, shape, and space in an abstract advertising, political cartoons, and used to analyze a still image and
mural; and the code of facial photojournalism. Activities listed apply visual literacy skills to create
expressions in an activity using under other subject areas may also be photographic images and analyze
emoticons. useful. photographs and other media.
PBS Teachers: Media Literacy—The Reporting America at War—The

Arts Power of Pictures
<www.pbs.org/teachers/media_lit/ <www.pbs.org/weta/
getting_started.html> reportingamericaatwar/teachers/
Resource Type: Oline Activities/ pictures.html>
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
ABDO Books cover 2 Follett Acknowledgement 33
ALSC cover 3 RocketBook 23
Bound to Stay Bound Books cover 4 Sponsor Acknowledgement 56
Fall Forum 1
Statement of Ownership and Management

Knowledge Quest, Publication No. 483-860, is published ive times per year by the American Association of School Librarians,
American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611-2795. The editor is Debbie Abilock, Consultant/
Co-Founder, Noodle Tools, Inc., P.O. Box 60214, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Annual subscription price, $40. Printed in
U.S.A. with periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois, and at additional mailing oices. As a nonproit organization
authorized to mail at special rates (DMM Section 424.12 only), the purpose, function, and nonproit status of this
organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceeding twelve months.
Extent and Nature of Circulation

(“Average” igures denote the average number of copies printed each issue during the preceding twelve months; “actual”
igures denote actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to iling date: May/June 2007 issue.) Total number
of copies printed: average, 9,562; actual, 9,183. Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors and counter sales: average, 200; actual, 197. Mail
subscription: average, 8,939; actual, 8,596. Free distribution: average, 175; actual, 177. Total distribution: average, 9,314; actual, 8,970. Oice
use, letover, unaccounted, spoiled ater printing: average, 248; actual, 213. Total: average, 9,562; actual, 9,183. Percentage paid: average, 98.12;
actual, 98.03.
Statement of Ownership Management and Circulation (PS form 3526, Sept. 2007) for 2007 iled with the United States
Post Oice Postmasters in Chicago, October 1, 2007.
KQWEB CONNECTIONS
Visual Literacy
LEARNING TO LOOK AND LOOKING TO LEARN:
VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES AT THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM
“With the art and design of the picture book at the center of its program development, The Eric Carle
Museum has forged strong connections between visual and verbal literacy. Programs that explore and
expand on the traditional uses of the picture book are featured in the Museum’s Galleries, Reading
Library, and Art Studio. Teaching children to compose, consume, communicate, and think critically in a
visually saturated world begins at an early age. What better place to begin than with the art and design of
the picture book.”
—Rosemary Agoglia, Curator
WEB FEATURES
●฀ Using Documentary Photography Books with Reluctant Readers in the

High School Library—Patricia Sarles
●฀฀ Collaborating Outside the Box—Cassandra Barnett
●฀฀ Teaching Visual Literacy: Graphic Novels and Critical Theory
—Gretchen Schwarz
●฀฀ A Visual Literacy Lesson for Art and Design—Theron Lund and Rob Poole
●฀฀ Resource Description and Access: The New Way to Say AACR2
—Tom Adamich
●฀฀ Cataloging 101 : What’s It All Abput—Sandra Q. Williams
●฀฀ Series Sense: Why Kids Don’t have Series Book—Amy Goldsmith
●฀฀ Professional Pages Reviews
●฀฀ The Roaring Twenties Reference Library: A guide to the Twenties for
People Under Twenty—reviewed by Willow Dressel
SPOTLIGHT ON CATALOGING
Need a course? Need a reresher? Need some tips? Want to update your
cataloging knowledge to 21st century standards? Check out the columns
and articles available through Knowledge Quest and KQWeb. A new KQWeb
resource groups all Cataloging articles, columns and reviews in one
location.
Marilyn McCrosky and Michelle R. Turvey present a series on CIP:

Cataloging in Publication. Sandra Q. Williams ofers Cataloging 101 as an
introduction to cataloging or as a means to update cataloging practices.
Tom Adamich’s CE-MARC (Curriculum Enhanced MARC) articles
outline use of cataloging to support curriculum. The columns present
new elements of cataloging: Metadata, FRBR, and RDA. Selected book
reviews in Professional Pages focus on cataloging issues.
Check out the KQ Cataloging Resources at <www.ala.org/ala/aasl/

Gayle Bogel aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqarchives/volume36/363/catalogingindex
KQWeb Editor .cfm> .
—Carolyn Karis, Associate Editor for Resources
AASL
2008 ELECTION
AASL President-Elect/
President Statements
Cassandra Barnet Sylvia K. Norton
I see three challenges for School libraries make a

our association. First, diference, yet it takes
we must recruit new leadership and advocacy to
members, encourage have library media centers
full participation, and that are rich in resources
demonstrate how they with programs stafed and
get a fair return on their taught by certiied library
investment of time and money. We can accomplish this media specialists. Involvement in our association
by providing guidance in the use of the new learning allows us to grow professionally and leads to better
standards and forthcoming guidelines, increasing understanding of the library media specialist role by our
our presence at state and regional conferences, and education and library colleagues. Throughout my career
continuing to provide quality professional development I have actively participated in my state, regional, and
that is easily accessible. Second, we must mentor newer national professional associations because that work can
members of the association and encourage them to move develop leadership and create advocacy for school library
into leadership positions. By proactively recruiting newer programs, which ultimately beneits students and their
members to participate in committee work and AASL teachers. All AASL members must be willing to carry the
sponsored professional development, we guarantee a pool message and clearly demonstrate the value of teaching and
of qualiied members ready to step into leadership roles. learning with a library media specialist in school library
Finally, we must efectively advocate for the role of the programs. We work together in AASL so library media
school library media program and library professionals specialists and efective school library programs can make
in the larger educational community through their a positive and sustained diference in the lives of our
journals and conferences. If elected, I will work hard to students and teachers.
accomplish these goals.
For additional information on these and other candidates, visit <www.ala.org/aasl/elections> .

About the Cover
While my students are primarily and doodles. These are all united
instructed in the technical aspects into a montage by color and texture
of digital photography and much supplied rom scanned brush strokes
of the work they produce is strictly and paint splatters.
photographic, some of the more
visually compelling and creative More examples of student work can
work produced comes rom their be found in online galleries at <www
work in digital photomontage. I have .hoover.k12.al.us/sphs/VisualArts/
This untitled image is a portion found that assignments that have EMyers/index.html> and on a daily
of a larger collage that is the work the students combine images, text, student photography blog <http://
of senior art student Eric Jones. and texture are the best method for sphsdigital2.blogspot.com>
The digital photomontage is a teaching the language of art elements
combination of photographic images, and principles of design. Computer Erik Myers
scanned writings, drawings, and applications greatly facilitate the Digital Photography I & II
brush strokes. The work was done artist’s ability to combine images Art Department Chair
in response to an assignment loosely onto a single canvas, allowing for Spain Park High School
based on the artwork of Robert a wide variety of compositions and Hoover, Al 35242
Rauschenberg. This assignment interpretations. emyers@hoover.h12.al.us
comes at the end of the year for my
irst year digital photography students Eric’s image relects his world view
and is hopefully the culmination of as a high school student. It includes
their initial education into twenty- altered photographs of his riends,
irst century visual literacy. notes rom his school assignments,
Trail Blaze your Path to Library Success Registration:
$350 Early Bird ALSC Members
(through 6/30/08)*
Professional Development
$385 ALSC Members
(7/1/08—8/20/08)*
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with a $310 Students
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Youth Services Focus Not an ALSC member?

Join ALSC now to save on
registration fees!
Registration includes: Institute
materials, Thursday dinner, Friday
Association for Library Service to Children breakfast, lunch, evening reception, and
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2008 National Institute * All registration deadlines refer to date
of postmark or fax
September 18-20, 2008
Hilton Salt Lake City Center SPECIAL HOTEL RATES!

A special hotel block has
Salt Lake City, UT been secured at the
Hilton Salt Lake City Center
$149 Single/Double; $164 Triple;
$179 Quad
The Institute will feature three exciting tracks that will repeat on
Thursday and Friday so that attendees may take Reservations can be made by calling
advantage of two of the three tracks: the Hilton at:
1-877-776-4936
and requesting a reservation for the
Technology in Children’s Services “Association for Library
Programming in the New Millennium Service to Children” or “ALSC”
Inspiring Lifelong Reading with the Best of the Best in group.
Children’s Books and a Special Focus on ‘Tweens and Reading A link to the Hilton’s on-line
reservations is available on the
Attendees will also attend their choice of one of three Saturday morning workshops. ALSC Institute Web site.
The Thursday opening general session and dinner will feature a keynote from a promi- The reservation deadline for
nent author and/or illustrator. Friday will include a luncheon with a keynote speech as hotel rooms is Wednesday,
well as an evening reception featuring local authors. All educational August 20, 2008.
programs will be held at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center.
Group rate will apply two days prior/post
The first ever “Breakfast for Bill,” featuring a panel of children’s book creators, will be Institute for those who wish to take personal
time to explore Utah’s delights.
held on Friday morning. The breakfast will honor the memory of Bill Morris, a long time
ALSC member, recipient of the first ALSC Distinguished Service Award, and an advocate
for children’s librarians and literature.
For additional information or to
Additionally, ample time will be scheduled for networking with colleagues and register, visit ALSC’s Web site at:
meeting new contacts. A mentoring program prior to and during the Institute will help www.ala.org/alsc
connect seasoned professionals with those new to the profession. or call
(800) 545-2433, ext. 2163
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K N OW L E DGE

Journal of the American Association of School Librarians

Each word highlighted in color as the

Audio of narrator reading the book for

Story can play automatically or be

Word balloons highlighted in proper

Easy one-click access to backmatter,

Assessment Part II Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort,

Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for

Receive instruction from the experts:

School Library Media Research, AASL’s

60 CBC Column 66 Social Responsibility

“A student playing Revolution becomes Catherine Grimes, writing

Visual Information Literacy: and prior knowledge. Eventually I add background

Just as reader response theory (Rosenblatt 1994)

Collaborating with Faculty

Table 1. Perspectives Chart: What do I bring to visual information literacy?

Personal Intuition, subjective responses

Moral, ethical Belief system, code of behavior

Historical, political, economic, social Knowledge of a time, place, government, society

Cultural Knowledge of a group’s shared way of life

Aesthetic Appreciation and critical analysis of beauty, art

Critical Analysis of society and human nature

Metaphoric Understanding of icons, symbols

But, even when photographs are unretouched, there is an

Kammen, Michael. 2006. Visual Shock; A History of Art Controversies in

Supporting Visual Literacy in

The project grows

So what have the students

New Thomas Dale High School built 1942

●฀ We grew into a small country

Joel Shoemaker, Elizabeth Schau, and Rachael Ayers

• How does learning about

• Discover new forms of

Continued from Lehman, p. 27

would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge

Follett Library Resources Inc.

Seventh Grade Students and

Next students photographed their

Pictures of my family and friends

response to a toy. 9:30-10:00 Shubert Theatre

10:00-10:15 Walk Across the

During the second year, we decided 10:15-10:45 NH City Hall

to add another practical application 10:45-11:00 Walk to Court House

11:00-11:45 Board Bus and Travel to Wooster Street

the visual messages found in the 1:00-1:30 Beineke Library

center of an urban community. We 1:30-2:00 Grove Street Cemetery

2:00-2:30 Board Bus and return to

and investigating places that would

Ezra Jack Keats

REINVENTING THE BOOK CLUB

Graphic Novels as Educational Heavyweights

based solely on a review. Just one treatment in the library as prose

While this focus on appearances

Works Cited Nature Journals Online (accessed 21 <www.itcon.org/data/works/att/2004_13

the organizations that generously contributed

2006-2007 | Gold Alliance Members | $20,000 – $49,999

2006-2007 | Silver Alliance Members | $10,000 – $19,999

LIBRARY LEARNING RESOURCES

Once approved, I write what’s called

One would think that, in a

When I irst started out, fearful I