Lesson 5: Create a Comic Strip

Design a simple comic strip with 4-6 panels, including dialogue between characters.

• Materials: Paper, colored pencils
• Focus: Dialogue, question forms, expressions
• Example characters: Friends meeting at school, family discussing weekend plans
• Extension: Rewrite the dialogue using different vocabulary or expression

Lesson 5: Create a Comic Strip

Overview

This creative lesson helps you develop your English dialogue writing skills by creating a simple comic strip with characters interacting. By designing and writing your own comic, you’ll practice using questions, answers, exclamations, and everyday expressions while having fun with visual storytelling.

Learning Objectives

• Write realistic dialogue between characters
• Practice forming different types of questions
• Use common expressions and slang appropriately
• Express emotions through language and punctuation
• Create a logical sequence of events with a beginning, middle, and end

Materials Needed

• White paper or blank notebook pages
• Pencil and eraser
• Colored pencils, markers, or crayons (optional)
• Ruler (to create panel borders)
• Dictionary or online translation tool
• Optional: Comic strip templates (can be found online and printed)
• Optional: Digital drawing app or comic creation app

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Think about the type of comic strip you want to create:
   • Everyday situation (friends meeting, family dinner, shopping)
   • School scenario (classroom, playground, cafeteria)
   • Fantasy or adventure scenario
   • Humorous situation or joke
2. Create a dialogue reference page with these categories:
   • Question types:
     • Yes/No questions: “Do you like pizza?”
     • Wh- questions: “What time is it?” “Where are you going?”
     • Tag questions: “It’s cold today, isn’t it?”
   • Expressions for different emotions:
     • Surprise: “Wow!” “Really?” “No way!”
     • Happiness: “Great!” “Awesome!” “That’s fantastic!”
     • Disappointment: “Oh no!” “That’s too bad.” “What a shame!”
     • Confusion: “Huh?” “I don’t get it.” “What do you mean?”
   • Dialogue indicators:
     • Speech bubbles (regular conversation)
     • Thought bubbles (inner thoughts)
     • Jagged bubbles (loud sounds, yelling)
     • Caption boxes (narrator or setting information)

Comic Strip Creation Activity (45 minutes)

Part 1: Planning (15 minutes)

1. Decide on your characters (2-3 is ideal for beginners):
   • Who are they? (names, ages, relationship)
   • What do they look like? (simple features to draw easily)
   • What are their personalities? (shy, funny, serious)
2. Plan your mini-story:
   • Setting: Where does it take place?
   • Situation: What is happening?
   • Problem or question: What needs to be resolved?
   • Resolution: How does it end?
3. Sketch a rough outline for 4-6 panels:
   • Panel 1: Introduction of characters/setting
   • Panels 2-3: Development of situation
   • Panels 4-5: Climax or punchline
   • Panel 6: Resolution (optional)

Part 2: Creating the Comic (30 minutes)

1. Draw the panel borders on your paper
2. Sketch your characters and simple backgrounds in each panel
3. Add speech bubbles where your characters will talk
4. Write the dialogue in the speech bubbles:
   • Keep sentences short and conversational
   • Include at least one question and answer
   • Use at least two different expressions
   • Make sure the dialogue flows naturally from panel to panel
5. Color your comic (optional)
6. Add a title at the top of your comic strip

Example Comic Strip Dialogue

Different Comic Strip Scenarios

Here are some simple scenarios you could develop:

1. At a Restaurant: Ordering food, special requests, mix-ups
2. Making Plans: Friends deciding what to do on the weekend
3. Shopping: Looking for a specific item, asking for help, trying on clothes
4. First Day at School: Meeting new people, finding classrooms
5. At the Doctor’s: Explaining symptoms, getting advice
6. Lost and Found: Asking for directions, describing a lost item

Extension Activities

1. Read Aloud: Practice reading your comic dialogue with different voices for each character.
2. Expand the Story: Create additional panels to continue the story.
3. Alternative Ending: Create a different final panel with another possible ending.
4. Translation Practice: If you’re comfortable, try creating a bilingual version with speech bubbles in both English and your native language.
5. Character Profiles: Write a short paragraph describing each character’s background and personality.

Self-Assessment Checklist

After completing your comic strip, review your work using this checklist:

• Does my dialogue sound natural and conversational?
• Did I include at least one question and answer?
• Did I use appropriate expressions for the emotions my characters are feeling?
• Does my story have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
• Is my handwriting clear and easy to read?
• Did I check spelling and punctuation?

Comic Dialogue Writing Tips

• Keep dialogue brief – comic speech bubbles don’t have much space
• Use contractions (don’t, I’m, we’re) to sound more natural
• Match language to your characters (teenagers speak differently than adults)
• Use punctuation to show emotion (! for excitement, … for hesitation)
• Remember that dialogue should move the story forward
• Read your dialogue out loud to see if it sounds natural

Drawing Tips for Beginners

• Stick figures are perfectly fine for your first comics
• Use simple shapes for heads (circles) and bodies (rectangles)
• Add basic features to show emotions (smiles, frowns, raised eyebrows)
• Simple backgrounds work best (a line for the ground, a square for a table)
• If drawing is difficult, focus more on the dialogue – that’s the language learning part!

Real-World Applications

This skill is useful for:

• Understanding conversation flow in English
• Learning how to ask and answer questions naturally
• Practicing everyday expressions used by English speakers
• Developing storytelling skills
• Expressing creativity while learning language

Remember that creating comics should be fun! Don’t worry about making perfect drawings – the focus is on using English in creative dialogue situations. Even simple stick figures can tell a great story!