Live Free and Draw

LIVE FREE AND DRAW visits schools & libraries throughout New England and the world beyond…

…bringing local history comics, surprising stories, literacy workshops, teacher training, ukulele singalongs, and more to audiences of all ages!

SET UP an event or residency w/ Marek’s COMICS WORKSHOP >>

Drawing History Comics + Common Core Standards

Comic & the Common Core: How Doodling a Dead Dog Ballot Selfie Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Writing

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The act of drawing comics from historical primary sources supports the following “English Language Arts & Literacy” standards from the COMMON CORE State Standards Initiative:

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ANCHOR STANDARDS FOR READING:

Key Ideas and Details

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Craft and Structure

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

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ANCHOR STANDARDS FOR WRITING:

Text Types and Purposes

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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SAMPLE STRAND:
English Language Arts / Reading / Literature / Key Ideas and Details

Grade 4:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

Grade 8:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

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PROJECTS for TEACHERS & STUDENTS:

View ALL “PROJECTS” posts >>

• Civil War Comics Camp – Middle school students research & draw original comics based on local Civil War era primary sources…
• Sources for Newspapers (Guest Project Post) – “Drawing from the Past” workshop participant Doug McVicar sends along these valuable resources for finding primary source material in old newspaper archives:
• Comics Project: Drawing from Town Histories – Published town histories provide an excellent starting point for drawing out local history stories.  They’re usually packed full of useful documents, tall tales, rumors, gossip, and intriguing leads. Here’s how to use them: 
• WANTED: Your Artwork – “LIVE FREE AND DRAW!” That’s the caption… YOU draw the picture!

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