What is Make Beliefs Comix?
MakeBeliefsComix is created by Bill Zimmerman and the website is: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
Make Beliefs Comix is a multilingual comic strip creation service that is free and easy to use. Students are able to design their own comics choosing from a wide variety of backgrounds, characters and props.
Tutorial
Uses in the Classroom
Explore the options of choice and agency - Have students weigh options and make decisions as they progress through their comic strip.
Autobiographical comic strips - Have students create an autobiographical comic strip at the beginning of the school year documenting the most important parts of their lives. Could be used throughout the year as a personal reflection/diary.
Encourage hesitant writers to gain a new perspective on writing - Hesitant writers may find that writing can be fun. Learn to enjoy the journey of creating a comic/story of their own.
English Language Learners - 7 language options (English, French, Spanish, Latin, Portuguese, German, Italian)
Create an alternative ending to a story
Science/Social Studies concepts - Students can depict a recently learned concept to demonstrate comprehension.
Record interesting conversations overheard - Encourage students to be more aware of their surroundings.
Useful tool for addressing difficult topics (bullying) - Teacher may create comics depicting emotions and have students fill in thought/word bubbles. Students can create their own comic strip depicting their experience with said topic.
Emotional exploration - Students can explore the emotional options of characters and apply emotions to their own life. "When have you felt the way this character might be feeling?"
Document a great memory
Plan an extravagant adventure
Incorporate new vocabulary - Require that each panel contain a certain number of vocabulary words
Have students create a comic in groups to promote collaboration
Social skills training for special needs students - Comics can be created to show the methods/sequence of everyday activities.
Writer prompts available online - Makebeliefscomix.com has writers prompts available online; as well as over 100 printable activities.
Use this site: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
This comic was done by Nicole Smith, Summer 2012.
Any content piece that a student can tell a story about can also be told through a comic.
Basic Function: The basic function of MakeBeliefsComix is to allow students an outlet for creative storytelling.
MakeBeliefsComix.com can be used to transform a lesson by providing a capability for visualization to demonstrate comprehension of a standard.
We transform a lesson using MakeBeleifsComix.com for Social Studies Fourth Grade Standard 3,
With this activity, students will demonstrate comprehension of choice and opportunity cost through the comic, which will be printed out and attached to a short story. In the story, students will describe what they put in their comic and why. The comic adds value to the lesson by allowing students an opportunity to create, giving options that expand what students can do artistically, while allowing visual representation.
Objective: Students will have opportunity to write, create, and discuss while utilizing critical thinking and problem solving skills in a closed forum with authentic experiences in order to master the relationship between choice and opportunity cost.
Formative Assessments:
1. Students will develop skills to choose between two things they like, and identify opportunity cost of giving up one for the other. (e.g. spending a hypothetical Saturday a. shopping or b. in the forest.)
2. Students will arrange comic to show knowledge of opportunity cost in the last frame of the comic. (e.g. we chose the forest and are unable to spend the day shopping.)
Next step
1. Teacher-led discussion about risks involved in each choice: (e.g. a. losing money b. encountering a wild animal)
Collaboration:
1. Small group discussion about ways to limit risk
Summative Assessment:
1. A rubric should be given to students prior to assessment with 5 or so competencies clearly outlined.
2. After students make and print their own comic, they will write a short story describing and defining choice and opportunity cost, identifying the risk in each choice, and finally describing a way to limit risk.
TUTORIAL
Screen Recording.mov
CDE Standards
Standards coming from Colorado Department of Education’s website, http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/allstandards/COStandards.asp?glid=6&stid2=8&glid2=5
Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level Expectations: Fourth Grade
Standard: 3. Economics
Concepts and skills students master:
2. The relationship between choice and opportunity cost (PFL)
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Evidence Outcomes |
21st Century Skill and Readiness Competencies |
Students Can:
- Define choice and opportunity cost (DOK 1)
- Analyze different choices and their opportunity costs (DOK 2-3)
- Give examples of the opportunity costs for individual decisions (DOK 1-2)
- Identify risks that individuals face (PFL) (DOK 1-2)
- Analyze methods of limiting financial risk (PFL) (DOK 2-3)
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Inquiry Questions:
- What different ways does an individual have to get information when making a decision?
- How do you know when you've made a good decision?
- How do you know when you've made a bad decision?
Relevance & Application:
- Knowledge of the relationship between choice and opportunity cost leads to good decision-making. For example, a business may have an opportunity to purchase inexpensive land, but the cost may be in the travel time.
- Decisions are made daily regarding risks such as riding a bicycle, skiing, riding in a car, and spending all of an allowance immediately rather than saving.
- Businesses make choices about risk. For example, a company locates in a country that has an unstable government or extends credit to individuals.
Nature Of:
- Economic thinkers analyze opportunity costs associated with making decisions.
- Economic thinkers analyze data to forecast possible outcomes.
- Financially responsible individuals understand and categorize the components of risk.
- Financially responsible individuals mitigate and analyze potential risk.
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Along with Social Studies, this assignment covers Visual Arts Fourth Grade Standard 3.
Content Area: Visual Arts
Grade Level Expectations: Fourth Grade
Standard: 3. Invent and Discover to Create
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Concepts and skills students master: 1. Use media to express and communicate ideas about an issue of personal interest |
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Students Can:
- Utilize the characteristics and expressive features of art and design in media and technology to convey meaning (DOK 1-3)
*Full listing of Colorado standards can be found at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/CoAcademicStandards.html
Resources
To read site reviews: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/What-People-Are-Saying/
MakeBeliefsComix also has printable comics for educators:
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/
There are also daily comic prompts to allow students to keep a diary through comics. http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Daily-Comix-Diary/
The terms of use can be found at: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Terms-of-Use/
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/09/make-beliefs-comix-daily-comics-diary.html
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpGf2WwHzU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWBFNhJ5AbE
Comments (2)
Milligan,Sara said
at 5:42 pm on Jun 15, 2012
I need screen capture like on a mac to upload the winning comic.
If anyone knows how to do it from a pc, I'm all ears... otherwise we'll have to wait until Tuesday.
Milligan,Sara said
at 3:31 pm on Jul 12, 2012
I got it! Congratulations to Nicole Smith! Who won the contest and got her comic added to the website. Way to go! and Thanks to everyone who participated.
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