Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12): Literary Graphic Novels from Poetry - Transforming Verse into Visual Narrative

I. Introduction

Lesson Title: Literary Graphic Novels from Poetry

Grade Level: Grades 9–12

Subject Area: English Language Arts & Visual Arts

Overview Poetry relies on figurative language—metaphor, simile, personification—to evoke vivid imagery and emotion. In this interdisciplinary unit, students will select a poem, break its language into narrative “beats,” and transform these moments into a 4–6 panel graphic novel storyboard. Over several sessions, teams will:

1. Analyze the poem’s tone, imagery, and literary devices.
2. Divide the poem into discrete narrative or emotional beats suitable for sequential panels.
3. Draft concise panel text: captions, dialogue, internal monologue, and onomatopoeia.
4. Design visual metaphors and layouts that capture the poem’s mood and imagery.
5. Compose an artist’s statement linking each visual choice back to specific lines in the poem.
6. Present the completed storyboards in a gallery walk, articulating how visual language deepens poetic meaning.

This project integrates CCSS ELA standards for figurative language and narrative writing with National Core Arts Standards for visual storytelling, while cultivating collaboration, critical thinking, and technical skills in illustration and mixed media.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives Students will be able to:

1. Identify Figurative Devices: Locate and explain at least three metaphors, three similes, and three instances of personification in the chosen poem, citing line numbers.
2. Segment Narrative Beats: Break the poem into four to six narrative or thematic “beats” (e.g., image shifts, emotional peaks) appropriate for individual storyboard panels.
3. Craft Panel Text: Write panel captions, characters’ speech or thought bubbles, and onomatopoeia, preserving the poem’s tone and rhythm.
4. Create Visual Metaphors: Develop imagery—through collage, drawing, or digital art—that embodies the poem’s devices (e.g., drawing a literal “feather” as hope).
5. Write Artist’s Statement: Compose a 200–250 word statement explaining how at least three visual-elements directly correspond to specific poem lines and devices.
6. Collaborate & Present: Work in teams to share workload—analysis, drafting, illustration—and present storyboards with clear explanations of literary and artistic choices.

Standards Alignment

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4 / RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5 / RL.11-12.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events, and manipulate time create effects such as mystery or suspense.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 / W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 / W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• NCAS VA:Cr1.1.HS: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work, responding to literary inspiration.
• NCAS VA:Cr2.1.HS: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work, iteratively refining visual concepts.
• SEL – Self-Awareness & Social Awareness: Reflect on personal creative choices and respect diverse artistic interpretations in peer presentations.