Adaptation: Novel to Graphic Novel

If a picture says 1000 words, wouldn’t pictures and words together say 1001?
Objective: Students will read the text carefully for details of important literary components in order to
adapt a novel into a graphic novel, enhancing words with visuals.

Objective: Students will work together with a partner to make decisions on what to keep and what to
cut out in order to create a compelling, 20-page graphic novel for grade 6 students.

Your will work in partners, or alone if you chose, for this project. It is up to you to decide how you will split
up the work, but I will be asking you for details on this in terms of self-reflections.

Steps
1. Choose a book and choose a partner.

2. Read your novel, taking careful notes while reading on important aspects such as:

-characters
-setting
-narrative structure
-theme
-possible visual translations
-what to keep, what to cut

3. Character sketches Due:________________________________________

a.) List all of your characters, even the minor ones.

b.) Using your literary theory notes on characterization, analyze each character and put this
information on a character sketch graphic organizer. You have been emailed a variety of options
(graph, mind map, “the flower!”) and can complete these character sketches using pen and paper or
your computer.

c.) After completing your character sketches, you must decide which characters you will keep for the
graphic novel and which ones you will cut (if any). Along with your character sketches, you must
hand in a justification piece explaining who you are keeping or cutting, and why.

4. Narrative Map Due:___________________________________

a.) Using a graphic organizer (some examples have been emailed to you), complete a narrative map of
your story giving details on the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and the denouement
(consult your literary theory notes).

b.) On your narrative map, you must identify the perspective of your novel, as well as the new
perspective you will be using for your graphic novel.

5. Theme Statement Due:________________________

 a.) Using your literary theory notes, write a theme statement for your novel.

b.) Include at least THREE quotations from your novel to support this statement.

6. Identify Visual Inspiration Due:________________________________

a.) In order to activate your creativity, you must find 5 instances of strong figurative language that
would inspire a visual for your graphic novel. You must find at least one metaphor, one simile, and
one example of great adjective use.

b.) For each instance of figurative language, create a visual representing this quotation. You may
create a collage or a rough draft of a frame for your graphic novel.

7. Rough Draft Due:______________________________

a.) Create a rough draft of your graphic novel. This should include the layout (how many frames per
page) as well as rough visuals and the text that will accompany your visuals. You should also know
details such as colour mode (black and white?, grey tones?, full colour?, two tone?) and cover page
ideas.

b.) You will be required to have another pair peer edit your rough draft using a rubric.

8. Final Draft Due:___________________________

a.) You will have a graphic novel fully prepared for printing.

**There will be various self-assessments along the way, as well as peer assessments.

NOTES: