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IN FOCUS // Graphic Biographies

Kathy Hays

The history of the world is an immensely large topic that crosses vast amounts of time and territory. By contrast, a human being is much smaller and exists for a much shorter time, therefore fitting into the historical narrative on a much smaller scale. How do we make sure to include the human experience into the greater world history narrative? Well, here at OER Project, many of our graphic biographies present narratives from the perspective of underrepresented/marginalized individuals – many you may have never heard of. This month, our focus is on graphic biographies and the tools available to help students understand the impact of historical events on people just like themselves.   

Graphic biographies are one-page histories of individuals that are woven in and out of the global themes of their era. They often highlight the larger scale developments students are studying, and sometimes provide perspectives from opposing sides. Incorporating the Three Close Reads for Graphic Biographies, will help students improve their skills at using these illustrated stories of individuals to support, extend and challenge the narratives they encounter throughout the course. There are guiding questions to help students fit the human experiences into the broader historical narrative. 

This year, the OER Project introduced the 3CR for Graphic Biographies tool that invites students to become co-creators as they observe, understand and connect.  

There’s also a new Introductory Activity in which OER Project superhero Trevor Getz walks students through the step-by-step process of reading a graphic biography. Incorporating these new tools with Three Close Reads for Graphic Biographies, will help students improve their skills at using these illustrated stories of individuals they encounter throughout the course.   

Check out the complete list of the WHP Graphic Biographies and BHP Graphic Biographies, as well as this Graphic Histories page to access lessons and other materials you can use today!

If you are interested in learning more about using the graphic biographies tools in your classroom, be sure to join the OER Project Skills Clinic: Graphic Biographies and Three Close Reads on February 13 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM PDT, then participate in the OER Project Presents: Beyond the Panels with Walter Greason, Trevor Getz, Stephanie Manuel, Tessa Hulls and Argha Manna on February 29 from 4:00 – 5:30 PM PDT. All attendees will be eligible to win graphic history books created by our very own presenters! 

 Our questions for you this month are:    

  • Which OER Project graphic biography is your favorite? 
  • How do you incorporate it into your instruction?
  • What questions do you have about using the new graphic biography tools with your students? 

Share your questions and comments below. Every person who participates in this month’s IN FOCUS conversation will be put in a drawing for a pack of our brand-new graphic biographies posters! Five poster packs will be given away this month. We look forward to learning from you!    

  • There are way to many to have favorites.  I am changing the question to which did you use last.  We used three on Wednesday.  

    Sorqoqtani Beki (Graphic Biography)

    Rashid al-Din (Graphic Biography)

    Macuilxochitl (Graphic Biography)

    We are talking about methods for changing power and I use these to switch from Afro-Eurasia and the Mongols to the Americas. and the Aztecs.   Then we used Storyboard That to make a quick cartoon on the way the Aztecs consolidated power with The Triple Alliance.  

  • The graphic novel that is my favorite is Revealing the Dark: Vera Rubin.  I enjoy this one and my students enjoy this one because it comes early in the year when they are still being introduced to big history and students enjoy the fact that the graphic starts at the bottom and works its way up through the story.  It is a nice way to teach students how to approach a graphic novel as they are reading one.  Because this activity is found early in the year it is also an opportunity to allow students to create their own graphic novels.  I have been using student created graphic novels as a way to review before each local test and the students have really enjoyed the process.  

  • The graphic biographies I have used so far and that my students enjoyed the most are "A Girl Talk: Geological Revolution Marie Tharp and George Washington Carver.

    The story of Marie Tharp resonated with my female students with expressions such as "a girl talk." It is interesting to see how immediately girls felt identified with her story. In Big History we learned about other cases of women who were behind the scenes of scientific discoveries and eventually justice was made acknowledging their contributions. 

    In the case of the George Washington Carver's biography we spoke about the many challenges he faced and how he contributed to increase productivity in the cotton fields helping tenant farmers. I am glad that coincidentally we read it during the Black History month.

  • Helen Fairchild and Dr. Rosa Luxemburg have been valuable additions to my World War I unit. I welcome the opportunity for scale switching after learning about the big picture MAIN causes of the war. It's also important to examine the war from the perspective of women and (in the case of Rosa) someone who opposed the war. However, since I haven't gotten to Helen and Rosa yet this year, I'll give Ottilie Baader and Iwasaki Yataro an honorable mention. During my Industrial Revolution unit, I gave students the option to choose one of them to read and complete the new 3CR for Graphic Biographies tool. I went in with an open mind and very few expectations for what students would come up with on the second page of the tool, and was pleasantly surprised!

  • My favorite to use in class is Iwasaki Yataro.  I use it while showing the movie The Last Samurai.  The movie takes place during the Meiji Restoration and has an understandable tradition v. change theme so the graphic bio complements things well. 

  • I used Rumi and Machilxochitl for the first time this year, in different Modern World History classes.  Both I and my students learned more about Sufism and its place within Islam thanks to Rumi, and Machilxochtil provided fantastic complexity against which to measure stories of Aztec bloodletting rituals.  I tend to use them within the context of a particular Lesson as laid out by the OER Project to help students better understand the particular ideas or themes of a unit - usually after some previous content or understanding has been established.  

    I want to add that I really like the Introduction to Reading Graphic Biographies lesson that you created (especially analyzing the life of Ottile Baader as well as the Three Close Reads Graphic Biographies Tool.  I added annotations to the tool to direct my students a bit more the first few times they do it.   

    Finally, I will be sharing the Introduction and Tool to colleagues this week as a tool for differentiation.  What a great way for visual learners and processors, as well as reluctant readers, to get on board with history (and hopefully other disciplines!).

  • These are such excellent resources. I used Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz (BTW - There is a great Ted Ed to show on her if you need a hook for the lesson) and Khanzada Begum.  I paired it with the Comparison tool. Question 1 was family life. Question 2 was Role in education/politics; Question 3 was importance to society. I did a double jigsaw. The scholars were also able to relate to current events and compared Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz's desire for education to Malala. I am so proud of them :)) We had a great discussion about no matter the time or place on the globe - women desire opportunities for education!!!

  • My favorite is Zheng He. I like the overarching question at the top. It allows students to read with historical questions in mind. After students do their first reading and use the graphic biography tools, we evaluate the methods of control used by the Ming and Zheng He's expeditions. It's also a really good graphic biography to talk about contextualization.

  • in reply to KATHERINE RANDALL

    This sounds really cool  .   Thanks for sharing!

  • While it is difficult to choose a favorite I thoroughly enjoyed using the Qing Shih, Sor Juana de la Cruz, Macuilxochitl and Yaskue. These are great for Three Close Reads.