Why Comics? 5 Reasons to Use Comics in the Classroom

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5 reasons to use comics in the classroom!

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WHY SHOULD KIDS READ COMICS? When I was in school, kids would slip comics inside their textbooks to read on the sly. Comics were considered “recreational reading” at best, but usually adults saw them as mind-numbing tripe. You certainly would never have seen one used in reading instruction. Times have changed, and as comics become more accepted as a legitimate form of art and literature, they are making their way into classrooms. Many parents and teachers, however, still remember the stigma that comics had when they were young and are asking, “Why should kids read comics?”

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The biggest reason that kids should read comics is because they want to! When confronted with solid pages of text, many young readers become intimidated and overwhelmed. Give a reluctant reader a thick, juicy graphic novel like Jerry Craft’s New Kid, Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, or Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson’s When Stars Are Scattered, and they dive in eagerly, devouring every page. With many struggling readers, motivation is the key, and comics are motivating.

There is emerging research that shows that comics are not only motivating, but support struggling readers, enrich the skills of accomplished readers, and are highly effective at teaching sometimes “boring” material in subject areas such as science and social studies.

The evidence is in, and it unequivocally supports the value of comics as a rich and effective educational tool. Here are five research-backed reasons to embrace comics in your classroom!

—Tracy Edmunds

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TEACHING WITH COMICS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

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READING WITH PICTURES BOARD OF DIRECTORS Governance Committee

John Shableski, President Jeff Barbanell, MEd, Treasurer Yaika Sabat, MSLS, Secretary Tracy Edmunds, MAEd Kuo-Yu Liang Kerry Freedman, PhD Carrie Nelson Betsy Gomez Alex Simmons Melissa Jacobs Christina Taylor, MSIS Katherine Kan Ronell Whitaker

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Members

Rachelle Cruz, PhD Susannah Richards, PhD Lee Francis, PhD Carol Tilley, PhD Shveta Miller Jana Tropper, Christopher A. Preece MS CCC-SLP/L

Advisory Board

David Cutler Theresa Rojas, PhD

David Seelow, PhD

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Jeff Barbanell, MEd Karen Evans Betsy Gomez

Tracy Edmunds, MAEd, Chair Kate Purl Yaika Sabat, MSLS John Shableski

TEACHING WITH COMICS CONFERENCE PRESENTERS Lee Francis, PhD, Keynote Cara Bean, Keynote

Adan Alvarado Jeff Barbanell, MEd Deborah Benjamin Michael Bitz, EdD Taylor Burmeister Rachelle Cruz Tracy Edmunds, MAEd Karen Evans Kerry Freedman, PhD Jill Gerber

Panelists and Moderators Michael Gianfrancesco Betsy Gomez Meryl Jaffe, PhD Cathy G. Johnson Eric Kallenborn Stephen Krashen, PhD Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand Shveta Miller Isabel Morales, EdD Jason Nisavic Debby Philbin, PhD

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Assembled by Nicole Boose Layout by Betsy Gomez Cover art by Leia L. Huddleston

Tom Racine Susannah Richards, PhD Kaitlyn Roach Theresa Rojas, PhD Alex Simmons Tim Smyth Jana Tropper, MS CCC-SLP/L Michele Wells Ronell Whitaker Brook Williams

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n Benefit #1: Comics increase readinG!

Taken all together, our results suggest that, with regard to student learning, comic book stories lose nothing to traditional textbooks while having the added potential benefit of improving attitudes about biology.

Jay Hosler & K.B. Boomer (2011)

When given a choice, learners of all ages are increasingly gravitating toward the comics format over traditional text. This is true in libraries, as well as bookstores and digital platforms. Librarians have found that once a graphic novel collection reaches a certain critical mass, it often becomes the highest circulating collection in the entire library, with the average graphic novel out-circulating all but the most popular young adult prose titles.

Reading comic books can lead to more reading overall. According to a study by Joanne Ujiie and Stephen Krashen (1996), kids who read more comic books “did more pleasure reading, liked to read more, and tended to read more books. These results show that comic book reading certainly does not inhibit other kinds of reading and is consistent with the hypothesis that comic book reading facilitates heavier reading.”

From “The Power of Print,” written and illustrated by Katie Cook.

Published in Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

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Processing text and images together leads to better recall and transfer of learning. Neurological experiments have shown that we process text and images in different areas of the brain. Demonstrating what is known as the dual-coding theory of cognition, the experiments also indicate that pairing an image with text leads to increased memory retention for both. With comics, students not only learn the material faster, they learn it better.

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A 2011 engagement/efficacy study by professors Jay Hosler (biology, Juniata College) and K.B. Boomer (mathematics, Bucknell University) found a statistically significant improvement in students’ content knowledge regarding evolution and their attitudes toward biology in general after the NSF-funded science graphic novel Optical Allusions was introduced into their classroom.

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Benefit #2: Comics Strengthen knowledge retention and transfer in different subjects

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Jeremy Short, Aaron McKenny, and Brandon Randolph-Seng of the University of Oklahoma found that the comic format improves content retention rates compared to traditional textbook materials. The researchers gave two groups of students two books — one a graphic novel and the other a traditional textbook — on the same subject. The students using the graphic novel showed a significant improvement in content retention when compared with students using the traditional textbook. According to Professor Short: “Not only do we find that graphic novels are on par with traditional textbooks in regard to key learning outcomes — they are actually superior in some cases!” (2012) In a study by Jun Liu of the University of Arizona, students with both low and high reading proficiency were given either low- or high-level texts, presented with or without a comic strip. The low-level students “receiving the high-level text with the comic strip scored significantly higher than their counterparts receiving the high-level text only.” (2004)

Jason E. McDermott, Matthew Partridge, & Yana Bromberg (2018)

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An effective comic can communicate difficult ideas efficiently, illuminate obscure concepts, and create a metaphor that can be much more memorable than a straightforward description of the concept itself.

Across the eleven studies, people who learned from words and graphics produced between 55% to 121% more correct solutions to transfer problems than people who learned from words alone.

Across all studies, a median percentage gain of 89% was achieved with a median effect size of 1.50.

Richard E. Mayer & Ruth C. Clark (2011)

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p Benefit #3: Comics build social-emotional skills

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Comics have proven to be a powerful tool for social-emotional learning, as educators and researchers have discovered: n In 2017, The Atlantic published an article examining the use of comic-generating websites to help students process social and behavioral challenges. (Wisenthal) n Writing for the American Consortium of Equity in Education, Patricia Wong discussed the power of comics to address social justice and current events with her elementary students. She wrote, “I’ve come to see comic creation as a powerful classroom tool that helps students connect with their own identity and helps me understand their perspectives more deeply,” and “Self-expression through images also lowers communication barriers for students.” (n.d.) n The AIM Buddy Project is a social-emotional learning program using interactive comics as a key component. Elementary school participants had “statistically significant increases in their levels of empathy and tolerance,” as well as “future-mindedness, and positive perceptions of their classroom climate.” (Hilliard and Lerner, 2017)

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w From “G-Man: Reign of the Robo-Teachers,” written and illustrated by Chris Giarusso.

Published in Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

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Benefit #4: Comics engage readers at all proficiency levels Reluctant or struggling readers

With comics and graphic novels, beginning readers can enjoy more emotion, action, and detail than in a typical “See Jane Run” story. When kids read enjoyable, complex, compelling stories they are motivated to read more, so graphic novels can be a great steppingstone to longer text works.

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Tracy Edmunds (2016)

For struggling readers, comics don’t just help develop core reading skills.

They can also prevent embarrassment.

Consider a middle school student whose reading skills are under­developed. That student isn’t going to be comfortable reading a picture book meant for the youngest readers, especially in the company of peers. But a comic book can be a clever and socially acceptable way to help these students catch up with their peers while improving the confidence and self-esteem of the reader.

Panel Power (2017)

English Language Learners (ELL)

The results of Jun Liu’s study also showed that English language learners who had lower reading proficiency increased their comprehension scores when information was presented in comic format. (2004) In an academic paper, author Jason Ranker examined a first-grade teacher’s use of comic read-alouds with ELL students. The study demonstrates the value of comics “as instructional texts, because comics provide interesting and motivating material as well as visual support for literacy learning.” (2007)

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Advanced readers

The reading of both visuals and text together usually necessitates inference skills and a synthesis of a number of clues presented both on the page and as a pattern throughout the book...

Graphic novels allow for a new approach to diction, imagery, syntax, structure, and language... Graphic novels also substitute figurative imagery with the images themselves, but the interplay of what is written and what is drawn makes for an important point of analysis. Often graphic novelists exploit the dual expressions of text and visuals to create puns, irony, and paradox. Syntax also becomes an examination of both sentence structure and panel and object structure.

Nick Sousanis (2012)

More than a gateway to literacy, the spatial interplay of visual and verbal that defines comics makes for a powerful tool for inquiry primed for creative and critical practice.

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Lisa Cohen (n.d.)

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a From “The Adventures of Doctor Sputnik: Man of Science! in ‘Force and Motion,’” written and illustrated by Roger Langridge. Published in Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

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Benefit #5: Comics increase critical thinking and analytical skills Reading comics engages the brain in a different way than text alone. The comics format requires that readers actively make meaning from the interplay between text and images, as neither the images nor the text carry meaning alone. Readers must process information both sequentially and simultaneously within and across panels and pages.

Analysis of comics strengthens critical thinking and visual literacy. The comics format requires readers to use higher-level thinking skills such as inference and synthesis as they analyze how the text and images work together and infer what happens between panels. Comics are complex texts that include literary devices such as metaphor, symbolism, juxtaposition of images, manipulation of time and sequence, and multiple levels of meaning. Comics analysis also requires visual literacy skills such as interpretation and evaluation of images using the elements of art and design.

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With such ambiguity and constant demands for interpretation, comics and graphic texts offer our students significant opportunities to interpret meaning and then question that interpretation when discussing with others.

Students grow from disagreement and uncertainty. Offer learning exercises that get them comfortable with resisting closure. Uncertainty leads to inquiry, which leads to more refined meaning-making.

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In With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy, Susan E. Kirtley, Antero Garcia, and Peter E. Carlson note “...that combining the visual and verbal engages multiple intelligences and provides another way of thinking through ideas, resulting in a powerful and useful skill. This flexibility encourages a different sort of interaction with the text and asks students to slow down and ruminate on the process of making meaning.” (2020)

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Shveta Miller (2021)

Using comics can certainly increase engagement, but the ultimate value is in using the form to develop students’ capacity to look with care, focus with intention, see possibilities in what is expressed or depicted, consider alternatives, and ask increasingly nuanced questions.

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p Additional Benefits

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Comics can benefit your students in lots of other ways! n Comics are compatible with learning standards. All classroom materials, including comics, are referred to in the Common Core State Standards simply as “texts,” an explicit admission that all formats, when used properly, have their place in the 21st century classroom. And graphic novels are mentioned specifically in the standards as a text type for instruction.

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n Comics are shown to enhance vocabulary. (Vocabulary: Concepts and Research, n.d.) n Comics reduce barriers. Their prevalence online, through social channels, and through their popularity at libraries makes them accessible to students across demographic groups.

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n Comics provide readers the opportunity to critically examine imagery of all kinds, making them engaged and sophisticated consumers of media. n Integrating comics in the classroom promotes culturally responsive teaching. The medium demands readers collaborate with others to make meaning, challenges perspectives, and honors neurodiverse thinkers by integrating visuals with text. n The comics form allows students to tell stories they could not tell in any other form, stories that help them heal, connect with others, and challenge their assumptions about what they see and think they know. n Comics offer students a new set of tools to communicate in the 21st century and the opportunity to learn how to critically examine visuals of all kinds, making them engaged and sophisticated consumers of media. n Bringing comics into the classroom introduces students to a living world of dynamic creators and current texts. n Teaching students to intelligently analyze visuals prepares them for any professional industry where creating models, visual representation, data analysis, and graphic representation are valued.

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w From “Albert the Alien: It’s a Figure of Speech,” written by Trevor Mueller and illustrated by Gabriel Bautista. Published in Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

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Resources Ready to introduce or expand the use of comics in your classroom? Here are some resources to get you started!

Text Resources n Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels, edited by James Bucky Carter (National Coalition for Teachers of English) — One of the first informational and educational texts to solely address teaching comics in secondary settings. n Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist and Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative by Will Eisner (WW Norton) — Along with coining the terms “graphic novel” and “sequential art,” Will Eisner also wrote two seminal texts on comics aesthetics, pedagogy, and process. n Connecting Comics to Curriculum: Strategies for Grades 6-12 by Karen W. Gavigan and Mindy Tomasevich (Libraries Unlimited) — Covers every aspect of comics use in libraries and classrooms, including lesson plans for middle school and high school. n Experiencing Comics: An Introduction to Reading, Discussing, and Creating Comics by Rachelle Cruz (Cognella Academic Publishing) — Helps college-level students critically examine the craft and storytelling elements of comics and spotlights groundbreaking work by creators and scholars from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds. n The Graphic Novel Classroom: POWerful Teaching and Learning with Images by Maureen M. Bakis (Skyhorse Publishing) — This comprehensive resource includes teaching and learning models, text-specific detailed lesson units, and examples of student work. n Hacking Graphic Novels: 8 Ways to Teach Higher-Level Thinking with Comics and VisualStorytelling by Shveta Miller (Times 10 Books) — This guide helps teachers use comics to build visual literacy skills, confront complexity and uncertainty, and develop new tools for self-expression. n Manga High: Literacy, Identity, and Coming of Age in an Urban High School (Harvard Education Press) and When Commas Meet Kryptonite (Teachers College Press) by Michael Bitz — Provide proven advice for teachers and librarians who want to implement comics into their curriculum, with a special emphasis on writing and composition. n Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts by Katie Monnin (Maupin House) — Shows teachers how to read, understand, and teach the unique vocabulary and anatomy of the graphic text format alongside traditional literature and content-area selections.

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n Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (HarperCollins) — Presented in comic format, this is the foundational text for defining and (as the title says) understanding comics.

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n Worth a Thousand Words: Using Graphic Novels to Teach Visual and Verbal Literacy by Meryl Jaffe and Talia Hurwich — Demonstrates ways in which comics are complex texts with advanced vocabulary, describes how to read and analyze them, and provides practical advice on how to integrate them into ELA and content-area classrooms. Includes an extensive list of appropriate graphic novels for K-8 students, along with resources.

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p Online Resources n Reading With Pictures, www.readingwithpictures.org — A nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering teachers, librarians, parents, creators, retailers, and publishers to engage all learners through the sequential arts. Offers resources for educators, academics and librarians. n Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, https://cartoons.osu.edu/ — The premiere library and museum for cartoons, comics, and graphic novels.

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n Cartoon Art Museum, https://www.cartoonart.org/ — Offers a variety of educational programming available to the general public for children, teens, and adults. n CBLDF: Using Graphic Novels in Education, http://cbldf.org/using-graphic-novels/ — Teaching suggestions, discussion questions, and more for a wide range of comics. n Diamond Bookshelf, https://diamondbookshelf.com/ — A treasure trove of articles, reviews, suggestions, and lesson plans. n Nick Sousanis: Spin, Weave, and Cut, https://spinweaveandcut.com/education-home/ — Resources for teaching comics, including syllabi and student work samples. n No Flying, No Tights, www.noflyingnotights.com — A rich resource full of comic book and graphic novel reviews. n SANE (Sequential Art and Narrative in Education) Journal, https://digitalcommons .unl.edu/sane/ — Peer-reviewed articles featuring reviews, studies, and resources to help educators of all levels integrate comics into their classrooms and libraries. n Social Justice Graphic Novels, http://sjgn.uofsccreate.org/ — Resources on social justice graphic novels for use with young adults. n The Comic Book Project, http://www.comicbookproject.org/ — A literacy and creativity initiative that engages young people in planning, writing, designing, and publishing original comic books. n The Center for Cartoon Studies, www.cartoonstudies.org/teachingcomics/ — Dozens of teaching resources for all ages.

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w From “Foreword: Comics & Education,” written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang.

Published in Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

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References n AIM Buddy Project: An ARTHUR Social, Emotional, and Character Development Curriculum, The. (n.d.). PBS Learning Media. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/arthursocial-emotional-character-development-curriculum/ n Clark, Ruth C., and Mayer, Richard E. (2016). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning, 4th Edition. Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/e+ Learning+and+the+Science+of+Instruction%3A+Proven+Guidelines+for+Consumers+and+Designers+of+ Multimedia+Learning%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781119158660 n Cohen, Lisa S. (n.d.). The Case for Graphic Novels in an AP Classroom. AP Central. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-language-and-composition /classroom-resources/case-graphic-novels-ap-classroom n Edmunds, Tracy. (2016, June 26). Why Should Kids Read Comics? Tracy Edmunds. https://www.tracyedmunds.com/home/why-should-kids-read-comics n Gomez, Betsy (editor). (2017). Panel Power. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. http://cbldf.org/panel-power/ n Hilliard, Lacey, and Lerner, Richard. (2017). The Arthur Interactive Media Buddy Project: Summary of Research Findings. The Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University. https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/5b643cf1-047a-40b4-8d3e-cc1b022f4e35 /a4e9c814-a28b-42fa-bcfb-4f056f943ea7.pdf n Hosler, Jay, and Boomer, K.B. (2011). Are Comic Books an Effective Way to Engage Nonmajors in Learning and Appreciating Science? CBE — Life Sciences Education, 10, 309–317. https://www.lifescied.org/doi /pdf/10.1187/cbe.10-07-0090 n Kirtley, Susan E., Garcia, Antero, and Carlson, Peter E. (editors). (2020). With Great Power Comes Great Pedagogy: Teaching, Learning, and Comics. University Press of Mississippi. https://www.upress.state.ms.us /Books/W/With-Great-Power-Comes-Great-Pedagogy n Liu, J. (2004). Effects of Comic Strips on L2 Learners’ Reading Comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, 38(2), 225-243. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588379 n McDermott, Jason E., Partridge, Matthew , and Bromberg, Yana. (2018, January 4). Ten Simple Rules for Drawing Scientific Comics. PLoS Computational Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005845 n Miller, Shveta. (2021). Hacking Graphic Novels: 8 Ways to Teach Higher-Level Thinking with Comics and Visual-Storytelling. Times 10 Publications. https://shvetamiller.com/hacking-graphic-novels/ n Ranker, Jason. (2007). Using Comic Books as Read-Alouds: Insights on Reading Instruction From an English as a Second Language Classroom. The Reading Teacher 61(4), 296-305. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.61.4.2 n Short, Jeremy C., Randolph-Seng, Brandon, and McKenny, Aaron F. (2013). Graphic Presentation: An Empirical Examination of the Graphic Novel Approach to Communicate Business Concepts. Business Communication Quarterly, 76(3), 273-303. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569913482574 n Sousanis, Nick. (2012, May 19). Comics as a Tool for Inquiry: Concerning a Dissertation in Comic Book Form.

Juniata Voices: Volume 12. https://www.juniata.edu/offices/juniata-voices/media/comics-as-tool.pdf n Ujiie, Joanne and Krashen, Stephen D. (1996). Comic Book Reading, Reading Enjoyment, and Pleasure Reading Among Middle Class and Chapter I Middle School Students. Reading Improvement 33(I), 51-54. http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/articles/1996_comic_bk_reading.pdf n Vocabulary: Concepts and Research. (n.d.). Big Ideas in Beginning Reading. University of Oregon. Retrieved August 6, 2021, from http://reading.uoregon.edu/big_ideas/voc/voc_what.php n Wisenthal, Paul. (2017, May 21). The Power of Digital-Comic Therapy in Schools. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/05/the-power-of-digital-comic-therapy/526911/ n Wong, Patricia. (n.d.). Using Comics & Courageous Conversations to Support Culturally Relevant Education.

American Consortium for Equity in Education. https://www.ace-ed.org/using-comics-courageousconversations-to-support-culturally-relevant-education/

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