---
title: Layout
description: Students learn key comic elements, create their own comics using these elements, and gain confidence to label and discuss comic features.
image: https://learn.pixton.com/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-13%20at%203.01.26%20PM.png
---

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**Pixton Lesson 3:**

# Layout

![](https://learn.pixton.com/hubfs/Images/comic%20school/Leopard200h_new.png)

**Learning Objective: To understand the terminology and layout elements of a comic.**

**Overview: ** In this lesson, students will learn the essential elements of a comic. They will put their new knowledge to use and create a tier comic incorporating some of these elements. They should leave this lesson with the confidence to label and talk about a page of a comic and the features it holds.

**Success Criteria: **

- I can label the parts of a comic.
- I know the elements of a comic.
- I can apply my knowledge of comic terminology and create a tier comic.

**Materials Needed: **

- A copy of the Google Slides for this lesson (see below).
- Markers.
- [Comic Worksheet](https://learn.pixton.com/hubfs/Comic%20School%20Documents/Elements%20of%20a%20Comic.pdf) or newspaper comics.
- Pixton.

[Copy to my Google Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jvxu4FMzOQ5tTSazC8Z9Q4W4GX4Xmyt4ScqL-wbVpps/copy)

## Lesson Plan

### Minds-On:

- Open the [Elements of a Comic Layout Slide Pack](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13PqQFoTWoj3fEYQO9hJjy0F5KkvLDaf0zTEGZ7-4YrA/edit?usp=sharing).
- **Slide 2**: Ask students what they know about comics. 
    - Can they name any of the parts of a comic?
    - Brainstorm the terms and ideas they have on the clipboard.
- **Slide 3**: Read through the comic and see if they can name any elements.
- **Slide 4**: Read through the lesson objective and success criteria with the students.
- **Slides 5-24**: Click through the slides and go through the terminology of a comic.

### Inquiry:

- **Slides 25-26**: Distribute the newspaper comics or [Comic Worksheet](https://learn.pixton.com/hubfs/Comic%20School%20Documents/Elements%20of%20a%20Comic.pdf) to students in pairs.
- Have students highlight and label the different elements of a comic.
- You may ask some of the following questions as students are learning:  
    - What do they notice about each panel?
    - What do the speech bubbles show us?
    - Can you tell me why you think they used this bubble here?
    - What is the difference between narration and speech bubbles?
    - Why are there gutters in a comic?
- Perform a gallery walk around the class to view what their peers found.
- see **Slide 27** for answers.

### Activity:

- **Slide 18**: Using Pixton, create a comic about something that happened to you on the way home from school. 
    - Did you see Bigfoot?
    - Did you find magical sneakers? You can make this one up!
- Remember to use all of the layout elements!
- Elements to choose from are: 
    - Panel.
    - Sequence.
    - Gutter.
    - Subject.
    - Onomatopoeia.
- Allow students to share their comics with the class.