Graphic Narratives and Lit Circles
This lesson’s goal is to explore and understand Emmie’s narrative through the lens of trauma. Using skills developed in the previous lesson, students will delve into difficult subject matter, identifying and articulating the various ways trauma is both communicated and understood in the text. Students will also be mindful of both their own and their peers’ emotional wellbeing and safety, drawing on practices and protocols previously established, during their exploration of the text.
NOTE: Depending on classroom needs and structure, this lesson could be broken into two parts to devote more time to discussion and reflection. We recommend not neglecting reflection time, as reflection will function as the “safe way out” for students.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- identify and articulate various expressions and portrayals of trauma in the text.
- synthesize their understanding of trauma and the techniques of visual narratives to create a clear picture of how trauma is uniquely expressed through graphic narratives.
- use trauma-informed practices to ensure both their own and their peer’s safety and well-being.
- begin to articulate a distinction between memory and knowledge—remembering something versus knowing something—and how these concepts relate to trauma.
- use reflection practices to deepen understanding while also avoiding secondary traumatization.
Guiding Question
- What is the lasting impact of trauma?
Preparation
Students should read But I Live, Emmie’s graphic narrative in advance. They will also read a short timeline of the Holocaust for some context on events. Give the students the discussion questions ahead of time, giving them time to prepare.
NOTE: The instructor may find it valuable to explain to students that every word in the narrative is taken directly from Emmie’s testimony, which was conducted in English. There has been no editing of phrasing or wording—only the order in which things are presented, and the decision of what to omit and what to include.
Introduction
Begin with the mood meter. You may also want to do a brief class check-in after reading the text.
Lesson Activities
Converstations
Break students up into five groups, one group per table. Give each table one of the five discussion questions. Periodically rotate members of each station to a new one, until all students have spent time at each station. This enhances student comfort and safety because students will have had time to familiarize themselves with each question before tackling the next. Students will encounter each new question with a more experienced group where they can offer a fresh perspective.
Guiding Questions
These questions are merely suggestions—the instructor may adapt or replace them as they see fit, based on the needs of their class.
- What signs of trauma does Emmie exhibit, if any, during the narrative? How might these signs relate to her experience at Ravensbrück?
- How does the artist represent trauma visually? Consider colour, framing, composition, the ordering of panels, reocurring images.
- Emmie repeats the phrase “I don’t remember,” usually before the narrative recounts one of her memories. What is the significance of this? Based on your study of trauma, what does this say about the relationship between trauma and memory?
- At one point, Emmie says “I know things but I do not remember.” What is the significance of this phrase? What is the difference between knowing something and remembering something? How does this relate to trauma?
- What were your personal takeaways from Emmie’s testimony?
- How did the visual form of the narrative enhance your understanding of her testimony?
Check In
Bringing the class back together, open a dialogue about how students are feeling. This could be a meaningful time for you to tell students more about Emmie’s life today: Emmie is still alive, and though she has endured many terrible tragedies, she continues to live on, and there are many sources of joy in her life. Give students time to reflect on the final pages: their imagery is a useful reminder of human resilience. Finally, ask the students to reflect on how this act of narrative testimony is an act of resilience in itself.
Conclusion
Wrap-up by revisiting the mood meter and asking students to reflect on their emotional movements throughout the lesson.
Students will write a final mood meter entry, and then take time to look through all their previous entries, reflecting on their progression and any personal change throughout the unit.
Extension
Students write short reflections, roughly a paragraph in length, to be collected as exit slips. Using this information, and building on their previous reflection exit slips, students will write a final long form reflection considering the unit as a whole. As noted above, depending on classroom needs and structure, this could be assigned as a take-home assignment, or class time could be devoted to it. For a suggested structure, please refer to the final reflection handout.
Potential exit slip suggested prompts:
- Based on your experiences in today’s class, how would you describe “trauma”?
- How has your understanding of the concept changed over the course of the lesson?
- What are things we can do individually, and as a class, to make sure that in learning about another’s trauma, we do not become traumatized ourselves?
Note: Students need not answer all questions—it is in keeping with a trauma-informed practice to offer students their choice of prompt.
