Creating Characters for Comics

Yesterday I ran a Digital Graphic novel workshop for teachers which lasted all day.  We looked at a range of learning activities using comics to engage students in learning. One activity was to provide a comic with empty speech bubbles and the students add in the speech. This allows students to interpret the image and then decide on the appropriate text for the comic.

I have added these two examples here to show how you can create characters for comics by taking images One is simply using dinosaur toys and removing the background and replacing it with a desert scene. The second was created using a ball of modelling clay and pushing in features to create the characters. I have left the bubbles empty in case you want to have a play and add in the speech. These characters could also be used for Stop Motion Animation.

Travel Back in Time with Interactive Timelines

One of the things I like about the internet, is it allows resources to become interactive. There are many interactive timelines which are available now, which provide an engaging way to look at history. Teachers can use them on Interactive whiteboards and they can cater for a range of subject areas. Students can explore on their own, find information for a research task or search for items similar to a scavenger hunt.


Conflict History

One in particular is called Conflict History. This site provides a timeline of the conflicts around the world throughout history. The site also provides a map of the world linking the countries involved in the conflict. There is information provided on each conflict provided by Wikipedia. This is a great resource for History and Geography. The scary thing is to see how many conflicts are documented in the 2000s.

British Library Interactive Timeline

Here is another great interactive timeline which can be used across many subject areas such as Ancient and Modern History, English, Science, Art and Music. The site is called the British Library interactive timeline. It allows you to explore collection items chronologically, from medieval times to the present day.


It includes a diverse range of resources divided into the following categories:

• Politics, power and rebellion
• Literature, Music and Entertainment
• Everyday
• Sacred texts
• Medicine, Science and Technology

Once you have chosen the category and the item you can explore further by viewing the image, video or transcript. You can print or download the information as a pdf file.

Here are a few Interactive timelines more worth looking at:



British History

NASA Historical Timeline

Sea Monsters a Prehistoric Adventure

Benjamin Franklin’s Interactive Timeline

Timeline of Google

Australian Screen interactive Timeline

Warhol Interactive Timeline

This site gives information about Andy Warhol and the major events in the world during the 1920s – 1960s.

Interactive Timelines for Art History

Smart History

Art History

Timeline of European Painters

Clay Yourself

There are many sites which provide you with tools to create your own character or avatar. These sites can be used in many ways such as:


• Make own avatar and use in a personal profile listing hobbies, interest and goals.

• Students can use an avatar instead of a photo when posting on the web to protect privacy.

• Teachers could make on of themselves.

• Make own avatar with background and accessories which represent their interests. The students can explain what the visual images represent, eg. A guitar because they love to listen to music.

• Students can divide into pairs and make avatars of each other.

• Students can make their own avatars, print them out and collect them. Shuffle and distribute them out. Students match the avatar to the person who made it.(Great ice breaker activity)

• Use as a character in a game or animation such as flash or scratch.

• Print out the character and pin the joints to make it movable. This could be used as a puppet or could be brought to life in a stop motion animation.

• Make a 3-D interpretation of the character in clay or construction materials

• Re-create characters from a book, film or play.

• Print out avatars with the student’s name underneath and use them to decorate and personalize the classroom.

• Make characters and write a story about them.

• Use them to make comics by adding speech bubbles

• Add interest to worksheets or virtual classrooms

• Design a character and convert the image into an artwork. It could be used in a screen printing activity, painting or drawing.

• Or just to have some FUN!



A new site I have come across on twitter thanks to @neslidrmsgl it is called http://www.clayyourself.com/  . The great thing about this site is it has a 3D look as though you are made from clay. You can save your final character; the site also has a name generator and a script writer for a story where you fill in the missing words. This is a fun site to have a play with.

For more Avatar making sites go to this slideshare link.

Shape Collage

An interesting way to present images is in a collage. A free download software is http://www.shapecollage.com/ . This program will allow you to select your images and the shape you would like them arranged in. You can select shapes, letters or even words. There are many ways to use this:


• Do a class collage of images of students in your class into the shape your class name eg. 3B

• Create the alphabet using images starting with that letter

• Create your name using images representing you

• Display images relating to themes to stimulate ideas and discussion

Simply drag your images into the photo area and select your shape.

Here are some examples:

D for Dinosaurs

Benefits of Blogs for Teachers

There are many teachers who regularly read and write blogs, however, there are many who do not.  I thought I would break down the benefits of both reading and writing blogs to encourage more teachers to share.


Writing your first blog can be daunting, here are some tips to get started:

• Start by reading a few blogs on topics which interest you
• Make comments on the blogs to build your confidence.
• Start to plan your first blog post. Do this in a document first as you plan and process your ideas.

Some ideas:

• Something you are doing in class
• An event
• Useful resource or website you have found and like
• A unit of work which was successful
• An event at your school
• Something you have recently learnt

Here is my interpretation of the benefits of blogs for teachers.

Word Cloud Christmas Card Ideas

Being the festive season and if you are like me haven’t organised Christmas cards yet. Here is a quick and fun way you can make them. It also gives you the chance to try out a few websites at the same time.

This example is made using the lyrics from Jingle Bells which I found by searching using Google.  I then used http://www.wordle.net/  and pasted in the lyrics. 

Just a few handy tips, if you you want two words to stay together such as ice cream use the ~. Eg. Ice~cream.  If you want to remove a word from the wordle you can right click the word to remove it.

To take this idea a step further you can use http://www.tagxedo.com/ .  This site allows you to make word clouds into a shape.  Here I used Jingle Bells lyrics into a heart shape and O Christmas Tree into the shape of a Christmas tree.

Next, to add some more Christmas cheer you can use http://www.picnik.com/ .  This site allows you to edit and add to your images.  It offers some great text, graphics and frames for Christmas.  Once you have finished you can save your final image straight to your computer.  Here are my finished products.

You could print out your images and paste them onto blank cards or laminate them and place a magnet on the back to stick it onto the fridge.  Of course this process can be adapted into any other theme or activity.

Creating Characters

I love using online tools and apps which allow students to customise and develop their creativity.  There are many avatar makers and creature creators available.  I have updated this presentation to include a few new ones I have found.  I have also included a few ideas on how to use them in the classroom.

Creating Characters

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