Coding/Comprehension

POST BY TINA MORRIS

When we read Persepolis, I also incorporated the Coding strategy. I saw it as a good alternative to taking notes. I figured it would be less work, and the students would be able to quickly find a spot that caught their eye while reading.

Before we began Persepolis, I handed out mini post-it notes to each student and on their worksheet that also contained the anticipation/reaction guide, there was a key for the codes they needed to pick. The codes were: N - new, ? - question, C - personal connection, X - disagree with. Before we read, I explained where the graphic novel took place. I also gave the instructions that each code must be used at least once. There were plenty of things for each code. To encourage the students to code, and to be able to show what they did, I had questions at the bottom of the worksheet that asked about what they learned, what connections they had, and what they disagreed with. However, before I set them free on answering the questions, I asked them about the codes in a discussion.

The students had a difficult time understanding the point of the activity, but as a teacher I saw the benefit. Instead of the normal, ask the main point, and specific questions about the text, having the students point out things that they disagreed with proved to help their understanding. There was a particular statement made about southern women in the text that without them having the opportunity to disagree, they would have continued to not fully understand. When they read it, they were reading it as Southern American women, and were personally offended. However, because they were told to disagree, I was able to give them the support they needed to understand that the story was talking about women in southern Iran, not the U.S. I would have never anticipated this being an area of confusion, but the strategy made the lesson more student centered, and they were able to walk away with a clearer understanding.