The authors document work in a fifth‐grade classroom investigating informational texts. Students investigated a range of informational texts and their potential forms. In the spirit of challenging a given curriculum and conventional understandings of informational texts, texts in the Science Comics series were invited into this learning space. Along with other texts, the science comics were positioned as exemplar informational texts and graphic nonfiction. Additionally, these comics supported students in questioning what nonfiction is and can be. Fifth graders went on to draw from these comics as mentor texts, composing their own nonfiction comics. Students were positioned as investigators and creators, becoming creative experts on informational texts. Working with and creating multiple forms of informational texts supported students in being critical consumers and producers of information.
This paper explores work in multimodality and design as it relates to 21st century multiliteracies. After outlining the concept of a multiliteracies pedagogy, this paper describes multimodality and multimodal texts. Moving from the theoretical to the practical, this paper primarily explores selected multimodal works of Shaun Tan and the opportunities they open to bring a multiliteracies pedagogy to classrooms. It provides approachable pedagogical strategies that can be successful in a variety of classrooms. We conclude that Tan's work ultimately acts as an accessible resource for educators striving to employ multiliteracies practices and bring multimodal texts into their classrooms.
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