Cartoons in panels
A cartoon tells a story with pictures, often in a row of boxes called panels. We read the panels in order, following the numbers or arrows. A speech bubble shows what a character says, and a caption can give extra information. If the panels of a cartoon are mixed up, we look for clues. Which panel starts the story? What happens next? How does it end? Cartoons can also show how the environment affects a group of living things. For example, in a dry year a flock of sheep finds only short, dry grass. The shepherd moves them to a place with water and green grass. The environment changed what the sheep could eat, and the shepherd changed the place. To plan my own cartoon, I decide the topic and the characters. Then, for each panel, I write the setting, which is where it happens, and the action, which is what happens. I draw the panels in the same order as my plan. A good cartoon is kind: it can make us smile without making fun of anyone.
| Panel | Setting | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | a river bank in the morning | goats walk to drink |
| 2 | the river in a dry month | the goats find very little water |
| 3 | the farm | a farmer brings a tank of water |
My cartoon. Choose a topic about how the environment affects a group of animals or people, such as sheep in a dry year or a village in heavy rain. Write the characters. Then, for four panels, write the setting and the action in a table. Draw the four panels with speech bubbles, in order. Cut them apart (a grown-up helps with scissors), mix them up, and let a friend put them in the right order. Does your friend agree with your order? If not, which clue was missing? Keep the cartoon kind.