November 14 - Stand by for adventure!

Check out photos from last year's event at this link.

WHAT: 2nd Annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day
WHEN: Saturday, November 14 -- Noon-4:00
WHERE: Regatta Banquet & Conference Center
Route 236 - Eliot Commons - Eliot, Maine
Directions at this link

Calling kids of all ages! Join the Capt'n Eli crew for a day of family fun. Come get your hands on a free superhero sketch by Jay Piscopo, creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

Blue Ocean Society will take you inside a life-size finback whale and introduce you to real life sea creatures you can hold in your own hands. Rock out with the Rick Miller Trio and hilarious all-ages improv comedy with The Escapists.

Meet 13-year-old race car driver Sulo Burbank and check out his cool car. Enjoy Shield's hot dogs and delicious Capt'n Eli's Soda.

Admission is free but you can help Capt'n Eli support healthy oceans with an optional donation to Blue Ocean Society.

The Capt'n Visits Coatesville, PA

This week, graphic novel artist Jay Piscopo travelled to Pennsylvania to present his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop at elementary schools in the Coatesville School District.


He led assemblies with more than 1,000 young artists at Caln, Rainbow, Friendship and East Fallowfield Elementary Schools. Check out photos HERE.

He also took part in Rainbow Elementary School's book fair where Capt'n Eli fans bought all The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli books in stock at the school.

It was an exciting week meeting new friends and connecting with Capt'n Eli fans of all ages.

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series. Discover more at captneli.com.

Curriki: Capt'n Eli Curriculum

"Rating of 3-Exemplary...These cross-curricular lessons, by using both graphic novels and technology, will no doubt be engaging for the targeted age group." ~ Curriki

Check out this CURRIKI REVIEW of lesson plans created for Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series.

This resource was reviewed using the rubric for Curriculum: Lesson Plan and received an overall Curriki Review System rating of 3-Exemplary, as of 06/28/09.


Component Ratings:
o Technical Completeness.....3
o Content Accuracy...........3
o Appropriate Pedagogy.......3

Reviewer Comments:
An unusual place to find lesson plans, this resource points the Curriki community to the commercial website for Cap’t Eli’s Soda and its accompanying graphic novel series about a boy with extraordinary scientific abilities and unique ties to the sea. Maine educator and technology integrationist Laura Richter developed some excellent lessons structured around these novels to be used in grades 4 – 8. Each lesson includes objectives and an assessment. In Language Arts and History, students can participate in a webquest that allows students to delve into some of the historical events of the stories. There is a mapping activity for Geography, including extensions for model-building and using Google SketchUp. In Science, students will experiment with mass, buoyancy and density, eventually learning more about submarines. In Art, students will create an original comic strip in groups, after they examine and discuss social and political issues of today, choose a cause, imagine how Eli would respond to this cause and develop a storyline with characters. These cross-curricular lessons, by using both graphic novels and technology, will no doubt be engaging for the targeted age group.

Brigid Alverson: Reading With Pictures

Check out Brigid Alverson's new post on Good Comic for Kids. She leads with a great link to the organization Reading With Pictures, a non-profit organization that facilitates the use of comics and graphic novels in the classroom in order to promote literacy and the visual arts.

She also makes mention of:

"Indefatigable Capt'n Eli artist Jay Piscopo" touring Pennsylvania this week.

Read more about Jay Piscopo's interactive drawing workshop at this link.

Jay Piscopo Returns to Pennsylvania

Next week, Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo will present his “Draw on Your Creativity” interactive drawing workshop at select Pennsylvania schools. This summer he toured Pennsylvania libraries as part of “Be Creative @ Your Library” summer reading program and, based on the success of that tour, was invited by area schools to return. Read full story at this link.

View photos from his Pennsylvania library tour at this link.

Airship 27: Commander X on Easter Island

Thanks to Ron Fortier for writing about the Commander X action figure this week in his Airship 27 flight log. Check it out at this link.

Nov 14: Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day

WHAT: 2nd Annual Capt'n Eli Family Fun Day

WHEN: Saturday, November 14 -- Noon-4:00

WHERE: Regatta Banquet & Conference Center
Route 236 - Eliot Commons - Eliot, Maine
Directions at this link

Calling kids of all ages! Join the Capt'n Eli crew for a day of family fun. Come get your hands on a free superhero sketch by Jay Piscopo, creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series. Blue Ocean Society will take you inside a life-size finback whale and introduce you to real life sea creatures you can hold in your own hands. Rock out with the Rick Miller Trio and hilarious all-ages improv comedy with The Escapists. Meet 13-year-old race car driver Sulo Burbank and check out his cool car. Enjoy Shield's hot dogs and delicious Capt'n Eli's Soda.

Admission is free but you can help Capt'n Eli support healthy oceans with an optional donation to Blue Ocean Society.

Check out photos from last year's event at this link.

Jay Piscopo: October Appearance Schedule

View Jay Piscopo's full appearance schedule at this link.

October 8
Glenburn School -- Glenburn, ME

October 9
Orono Middle School -- Orono, ME

October 16
Laura Richter -- The Way Learning Should Be
ACTEM 22nd Annual Technology Conferece

Week of October 19th
Pennsylvania School Tour
Rainbow Elementary -- Coatesville, PA
Friendship Elementary -- Coatsville, PA
East Fallowfield School -- East Fallowfield, PA

Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity drawing workshop, comic book artist Jay Piscopo uses simple geometric shapes to teach kids how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story. Check out photos from his workshop at this link.


The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli is the perfect way to Make a Splash @ Your Library in Summer 2010!

For more information and to book Jay to visit your school or library visit this link or contact Tami Kennedy at tami@maine.rr.com

The Way Learning Should Be: Capt'n Eli in the Classroom

On Friday, October 16 Skowhegan Area Middle School educator Laura Richter and principal Bruce Mochamer will present a special session at the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine's (ACTEM)22nd Annual Technology Conference "The Way Learning Should Be." View full conference schedule at this link.

Their session is titled "Technology Integration @ Skowhegan MS: Special Emphasis on Literacy and Graphic Novels" and will provide an overview of a wide variety of technology integration projects at the Skowhegan Area Middle School. A special emphasis will be on an interdisciplinary approach to teaching graphic novels. The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli, is a book written by Maine writer Jay Piscopo and has inspired reluctant readers to become engaged in many exciting learning activities ranging from map creation to a WebQuest based on literature and history! All activities integrate
programs provided on the MLTI laptops including NoteShare, Studywiz, Pages, and Comic
Life! Free copies of the book will be available for participants.

Check out classroom curriculum Laura Richter created for The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series at this link. Read more about resources for educators and librarians at this link.

Capt'n Eli's Soda at Cumberland Fair

Be sure to stop by the Capt'n Eli Pop Shoppe at the Cumberland County Fair!