"S" is for Science and Submersibles

The Science of Superheroes Expo puts the "S" in Superheroes and Capt'n Eli puts the "S" in Submersibles! Presented by Bronx Community College and Kids' Comic Con.

STAND BY FOR ADVENTURE!
Educators: Don't miss this chance to bring comic books into your classroom and inspire your students to dive into science! Your students will research superheroes' abilities and how science plays into their powers and gadgets. Your work will be presented in a science expo at Bronx Community College in the Spring of 2010. OVERVIEW HERE.

GRAPHIC NOVEL
The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli graphic novel series makes it easy with FREE on-line CURRICULUM your students will love.

Capt'n Eli is drenched in possibilities for Oceanography and other scientific studies. CURRICULUM HERE.

In the science lesson, students perform a series of experiments, learning about the relationship between mass, buoyancy and density. After understanding how a submarine works, students discover the legendary Alvin, the first deep-sea submersible able to carry passengers. Through research, students learn about hydrothermal vents and come to understand how scientists conduct underwater studies.

Educators interested in Jay Piscopo's The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series should contact:

Tami Kennedy
Nemo Publishing
207-838-0816
tami@maine.rr.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.

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.

Gilford Public Library Hosts Jay Piscopo

Jay Piscopo spent last evening at the Gilford Public Library in Gilford, New Hampshire with a fantastic group of budding young comic book artists. View photos at this link.

This library definitely lives us to its bumper sticker! Be sure to keep your eye out for Lauren Tiner's story in next week's Gilford Steamer.

Jay is the author and illustrator of the all ages graphic novel series The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli. In his interactive Draw on Your Creativity workshop, using simple geometric shapes, he teaches how to build anatomy and perspective to create art that tells a story and demonstrates how anyone can learn to draw.

For more about his workshops and other resources for schools and libraries (including free curriculum)visit this link.

Get Drawn in at Fiddlehead Center for the Arts

This week, Maine comic book artist Jay Piscopo will be at the Fiddlehead Center for the Arts teaching a week-long comics drawing workshop for kids. In this hands on workshop, he teaches the basics of how to create characters and tell a story and helps kids develop their own characters and comic book. On the final day, there will be an exhibit of all the students' work.

Fiddlehead Center for the Arts is an fantastic arts facility in Gray, Maine. They offer a full line up of summer workshops for kids of all ages. Check out the summer schedule at this link.

Jay is the author and illustrator of the all ages graphic novel series, The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli. Read reviews of this series at this link. Disover more about the graphic novel curriculum for this series in this recent article in Diamond Bookshelf.

Georgetown Record: Wenham Museum Article

Georgetown Record
By Meghan Flynn / Correspondent
Thu Jul 09, 2009

Read the full article at this link.

After nearly a month of cloudy gray weather, local children and families were thrilled to experience the latest exhibit at the Wenham Museum — “Colorful Characters: Storytelling Through Comics.” The exhibit opened on June 9, but Saturday, June 27 was Superhero Saturday, a three-hour event to kick off the summer exhibit....

The second workshop is a one-day event on July 23 with Jay Piscopo, the Maine-based author and illustrator of “The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli.” The workshop will be a step-by-step comic strip drawing course for aspiring artists ages 7 and older.

Piscopo was at the Superhero Saturday event with lots of free mini-comics of his two “Capt’n Eli” graphic novels, which feature a 9-year-old hero maritime detective in the tradition of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. The character was originally the brand icon for Capt’n Eli’s Soda, a line of sodas produced by Fred Forsley and Alan Pugsley of the Maine-based Shipyard Brewing Company.

Piscopo said the stories of Capt'n Eli are designed in the spirit of Forsley’s father, Eli Forsely of Grey, Maine, who believed in the power of good stories and the importance of fun.

“Comics and superheroes are our mythology, and it is equally important to have the kid-friendly parables as it is to have the darker, anti-hero stories we’ve been seeing recently,” said Piscopo, who said he was eager to take on the Capt’n Eli series to create a comic for the young and young at heart to enjoy. “The comic industry will only survive if it embraces both sides of this art.”

Piscopo and Capt’t Eli were a great match for the event for another reason: The comic has recently been adapted by award-winning technology integrationist and educator Laura Richter into interactive lesson plans covering geography, scientific research techniques, ancient mythology, history, art and more.

The Colorful Characters exhibit runs through Sept. 15 at the Wenham Museum, located at 132 Main St., Wenham. For more information, visit www.wenhammuseum.org.

Super Day at the Eliot and Springvale Libraries

Yesterday, graphic novel author/illustrator Jay Piscopo showed kids how to Draw on Their Creativity at the William Fogg Public Library in Eliot, Maine (photos) and the Springvale Public Library in Springvale, Maine (photos).

Jay is the creator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel series.

In his interactive drawing workshop, he uses simple geometric shapes to demonstrate how anyone can learn to draw and create comics. Read more about Jay's drawing workshop for schools and libraries and the curriculum designed to go with the Capt'n Eli graphic novel series at this link.

Next week, Jay is off and away to Pennsylvania for a public library tour.

July 6-10
Tour of Pennsylvania Library System
Collingdale Public Library -- Collingdale, PA
Henrietta Hankin Library -- Chester Springs, PA
Easttown Library -- Berwyn, PA
Atglen Public Library -- Atglen, PA
West Chester Public Library -- West Chester, PA
Tredyffrin Public Library -- Strafford, PA
Joseph E. Coleman Library -- Philadeliphia, PA
Radnor Township Memorial Library -- Wayne, PA
Malvern Public Library -- Malvern, PA

Capt'n Eli Curriculum at Summer Tech 2009

Educator Laura Richter presented her curriculum for The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel at the 2009 Summer Technology Institute at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine. This session focused on the many ways to integrate technology with graphic novels. Check out photos from the workshop HERE.

Richter demonstrated how teachers can integrate these interactive and engaging lesson plans to expand their curriculum to an interdisciplinary experience where students learn language arts skills, geography mapping, scientific research techniques, ancient mythology, world history, art, and more. Authentic assessment strategies, technology integration, 21st century skills, and real life learning are all integral to the learning process embedded in these lessons. The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli graphic novel series is written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo.

Download free curriculum HERE.

Discover more about Capt'n Eli's resources for educators HERE.

New Graphic Novel Curriculum: Capt'n Eli

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Tami Kennedy
207-838-0816
tami@maine.rr.com

Stand by For Adventure with Comics in the Classroom: New Graphic Novel Curriculum Available for The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli Series

PORTLAND, MAINE – (June 4, 2009) – Nemo Publishing announced the release of new classroom curriculum for its graphic novel series The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli. This series is written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo of Portland.

The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli lesson plans were created by award-winning Maine educator and technology integrationist Laura Richter and are available for free at www.captneli.com/lessons. Read full press release HERE.

Stand by for Adventure in Skowhegan, Maine

Frank Chin's art students at Skowhegan Middle School have created some amazing comic book artwork! Click HERE to see all their artwork and read about this inspiring project and how Frank Chin's students combined traditional art with technology to create their comic book pages.

Check out photos of Jay Piscopo's classroom visit HERE.

And don't miss classroom curriculum created for The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli all ages graphic novel HERE.