Google Slides

Strips with

Creating Comic

Eric Curts

ericcurts.com - ericcurts@gmail.com

@ericcurts - gplus.to/ericcurts

Session Resources: tiny.cc/curts19

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Presenter - Eric Curts

• Technology Integration Specialist for SPARCC
• Google Certified Trainer / �Google Certified Innovator
• All my resources - ControlAltAchieve.com
• SPARCC Google Group - tiny.cc/sparcc-google-group
• GEG Ohio - tiny.cc/geg-ohio
• Technology Integration - ti.apps.sparcc.org
• Everything else - www.ericcurts.com

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Session Agenda

• Comic strips in schools
• Why Google Slides
• Create a sample comic strip
• Publish or print the comic strip

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Prerequisites

For this session you should have:

• A Gmail or Google Apps account
• Access to Google Slides
• A basic understanding of how to use Google Slides would be helpful

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Why create comic strips?

• Another option for projects
• Allows for a lot of creativity
• Uses a familiar format
• Can incorporate both visual and written information
• Improve narrative writing skills
• It's fun!

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Ideas for using comic strips

• Illustrate a concept from class, such as a property of science
• Retell a story or a portion of a story they have read for class
• Re-enact a famous scene �from history

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Ideas for using comic strips

• Students can tell about themselves with an autobiographical comic.
• Students can make a comic that uses vocabulary words for that week.

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Why Google Slides?

• It's free!
• Students can use existing Google Apps accounts
• Lots of options for creativity with the tools in Slides
• Ability to add animation to the comics

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Why Google Slides?

• Ability to collaborate with others when working on the same comic strip
• Ability to publish to the web for viewing
• Everything accessible online

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Comic strip vs. slide show?

Typically a comic strip will have:

• A narrative - a story is being told
• Visuals - comics are a graphic media and should contain prominent images
• Speech - text depicting the characters' speech

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Sample Comic Strip

Here is an example of a comic strip created with Google Slides where the student is illustrating a concept from science class:

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Google Slide link

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

How to use Google Slides

For overall help on how to use Google Slides see:

• "Using Google Slides" help guide - Google Docs link

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For some tips and tricks specific to making comic strips, see the following slides...

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Image Backgrounds

When possible use images with transparency to avoid blocking the background.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image has transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

This image does not have transparency.

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Backgrounds

If you are using images with transparency (such as PNG files) you can change the slide background to any color or any image.

• Click Slide, then Change Background, then Color.

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Backgrounds

You can add an offset color to your background:

• Insert a shape from the Insert menu.
• Change its fill color.
• Change its order and send it to the back. (Arrange, Order, Send to back)

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Backgrounds

You can also use an image for your background.

• Click Slide, Change Background, then Choose and image
• Or click Tools then Research and search for an image

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Characters and Objects

You can insert any image for your characters and objects.

• Images in PNG format are best because of their transparency.
• A good sites for free PNG images is:�http://openclipart.org

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Characters and Objects

You can also find and insert images with the Research tool.

• Click Tools then Research
• In your search you can include �PNG as a search term
• Drag and drop the image you �want onto your slide

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Characters and Objects

Other options for image include:

• Copy and paste (Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V)
• Drag and drop from website to slide
• Click Insert then Image then upload, use your webcam, insert from Drive, or more

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Speech Bubbles

• To add speech or thought bubbles, click Insert then Shape then Callouts
• Double-click in the bubble to add text
• You can choose from several options:

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Animations

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Animations

Animations can be used to reveal speech bubbles in order, or bring items into or out of the panel.

Click Insert then Animation to open those settings

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This speech bubble will show first

This bubble will show second

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Transitions

Slide transition effects can be added

• To capture the feel of moving from one comic panel to the next, a good transition is Slide from right
• Click Slide then Change transition to access these settings.

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Word Art

Word Art can be used to create exciting titles and action words in your comics.

• Click Insert then Word �Art then type your text.
• Next tweak the line color �and style, fill color, size, �and rotation.

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Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Grouping

Images can be grouped to stay together when you move, resize, or copy and paste them

Select all the images (Ctrl-clicking on them, or drag a selection box around them), then click Arrange and Group

Google for Education Certified Trainer

Eric Curts - ericcurts.com - ControlAltAchieve.com - ericcurts@gmail.com - @ericcurts

Questions and Contact Info

Questions?

Contact: Eric Curts

• Websites - www.ericcurts.com� www.ControlAltAchieve.com
• Email - ericcurts@gmail.com
• Twitter - @ericcurts
• Google+ - gplus.to/ericcurts

Copyright

This document is licensed by Eric Curts under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 United States license.

For more information about this license see:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

In short, you can copy, distribute, and adapt this work as long as you give proper attribution and do not charge for it.