Constitution Construction

Constitution Construction

written and illustrated by Boyd Bentley, 2003, Williamsburg, VA: Chester Comix. (0972961623).

Author/ Illustrator Website: http://www.chestercomix.com/comics/

Awards and Honors: Virginia Council for the Social Studies Friend of Education Award, 2003

Media: Black ink and colored markers on paper.

Graphic Novel: Comic book style book with multiple chapters.

Annotation: Chester the Crab has a dream about the United States Constitution.  The dream is in the form of a comic book and explains the plan for the government of the United States.

Personal Reaction:  So many kids, particularly reluctant readers,  love reading comics.  Chester Comix is a great way to engage students in grades 5, 8 and 10 in the content of the California subject standards for American history.   In just 24 pages, Bentley Boyd, under the guise of Chester the Crab, covers a lot of material related to the construction of the United States Constitution.  John Locke shares his ideas about life, liberty and property from a perch in a jungle wearing a loincloth.  Newspaperman John Peter Zenger fights for freedom of speech and freedom of press after transforming into Superman. An especially funny comic featuring Thomas Jefferson proves that comics can make complex and contentious subjects such as religious freedom easy to digest for students. Chester’s last dream turns the creation of the Articles of Confederation into a comic spin on Star Trek. Chester Comix are colorful, action-packed and fact-filled and the result is a fresh approach to teaching history to students ages 9 to 15 years. Boyd succeeds in succinctly presenting an important period of American history in an easy to understand format that will entertain and educate.  The book includes a comic-free index that will allow students to review key points of information with ease.  A website for Chester Comix features teaching guides and information about state education standards covered in Boyd’s creative work.

Use of Metaphor:  (p.22) The ship from Star Trek is a metaphor for  the United States government.

Use of Onomatopoeia:  (p.3) “Wam” enliven the action as Locke fights for his rights against the gorilla and a tiger.

Use of Personification:   (p. 5) A gorilla personifies the concept of a monarchy government.

Curricular Connection: California History / Social Science, Grade 5, California Standards: 5.7: Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution’s significance as the foundation of the American republic.