The Cold War can be a very daunting subject for high school history students. The dates, the historical figures and the minutia in between can be challenging and overwhelming to kids, especially those who have difficulty reading and writing. Many teachers rely on the age old methods of worksheets and lecturing which leaves many students unengaged and bored.
However, at a high school in Toronto, Ontario, one American history teacher has taken new steps to try to bring the subject of the Cold War to life through the medium of graphic novels. The teacher wished to remain anonymous, but let Space Dock observe her own teaching methods which we found very cool (to say the least). The history teacher, and parent of two comic book fans, altered her usual unit planning by juxtaposing superheroes with historical analysis; bringing Darwyn Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier into the class.
For those who might not be familiar with this series, The New Frontier recaps the history of the Justice League of America. The members of this superhero group are numerous, but the core characters are: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash to name a few. The narrative is set between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Kennedy administration and the title itself is borrowed from John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Democratic acceptance speech. Some of the themes covered in the book are the Space Race, McCarthyism, communism, and the civil rights movement.
What started out as a brief introduction of the text quickly turned into something far more engaging. Students began to check out the graphic novel in record numbers, culminating in the teacher having to create a sign-out sheet. The experience inspired the teacher to add a creative comic book activity to the final assignment. This involved students creating their own comic book histories of post-war America. Some students even analyzed the cartoon film version, and compared it to their own writings.
The experience demonstrates that graphic novels are a powerful source of education in the 21st century. Space Dock asked the teacher what is it about graphic novels that are so appealing to students? She answered, “Many students have difficulty reading, and graphic novels and comic books provide an easy and quick way for students to become engaged”. She went on to add that "historical fiction such as Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier cannot replace solid academic books but it does provide a nice entry way for that material to be studied later”. The recent interest in movies such as The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and 300 encourage students to seek out more comic book related media, even ones based in history.
In 1960, Kennedy said that the new frontier was upon us. Space Dock hopes to see more educational barriers broken down through the medium of comics and graphic novels.
-Jared Robinson
