Music, Cartoons and Literacy

I just saw a post about the history of music, cartoons and literacy in WWI and WWII. I would like to hear your comments on how you use music and cartoons in teen and adult literacy instruction. Do any of you use graphic novels? If so, which titles?



Many soldiers did not have basic skills, and thus the Army provided instruction using cartoons and songs. Below is part of a post by Thomas G. Sticht on the National Institute for LiteracyAdult English Language Learners mailing list EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov. It is a busy list. To subscribe go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage



Here is part of the post:

One innovation introduced in the literacy training programs was the use of a cartoon strip featuring fictional soldiers Private Pete and his sidekick Daffy. These cartoons were usually two page spreads in a special newspaper for literacy students called Our War. Our War editors understood that the hearts and minds of the troops were on family and friends, often girl friends, back home. The cartoons sometimes told stories about visits with girl friends and included scenes in which Private Pete and friends were singing songs. One popular song of the time was aimed at making separations between the soldiers and their sweethearts more bearable. In the August 1943 issue of Our War the cartoon strip was about a letter Private Pete got from another soldier friend of his who told about how he was going overseas. A cartoon frame shows him and a group ofhis buddies travelling in the back of an Army truck singing a song called



Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree:

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me

Anyone else but me, anyone else but me

No! No! No!Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me

Till I come marchin' home



Don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me

Anyone else but me, anyone else but me

No! No! No!Don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me

Till I come marchin' home



I do remember this song and "hear" it my head as I read the words. If you are interested in old cartoons go to http://www.barnaclepress.com/
Today's Blog Post is by Sandy Newell, President of VALF