Zines are homemade publications that are usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter. I created the following unit for 6th and 8th graders. The unit was multi-faceted and incorporated printmaking, zine construction, story-telling, drawing, and collage. This unit demonstrated two key elements of my teaching philosophy which are amplifying student voice and providing choice. Students had options for their zine theme, all of which were designed to amplify their voices and allowed me to learn more about their interests.

 

Zine themes included: 

• Research Zine (What do you want to learn more about?)

• Instructional Zine (What are you an expert on?)

• Predict The Future Zine (What does the future look like?)

• Short Story Zine (What story do you want to tell?)

• Social Issue Zine (What cause do you care about?

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​I provided students with up-to-date resources from the school library if they decided to choose the research or social issue theme, but otherwise students had the opportunity to be very creative. Students had choices: whether or not they wanted to include words or tell their story through imagery only, mixed media elements, and number of layers in their reduction prints. The results were wonderfully varied and highlighted the individuality of each student.