Comic strip makers are gaining increased popularity inside and outside the classroom. Synthesis of pictures and words is a powerful and entertaining way to tell a story or give a how-to.

To test the possibilities, I used a free app called Comic Maker HD

I’m one of the paid apps might have better graphics or have a slightly better interface, but I found this particular app easy to use on my iPad. There are many great backgrounds and characters provided, and you can add pictures from your photo stream or take new pictures to position in the comic strip cells if needed.

I chose to use some provided characters to define and explain what a time signature is, but I also added some of my own pictures:

 

I would have the students make their own strips to define different music terms to assess comprehension, but you could also use these strips to explain a process, like how to assemble a flute, or how to clean a French horn to make sure students know how to do these things. In choir, you could have the students create a story that is inspired by a song they are working on as a way to show they are thinking abstractly about a piece.

Overall, comic strips are a great way to assess comprehension in the music classroom. They are also a way for students to be creative and have fun.