Goal: Create two comic panels from a single close‑reading moment that show: (A) a reader who stops in the wrong place and loses sense, and (B) the same line with corrected punctuation that restores clarity. Use an English translation but preserve each manuscript's unique punctuation marks.
- Step 1 — Read & mark (5 min): Read the sentences aloud. Mark natural beats, then mark the manuscript punctuation (dots, slashes, bullets). Notice where a stop forces a syntactic break that makes the meaning drop away.
- Step 2 — Draft thumbnails (10 min): Sketch two tiny panels: Panel 1 = wrong stop; Panel 2 = corrected punctuation. Plan facial expression, a thought bubble with the stopped reading, and a caption explaining the sensus loss/gain.
- Step 3 — Write the panel captions (10 min): Use the English translation below but keep punctuation exactly as in the manuscripts.
- Step 4 — Finalise art and annotations (15–20 min): Emphasise pause marks visually (a large dot or slash over the word). Add a short teacher/reader note linking to Roger Bacon’s line about sensus perishing.
Exemplar models (text for the two panels)
Panel 1 — Reader stops in the wrong place (shows confusion)
Text (preserving N-style stops):
"Since concerning the city of both earthly, namely and heavenly. with due bounds next I think I must dispute. First must be set out how much of the work this plan allows. Arguments of mortals, by which they themselves strive to make happiness in the misfortune of this life • so that from their vain things / our hope differs / what God gave us."
Visual: reader with finger at the dot after 'heavenly.' thought bubble: "Wait — is this sentence finished?" Speech bubble: confused fragment.
Panel 2 — Corrected punctuation restores clarity
Text (corrected punctuation, preserving M-style where stop is later):
"Since concerning the city of both, earthly namely and heavenly, with due bounds next I think I must dispute; first must be set out how much of the work this plan allows, the arguments of mortals by which they strive to make happiness for themselves in this life's misfortune, so that from their vain things our hope may differ from what God gave us."
Visual: reader's face clears; thought bubble: "Oh — the clause continues — now it makes sense."
Teacher comments (Ally McBeal cadence)
Oh! (tiny smile) — that pause — it nearly kills the sentence, doesn’t it? — you’ve shown the reader’s bewilderment vividly in Panel 1; Panel 2 sings when the punctuation lets the clause breathe. Nice economy. Next: tighten the thought bubbles — make the lost sensus line shorter and punchier. Bravo.
Rubric (brief, ACARA-aligned)
- Accuracy of textual fidelity (0–4): preserves manuscript punctuation and faithful translation.
- Clarity of demonstration (0–4): Panel 1 clearly shows loss of sense; Panel 2 clearly restores sense.
- Visual communication (0–4): facial expression, pause marks, and layout aid comprehension.
- Interpretive explanation (0–4): links punctuation choice to meaning and to Bacon’s observation.
Total /16 — 13–16 Excellent, 9–12 Satisfactory, 0–8 Needs revision.