LESSON PLANS
SIDE EFFECTS Published by : Seismic Press ISBN : 9781956731088 Ages : Ages 15 and up
“ Let ’ s just aim for okay . Okay ?”
Hannah doesn ’ t want to be super . She isn ’ t even asking to be great . She just wants to be well – unfortunately the world doesn ’ t always want to make that easy , especially when you ’ re in your first year of college !
Side Effects follows Hannah through her first year of undergrad life , with all the tests and parties and cute girls she could ask for – and the depression and anxiety she didn ’ t want . Luckily for Hannah though , when she falls into a depression spiral , her roommate is there to help her get to mental health services , where she is prescribed therapy and medication . The therapy is great , but it turns out , those meds can come with some super side-effects ! Whether it is gaining weight ( and a kind of invulnerability ) or horrible headaches ( and the ability to zap ! things ), each new med comes with a mix of good and bad that Hannah ( and Dr . Jacobs ) have to weigh to determine if it is worth continuing .
While some of the side effects are indeed right out of a superhero story , Side Effects is at its root a work of graphic medicine , using fiction to discuss the very real struggles that depression and anxiety can bring , and the complexity of treatment . Therapy helps , but can surface old traumas and be uncomfortable to keep at . Medication can be expensive , can come with side effects worse than what they are intended to treat , and the switch-offs to find “ the right one ” can be dangerous to body and mind . And in the midst of all of this , life continues . Whether it is life at its most mundane ( going to class , studying , deciding what to eat and when ), or at its most intense ( finding out a professor is abusing their position to harass a classmate ), the illness and medication and therapy is all still there in the background . As my generation would say , “ the struggle is real ” and all anyone can do is their best – and hopefully not do it alone .
The artwork on display here is a fun blend of tropes you ’ d expect to find across the medium . You ’ ve got the superhero effect callouts ( special senses like lightning bolts , whooshes for floating , and so on ). There are moments of shy expression , with characters blushing and emoting in the exaggerated ways that make coming of age comics so engaging . And the coloring sets the mood throughout so well . A great example of color at work is on page 33 when Hannah becomes almost too tranquil .
Side Effects is a lively , cute , and relatable coming of age story that invites the reader to imagine a better world , where everyone , sometimes with a little help , can be well . ontent note : this comic does contain depictions of depression , anxiety , and sexual misconduct ( professor-to-student , non-graphic ).
ELEMENTS OF STORY Plot : When Hannah has a depressive episode early in her first year of college , she seeks the help of therapy and medication . What follows is a wild ride with side effects of superhero proportions as she seeks to gain control over her mind and find her place in this new phase of life . Characters : Hannah , Ella , Dr . Jacobs , Jay , Iz , Marcie , Dean Byrne , numerous unnamed friends Major Settings : College campus , Hannah ’ s dorm room , Iz ’ s dorm room , student mental health services , Dr . Jacobs office Themes : Depression , anxiety , coming-of-age , relationships , psychology / psychiatry Lesson Plan Idea Using Common Core Standards ( CCS ) CCSS . ELA-LITERACY . RI . 11-12.7 – Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats ( e . g ., visually , quantitatively ) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem .
DIRECTIONS : Side Effects highlights how all medications come with unintended consequences . In Hannah ’ s case , her medication for anxiety and depression caused what we would consider “ superhero ” like powers to emerge – telepathy , super strength , and so on . While these effects aren ’ t likely to show up in real life , the reality is that all medication comes with potential side effects – some innocuous , some painful , and some deadly .
For this assignment , students will stretch their media literacy skills by looking at real life medication advertising and official drug information .
Step 1 : Students should choose three prescription medications to evaluate . Provide them with some examples to choose from and encourage them to look at medications that have both brand and generic options available , as the way each are marketed and reported on may be interesting to examine .
Step 2 : Students will watch , read , and / or listen to advertising for each medication chosen . Students will record what promises the advertising makes for the medicines and make note of which side effects are specifically called out in the campaign .
Step 3 : Students will read the official guidelines for each medication ( resources for this : https :// www . fda . gov / drugs / information-consumers-and-patients-drugs / find-informationabout-drug ). Students should record all listed side effects for the medications and note specifics about what each drug is approved for .
Step 4 : Students will prepare a 4 to 5-page report detailing their findings on each medication . The report should include observed information and should offer a comparative analysis of what the official information sheets say versus what marketing campaigns say . Highlight any discrepancies and offer opinions on how effective or not they find each campaign .
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR • Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian Matthew Noe provides in depth graphic novel review and creates associated lesson plan for librarians and educators for graphic novels for their collection or classroom .
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