AGNovel Partnership

Teacher Training – Module 3:

AGnovel – The novel - Story and Characters

AGnovelAdvanced Interactive Graphic Novels on Mobile Touchscreen Devices

Grant Agreement No. 2013-3792/001-001Project No. 543284-LLP-1-2013-1-DE-KA2-KA2MP

TeacherTraining

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The Graphic novel of the AGnovel project

• The story comes up with a prologue and 11 scenes• The story has five characters and a narrator.• The story is situated in an enterprise and offers both

insights in the office and at the working place.• The enterprise focusses on the restauration of art.• Concerning the business environment the story focusses

on recruiting processes teamwork, decision making and hierarchy.

• Concerning language learning the story addresses the B1+ level, which means B1 / B2 speakers which are developing their skills.

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The Story

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In the dark entrance hall of the time honored Bloomworth Educational Institute the shape of a figure can be seen throwing a bucket of paint against a wall with frescoes.

Prologue – time skip 1 (into the future)

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Scene 1: INTRODUCTION OF THE CHARACTERS –Charlene at home

Three weeks before the prologue: Charlene Jimenéz is around 20. She is shown with her friend, Peter Foster, in her room full of paintings, canvas and other art materials. Everything is decorated, walls are full of posters of artists, various paintings lean against the walls. She is sitting at a table with papers all around her, reviewing her application for a job at Parker&Brown Art Restoration Company. This morning she received a spontaneous invitation asking her if she could come the same day for an interview. She is nervous and talks to Peter about what she should say in the interview before confirming the interview invitation at 2pm by email on her smartphone.

Scene 1 and 2 – time skip 2 (into the past)Introduction of the main characters

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Scene 2: INTRODUCTION OF THE CHARACTERS –Jasmine in her car

Jasmine is around 25. Driving her small car, she is combing her long hair with her favorite spring clip, a big, colored, high-priced, design-made one. She is driving irresponsibly and talking on the phone with earphones with her mother. She shouts at an old lady crossing the road after nearly hitting her with her car. Her tirade is interrupted again when her mother asks her if she needs money. Jasmine lies and says no, she just got a prestigious job with Parker&Brown Art Restoration Company. She thinks that nobody can match her skills and therefore she is the only real choice for the job. She tells her mother that she is responsible for a very good project about restoring priceless murals, all commissioned and financed by the Ministry. She hangs up and starts sending the email to Anne-Marie Williams, the head of HR at Parker&Brown, to confirm that they will meet for the job interview at 2pm.

Scene 1 and 2 –Introduction of the main characters

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Scene 3: CHARLENE AND JASMINE MEET ANNE-MARIE WILLIAMSJasmine gets out of the car, dressed in chic design-made clothes (like “Desigual”). She looks casual but she's not casual at all. As she arrives at the School where Anne-Marie Williams is waiting for her and Charlene to show them the location of their big restoration project, a group of pupils bumps into her, making her lose her balance in her high heels. She’s annoyed and curses them for ruining her outfit.Charlene comes around the corner, offering her hand to help Jasmine getting up. Anne-Marie Williams arrives and introduces them to the restoration site, a 300 year old mural that has been damaged over time from when the school was an abbey. Mrs. Williams asks them to follow her to the company office around the corner for the rest of the interview.

Scene 3Introduction of Anne-Marie

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Scene 4: THE JOB INTERVIEWIn the office Anne-Marie Williams talks to both applicants and they provide her with their CVs. She tells them that they both seem to be great choices, and that she wants to give both of them a chance to prove their skills. Both shall get a freelance contract to work on the project, and one of them will be chosen for a permanent position afterwards. The choice will be made based on the skills displayed and on how well they fit into Parker&Brown’s team.

Scene 4Focus on an office situation

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Scene 5: THE MEETING WITH THE CEO, JOHN PARKER Three weeks later Charlene and Jasmine are in a meeting at the office with Mrs Williams and John Parker, the CEO of Parker&Brown, a very nice man. During the meeting, Anne-Marie explains to John everything about her relationship with the municipality, she shows him the project scheme with the financial budget, the impact provision and explains the work of Jasmine and Charlene. Anne-Marie Williams has heard that they have a frosty relationship and asks them about it, but both girls deny it. John Parker is curious about the progress and asks them to take him to the site.

Scene 5An office situation with a CEO

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Scene 6: CRISIS – CEO JOHN PARKER REVIEWS THE WORK AT THE FRESCOESAt the restoration site the work is almost finished. John Parker takes a detailed look at the work and really likes the restoration of the murals but he literally falls in love with how the faces of the saints were repainted, a task done by Charlene. He asks them which artist created that. Charlene says she did it. John really congratulates her, saying that the beauty of her way of painting will make his work easier at the company in order to convince his partner to restore more medieval frescoes. He explains that his partner was skeptical due to the fact that a mistake in this filed leads to enormous reparation costs. Jasmine at first congratulates Charlene too, but she is very upset inside…

Scene 6Insight in a workplace / restauration site - The crisis

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Scene 7: THE DISASTER IS DISCOVEREDThe morning after the destruction of the frescoes, Charlene arrives at the school very early and finds the mess. She stares at the wall, astonished for a few seconds, then she calls Jasmine, but her colleague doesn’t answer the phone. When she calls Anne-Marie Williams she only gets voicemail. Charlene is desperate, wondering who could have done this. Then she looks around herself. She starts being afraid that someone is still there, she starts looking for someone nearby, but no one is there. She starts looking at the ground. There are pens, puddles of paint, ripped restoration plans, and broken brushes. Charlene starts to examine the mess and she picks up an item from under a rag (not to be seen clearly for the reader of the story). Suddenly she hears some noises, the door opens and Anne-Marie Williams comes in. She sees the mess and accuses Charlene. Charlene tells her it’s not as it seems but Anne-Marie rushes away to call the police. Charlene decides that she has to do something.

Scene 7Insight in a workplace

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Scene 8: PETER ENCOURAGES CHARLENECharlene goes home desperate, she speaks to Peter and tells him everything. She believes that she would be expelled from the project which would be the end of her career. Peter doesn’t really understand who could be guilty for this, but he encourages her to find out who the culprit is. Charlene replies that she has an idea where to start looking.

Scene 8Support

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Scene 9: CHARLENE’S AND PETER’S INVESTIGATIONThe same night Charlene and Peter are hiding behind a hedge observing a house. The door opens, and a shadow appears and walks cautiously to the dumpsters beneath an open window. The shadow throws something away.Peter tells Charlene that he will give her an opportunity to examine the dumpster, then sneaks into the garden of the house and breaks a few flowerpots on the terrace. The noise attracts the attention of the shadow and Charlene can easily reach the dumpster and recover a plastic bag.

Scene 9Investigations – The active protagonist

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Scene 10: SOLUTIONThe following day, Anne-Marie Williams, Jasmine and Charlene meet at the office. The situation is very tense: Anne-Marie Williams thinks Charlene caused the mess but doesn’t understand why she should have done this. Charlene has a backpack in her hand. Mrs. Williams accuses Charlene and Jasmine pretends to be annoyed, but not surprised. She says that she’s had her suspicions about Charlene’s loyalty from the beginning, and that she just decided against reporting Charlene’s sloppy work because she’s a team worker. When John Parker enters Charlene opens her backpack and takes out the plastic bag she recovered the previous night. It’s full of clothes covered with paint and brush cleaner. She says that she took it out of Jasmine’s dustbin last night. Jasmine gets furious and shouts that she’s an artist, and that it means nothing because it’s in the nature of her work that clothes get stained with paint. But Charlene grabs a rag containing an item out of her backpack and reveals the spring clip, mentioning that she found it at the crime scene. Anne-Marie recognizes that this is the spring clip of Jasmine and asks Jasmine to explain the situation. Jasmine refuses to answer, jumps up and bumps into a policeman on the way out.

Scene 10Office situation - Solution

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Scene 11: DENOUEMENTA month later: At the restoration site John Parker, Anne-Marie Williams as well as Department Directors and some council members are all curious to see the restored murals behind a veil. Charlene is standing next to her friend Peter. The CEO goes to the murals and examines the work in detail again. He is amazed how skillfully Charlene has removed all traces of the defacing. Everyone says the restoration work is beautiful. John Parker congratulates Charlene and welcomes her as a new employee of Parker&Brown. Charlene is happy and thanks Peter for supporting her.

Scene 11A happy end – time skip 3 (into the future)

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The Characters

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Main Characters of the Agnovel Graphic novel

Charlene

Charlene is the protagonist in the AGnovel Graphic novel. She is a typical girl – not a model but dressed

young and casual. She is the person in the story, with which the learners should identify.

She has some specifics:(a) She is not self-confident in any situation.

(b) She is always willing to help (even her enemy)(c) She is dark-colored, which refers to her status of a

person belonging a familiy with a migration background

(d) She is gifted in the field of art.(e) She is searching for a new job.

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Main Characters of the Agnovel Graphic novel

Jasmine

Jasmine is the antagonist in the AGnovel Graphic novel. She is a a well dressed, smart and arrogant person – a little bit skinny and pale. She is the person in the story, which does all bad things like using a phone in the car,

demolishing the fres. She has some specifics:a) She is self-confident.

b) She acts in an egoistc way andalways to her own best.

c) She is also gifted in the field of art but not as gifted as Charlene.

d) She is searching for a new job.

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Main Characters of the Agnovel Graphic novel

Ann-Marie

Ann-Marie is the working at the enterprise, where Charlene and Jasmine are applying for a job as an

restauration artists. The is the head of HR and responsible for hireing staff. She is an older lady, who

know much about her job.She has some specifics:

a) She a decision maker and offers a job. Therefore, she has to check the applications and CVs as well as

doing the interview.b) She cooperates with the management board of the

enterprise.c) She is searching for a well-skilled employee, which

fits to the enteprise and is able to work in a team.

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Main Characters of the Agnovel Graphic novel

Peter

Peter is the friend of Charlene and supports her.He is a smart young man, dressed casually.

He comes up with ideas and shows ways to act adequate.

He has some specifics:a) He is available in difficult situations.

b) He offers help and accompanies Charlene.c) He stand for a family background and a work-life

balance.

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Main Characters of the Agnovel Graphic novel

John

John is a manger of the restauration enterprise.He is the future employer of Charlene or Jasmine.

He has some specifics:a) He is a decision-maker.

b) He has to look at the aims of the enterprise.c) In cooperation with the second board member he

has to run the enterprise.d) Cost effectiveness and quality are important for

him.