Teach with Zines
What happens when we ask students to write not just an essay, but something another person might actually pick up and read?
Zines (small, self-published, DIY publications) offer students a different way to write, research, and communicate. Their flexible formats invite experimentation with voice, design, audience, and genre while creating opportunities for students to see themselves as producers of knowledge rather than simply completing an assignment for a grade.
Research on zines emphasizes their potential for self-expression, alternative knowledge production, and empowerment. Because zines operate outside many of the conventions and institutional structures of mainstream publishing, they can create space for voices and perspectives that are often marginalized or de-emphasized. Scholars have also described zines as opportunities for writing as praxis: connecting reflection and action and asking students to consider how communication can matter beyond the classroom.
But you don't need to be a zine expert to try one.
This page is a collection of practical resources for bringing zines into classrooms. Here you'll find lesson plans, folding guides, templates, sample student zines, and strategies I've developed through using zines with my own students.