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This strategy of storyboarding can help students identify patterns in a text or across multiple texts. Creating a storyboard allows students to use both words and pictures to depict the sequence of important information in a text. Once the storyboard is created, students can then begin to use their visual depiction of the text as a tool to help them identify patterns of continuity or change within the text. Since storyboards “block out” sections, or “frames,” they may make identifying these patterns easier than simply working within the text itself would.
PREPARATION:
Plan for the reading of the chosen text, including activities that will engage students in pre-reading and interacting with the text through multiple reads.
Have a purpose for this instructional practice in mind. Determine what students will do with the information after completing this activity. This instructional practice might only be a stepping stone to a larger academic task.
If students will be using digital resources to complete their storyboards or timelines, consider spending time teaching students how to use the chosen applications before asking them to complete this task.
STEPS:
IDENTIFY EVENTS: After students have engaged in the reading of the text, have them work in partners or small groups to return to the text and identify 5–10 critical concepts, events, or other ideas in the text.
COMBINE, CONDENSE, SEPARATE: Then, instruct students to determine which concepts, events, or other ideas can be combined and which need to remain separate. If there is not a significant change between concepts, events, or ideas, they can likely be condensed.
ADD TITLE: Instruct students to determine an appropriate title and subtitle for their storyboard or timeline. The title should accurately portray the intent of the product.
STORYBOARD FRAME CREATION: For each concept, event, or other idea, students will then collaborate to create a “frame” (if using the storyboard method) or an entry (if using the timeline method). Each storyboard frame or timeline entry should include verbal and visual information. If appropriate, sources can be directly quoted and cited. Students should be sure that there is enough change between concepts, events, or other ideas to warrant creating a new entry.
ADD TO STORYBOARD: Students will continue this process until every concept, event, or other idea has been added to the storyboard or timeline.
ADD CAPTIONS: Somewhere on the storyboard or timeline, perhaps under the title, the students should create a short summary statement accurately captioning the purpose of the storyboard or timeline.
RATIONALE: Next, ask students to justify their choices by writing, on a separate sheet of paper, a rationale for their choices in the creation of the storyboard or timeline.
SHARE: Debrief by asking some groups to present their timelines to the class and justify their choices.
VARIATIONS:
Students can use digital tools to create storyboards and timelines.
One variation that may make it even easier to organize and reorganize key information from the text is having students create digital storyboards or timelines using a slideshow application or physical storyboards using index cards. These tools will provide students with an easy way to manipulate the order of each frame of information.
EXTENSIONS:
Use this strategy to assist students in summarizing or depicting a process, such as “how to simplify fractions” or “how to plant a garden.” • Display the final products in the classroom to provide visual support for an instructional unit.
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