A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a story. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and helps students develop greater understanding of literary structures.
Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a work with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of A Wrinkle in Time.
Guide students to share their interpretations of each plot stage. Encourage respectful listening and prompt students to explain their reasoning. Foster connections between the plot diagram and students’ own experiences.
Divide students into small groups and assign each member a specific plot element (e.g., Exposition, Climax). Empower each student to lead their section, ensuring active participation and ownership.
Use digital tools like Storyboard That or Google Slides to let students create visual plot diagrams. Encourage creativity by adding images, text, and audio to bring scenes to life.
Ask students to predict how changes to one plot event might affect the story’s outcome. Challenge them to justify their ideas using evidence from the text and their storyboard.
Pair students or groups to review each other's storyboards. Guide them to give specific, positive feedback and ask clarifying questions to deepen understanding.
A plot diagram for A Wrinkle in Time visually maps out the story's main events, usually in six parts: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. It helps students understand the narrative arc and key turning points in the novel.
To create a plot diagram, students can use a six-cell storyboard. In each cell, they depict and describe a major story element in sequence—starting with Exposition and ending with Resolution—to visually organize the book's key events.
Making a storyboard helps students break down the book's plot into manageable pieces, reinforcing their understanding of story structure while making learning interactive and engaging. It supports visual learners and deepens comprehension of literary elements.
The main parts of a plot diagram are Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Each part helps students identify and analyze key story events and their sequence.
An example of rising action in A Wrinkle in Time is when Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin travel through the tesseract to rescue Meg's father, facing new challenges on Camazotz as the tension builds toward the climax.