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 help students develop greater understanding of literary structures. Sometimes students will really have to think carefully about which events are major turning points in the plot.
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 book 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 Bridge to Terabithia.
Arrange students into small groups and ask them to share their plot diagrams with peers. Peer feedback helps deepen comprehension, encourages collaboration, and lets students see different interpretations of the same story.
Display a completed plot diagram as an example. Guide students in identifying strengths and areas for improvement using positive, specific comments. This sets clear expectations and builds a supportive classroom culture.
Provide simple sentence starters like “I noticed...”, “I liked how...”, and “One suggestion is...”. Structured feedback helps students stay focused and makes giving feedback less intimidating for all learners.
Ask students to jot down what feedback they received and one change they plan to make. Reflection ensures that feedback leads to meaningful improvement and encourages students to take ownership of their learning.
A plot diagram for Bridge to Terabithia visually outlines the main events of the story by Katherine Paterson. It includes the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution to help students understand the narrative structure.
Students can create a storyboard by dividing the story into six key parts: exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. For each part, they draw a scene and write a brief description that summarizes the main event, using tools like Storyboard That for visual support.
Making a plot diagram helps students identify major turning points, understand story structure, and reinforce key events. It also encourages deeper analysis and supports visual learners by breaking down complex narratives into manageable parts.
The major parts are exposition (introduction of characters and setting), conflict (the problem or challenge), rising action (events building suspense), climax (the turning point), falling action (events after the climax), and resolution (how the story ends).
The best way is to use a visual plot diagram. Students can create a six-cell storyboard, illustrating and describing key moments from each part of the story. This makes summarizing both engaging and easy to understand for young learners.