Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify one or more themes and support them with evidence from the text.
The characters either experience true friendship, or desire it.
Leslie inspires Jess to be more courageous.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies themes in Bridge to Terabithia. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Empower students to connect themes to specific parts of the story by guiding them to identify text evidence. This boosts reading comprehension and critical thinking as students support their ideas with clear examples.
Show students how to find a quote or passage that illustrates a theme by reading a short section aloud and thinking aloud about how it relates to friendship or courage. Demonstrate how to jot down the page number and a brief note.
Make a large chart listing key themes (like Friendship and Courage) down one side and space to collect student-found evidence underneath each. Refer back to the chart during reading discussions.
Pair up students and assign each pair a theme to track. Encourage them to find at least two examples in the text and discuss why each supports their assigned theme. This builds collaboration and deeper understanding.
Invite pairs to share the evidence they found. Discuss as a class how each example supports the theme, helping students see multiple perspectives and strengthen their analytical skills.
Bridge to Terabithia explores key themes such as friendship, courage, and imagination. The novel highlights the deep bond between Jess and Leslie, their bravery in facing challenges, and the power of a creative world they build together.
Students can identify themes by looking for repeated ideas, character actions, and important events in the story. Creating a storyboard with examples and descriptions helps students connect evidence from the text to each theme.
A great activity is having students create a storyboard that illustrates and explains different themes. This visual approach encourages students to find textual evidence and deepen their understanding of the novel’s messages.
Friendship is central because it drives much of the plot and character growth. Jess and Leslie’s relationship helps them face fears, overcome loneliness, and learn valuable life lessons together.
Courage is shown when Jess stands up for Leslie in the race, when they prank Janice Avery, and as Jess tries to overcome his fears. Leslie inspires Jess to be braver throughout the story.