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.
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.
Catherine, the daughter of a knight, lives on a small manor in Medieval England. At thirteen, she is nearing adulthood and spends much of her time trying to avoid boring responsibilities and ladylike behavior.
Catherine's father has decided it is time for Catherine to marry. He treats her marriage like a financial transaction and is planning to marry her off to the wealthiest suitor he can find, despite Catherine's objections.
Catherine does everything in her power to scare away suitors. When the ugly Shaggy Beard insists on marrying her anyway, however, she refuses to accept it. Catherine witnesses the ups and downs of manor life, including marriages, births, and deaths, while trying to figure out how to avoid the miserable life ahead of her.
Catherine finally agrees to marry Shaggy Beard in order to use his money to save an abused bear. Just before his arrival, however, she runs away, unable to face the reality of marriage to someone she detests.
While visiting Ethelfritha, Catherine realizes she cannot run away from her life, but must make the most of it. She decides she can marry Shaggy Beard and still be Catherine. When she returns, home, however, she learns that Shaggy Beard has died.
Shaggy Beard's son Stephen offers to marry Catherine instead. Catherine believes Stephen will be much better than his father and accepts his marriage offer with relief and hope for the future.
(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 Catherine, Called Birdy.
Encourage students to use their completed plot diagrams as a framework for writing concise plot summaries. This helps students internalize narrative structure and improve their written communication skills.
Show students how to turn each section of the plot diagram (Exposition, Conflict, etc.) into short, focused sentences. This keeps summaries brief and ensures students capture the main ideas.
Offer sentence frames like “At the beginning,…” or “The main problem is…” to help students start their summaries confidently. This scaffolding supports all learners, especially those who struggle with organization.
Ask students to read their summaries aloud to classmates and give feedback on clarity and completeness. Peer review builds editing skills and deepens understanding.
Give students a simple checklist (Did I include all six plot parts? Did I use my own words?) so they can revise their work independently. This promotes accountability and careful review.
A plot diagram for Catherine, Called Birdy visually maps out the key events in the story, including the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It helps students understand the narrative arc and major turning points.
Students can create a plot diagram by dividing the story into six parts: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. For each part, they should illustrate an important scene and write a brief description to explain its significance.
The main events include Catherine's life on a medieval manor (Exposition), her father's plan for her marriage (Conflict), her attempts to avoid marriage (Rising Action), agreeing to marry Shaggy Beard but running away (Climax), her realization about facing life (Falling Action), and accepting Stephen's proposal (Resolution).
Using a plot diagram helps students visually organize the story's structure, reinforce key events, and deepen their understanding of literary elements. It also supports comprehension and recall by breaking down complex narratives into manageable parts.
Encourage students to use creative images for each plot point, focus on important scenes, and write concise descriptions. Allow group or individual work, and use tools like Storyboard That to make the process interactive and fun for grades 6-8.