An elevator pitch explains an idea in the time it takes to ride an elevator: about 30 to 60 seconds. Most students try to pitch by listing features. A storyboard forces them to do something better: show a person with a problem, and show how their life gets better. If a listener can picture it, they remember it.
This activity uses the six-cell Product → Solution → Benefit framework from our How to Create an Elevator Pitch article, where you'll find the full business example and more templates. After the storyboard, students turn each cell into one or two spoken sentences, and the pitch is done.
| CELL | WHAT IT DOES | EXAMPLE: TAGBACK |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Context / Problem | Show a real person with a real, painful problem. | Jordan's hoodie went missing from the gym locker again. |
| 2. The First "But" | Why existing fixes don't work. | The lost-and-found bin is full, but nothing has a name on it. |
| 3. Product Intro | How the customer discovers the product. | Jordan's parent sees TagBack in the school newsletter. |
| 4. Magic Solution | The core idea, shown simply: the "magic button." | A classmate finds the hoodie and scans the tag with a phone. |
| 5. And Then | What happens right after the magic. | Jordan's parent gets a message; no phone number is shared. |
| 6. User Benefit | The lasting value for the customer. | Lost things come home, and the family stops buying replacements. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Create a six-cell storyboard of your elevator pitch, then write a script you can say in 60 seconds.
Assign the six-cell template from your Teacher Dashboard. For grades 6–8, trim it to three cells: problem, solution, and benefit.
Students storyboard the problem, the first "But," the product intro, the magic solution, what happens next, and the user benefit. They can reuse cells from Spot a Real Problem.
Students add one or two spoken sentences under each cell, keeping the whole pitch to 60 seconds or less.
Partners listen and repeat the problem and benefit back. If they can't, the student revises the storyboard and script.
Check that the benefit is something the customer gains, not a feature, and comment on any cell that is unclear.
Students show their storyboard in presentation mode while delivering the script live, or record it as a narrated slideshow.
Score the six cells 0–2 points each, then add points for delivery: 2 for finishing in 60 seconds or less and 2 if a partner can repeat the problem and benefit. Mark down benefits that are really features. "Has a QR code" is a feature; TagBack's "the family stops buying replacements" is a benefit.
Allow 45 minutes for the storyboard and 20 minutes to script and rehearse. Students who finished Spot a Real Problem can reuse cells 1 and 2, which saves time. If every team will pitch to the whole class, add a second period, since each pitch plus feedback takes about three minutes.
Grades 6–8 can use the three-cell version: problem, solution, and benefit. For TagBack, that is Jordan's lost hoodie, a classmate scanning the tag, and the hoodie coming home. High school students build all six cells and time the spoken pitch. Career classes can reuse the same structure for a personal pitch for a job or internship.
Let the storyboard do the heavy lifting: students point to each cell as they speak, so listeners can follow even simple language. Have them write one sentence per cell, rehearse with a partner, and record a narrated version before presenting live. Dropping the 60-second limit for a first attempt also lowers the pressure.
Have students record the pitch as a narrated slideshow from their storyboard, or run a pitch round where listeners ask one question after each pitch. Then ask: what did people remember, the problem, the magic solution, or the benefit? Strong pitches can become the opening of the later Pitch to Investors activity.