In this activity, students decide what the important parts in the text are, and categorize them into the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Having students decide the beginning, middle, and end will help them break up the text, and make it easier to choose one or two main events to create. Students can plan their ideas with a partner or individually and decide what main parts they would like to add to their storyboard.
The storyboard above shows one example for the beginning, middle, and end, but you could set a number of frames for the students to use based on the ability of the student, or length of the text.
Henry is lonely. His parents agree that he can get a dog. Henry finds Mudge as a puppy, and Mudge grows to be three feet tall and 180 pounds. They become great friends and do everything together.
Mudge decides to take a walk without Henry and he gets lost! He is sad and misses Henry. Henry searches for Mudge, but can't find him. Henry is sad and thinks Mudge left him.
Henry realizes that Mudge loves him and would never leave, so he must be lost. Henry searches again and finds Mudge! Henry and Mudge continue to do everything together, and Mudge never leaves without Henry.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Make a storyboard summary of Henry and Mudge: The First Book.
Guide students to notice and discuss Henry and Mudge’s character traits as they read. Highlighting qualities like kindness, bravery, or loyalty helps students connect personally to the story and supports deeper comprehension.
Ask students to brainstorm a list of words describing both characters. Write their ideas on the board or a chart to make character traits visible and spark discussion.
Have students find sentences or events that show each trait. Example: If students say Mudge is loyal, they can point to when he misses Henry after getting lost.
Draw two circles (one for Henry, one for Mudge) and fill them with traits and supporting evidence. Visuals help students organize their thoughts and make comparisons clear.
Lead a discussion about how each character’s traits influence what happens. Encourage students to think about how being brave, loyal, or curious changes the story’s outcome.
Henry and Mudge: The First Book is about a lonely boy named Henry who gets a big dog named Mudge. They become best friends, but Mudge gets lost. After searching, Henry finds Mudge, and they promise to always stay together.
Have students identify key events in the story and sort them into the beginning, middle, and end. Students can create a storyboard or draw pictures for each part, then write a sentence to summarize each section.
Try activities like drawing the main events, making a three-part storyboard, or working with a partner to choose the most important moments. Encourage students to use pictures and simple sentences to retell the story.
Breaking a story into beginning, middle, and end helps students organize their thoughts, focus on key details, and improve their summarizing and comprehension skills.
The main events are: Henry gets Mudge, Mudge gets lost, and Henry finds Mudge. Students can illustrate each event to show understanding of the story's structure.