The Raft BME Summary

In this activity, students decide on what they think the important parts in the text are, and categorize them into the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Having students decide on 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 Raft Summary Example

Beginning

Nicky has to spend the summer with his Grandma and he is not happy about it. His Grandma makes him do chores, and he tries to fish, but doesn't catch anything.

Middle

He finds a raft, covered in drawings of animals, and secures it to the dock. He learns that his Grandma spent her summers poling the river on the same raft. The raft attracts many animals. Nicky loves riding around on the raft and sketching the animals.

End

Nicky spends most of the summer on the raft. On his last day at Grandma's, he helps a fawn up a muddy bank. He draws a picture of the fawn on the raft. He knows he is now a part of the river, forever.

Student Instructions

Make a storyboard summary of The Raft.

1. Make a picture that shows the beginning of the story.
2. Make a picture that shows the middle of the story.
3. Make a picture that shows the end of the story.
4. Write a sentence under each picture.