Introducing new technology doesn't have to be hard! Helping students get to know how to use new classroom tools is important for them to be successful when you assign more substantial projects later in the week, month, or year! These hassle-free introduction activities for students will make all of you pros in no time while allowing you and your class to have fun and explore. Unlock creativity and confidence!
The first is to get students familiar with how to use Storyboard That and prepare them for all the fun activities to come! The second is to get to know your new students and discover their goals, aspirations, likes and dislikes in a fun, visual medium. There are activities for every grade level, so you can get started right away!
Ready-Made Activities to Use NOW
The storyboard exercises for students below are not content heavy because they are designed to help you and your students get acquainted with Storyboard That. We also have other storyboard activities available!
Getting Started Video
Video Tutorial For Students
About Our Introduction Activities of Students
Our former teachers have created the amazing activities above to help teachers and students ease into using Storyboard That in ways that don’t include heavy curriculum. Many of these activities can be used at the beginning of the school year, or any time! Continue reading for a brief summary of our interactive and engaging activities listed above. All are ready to use and easy to adapt if desired!
Activities for Elementary School Students
- All About Me (K-2): This activity gives young students the opportunity to share things about themselves, while also exploring the Storyboard That creator. The headers have been filled in but can be changed by the teacher or student. There is also no description box under the cell, so no writing is required. Teachers may change this is well if desired.
- Read Aloud (K-2): This activity is perfect for the beginning of the school year. After reading the book Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen, students will create a storyboard illustrating their favorite part of the book. Be sure to have them share with their classmates when they are done! We have also provided several other book titles that are excellent to use for this activity, but any book of your choice will work as well!
- Summer Scrapbook (K-2): The summer scrapbook activity is a perfect way for younger students to share how they spent their summer vacation using images and a few words. Teachers may change the template to fit the needs of the students. For example, you may add more text boxes, places for images, etc.
- All About Me (3-5): This 6 cell activity will get your upper elementary students excited to share a bit about themselves to their classmates, while also becoming familiar with how to use Storyboard That. This activity is completely customizable!
- Read Aloud (3-5):Your upper elementary students will love a good old fashioned read aloud. After reading the book The Best Part of Me by Wendy Ewald, students will create a storyboard illustrating their favorite part of themselves. They will include a written description below their image. This is a great way to get students to share about what they like about themselves, which may not always be an easy thing for some to do. Some ways to have students share with their class is by presenting as a slideshow, or having students present about each other.
- Summer Scrapbook (3-5): The summer scrapbook activity for upper elementary students is similar to the younger students’ scrapbook page, but it includes a writing portion. Teachers may add more writing to the template, or take away the writing as needed.
Activities for Middle School Students
- Social Media Poster (6-8): This activity combines students' love of social media with an All About Me activity by using the StoryboardThat creator to make a poster that looks like a social media page. Students can choose a fun handle, write a simple bio at the top and create up to 12 different scenes that describe their life and their different interests.
- Favorite Summer Spot (6-8): As you build a classroom community during the first few weeks of school it is always interesting to learn about what your students did over their summer vacation. In this activity, students will create a poster advertisement for their favorite summer spot. Teachers can show students current and vintage advertisements to brainstorm the types of catchy headlines and imagery to use. Students will think of their favorite place they went to over the summer: it could be the beach or pool, a national park or an amusement park, a friend's house or their own home! When encouraging students to share, it is important to recognize that some students may travel while others may stay close to home in the summertime.
- Growth Mindsets (6-8): Teaching students about “Growth Mindset” at the beginning of the school year helps them to feel comfortable with themselves and encourages them to take risks and grow as leaders in their school community. After reading about or watching a video on “Grown Mindset”, teachers can use this creative activity to have students show what they have learned about a “growth mindset” versus a “fixed mindset.”
Activities for High School Students
- Timeline of My Life (9-12): Having high school students create a timeline of their life so far is an excellent activity for the start of the school year! It incorporates research, organization, communication, writing, and storyboarding all in one. Students will love sharing about themselves and learning about others in the classroom!
- Summer Skills (9-12): A great way to explore the Storyboard Creator and learn about each other is for students to create storyboards that provide visual instructions for how to do their favorite skill or activity. In this activity, students will write and illustrate step-by-step instructions for how to do their favorite summer activity. They can share their instructions after they are completed making this an engaging lesson that helps facilitate getting to know one another and building classroom community.
- Multiple Intelligences: Howard Gardner created a theory of multiple intelligences that is a wonderful way to teach students that there is more than one way to learn and grow your understanding of the world. Teaching about multiple intelligences opens up a new way to better connect with your students and understand their strengths, challenges, interests, and dislikes. Students can have the opportunity to grow their awareness of how they learn and where their strengths lie. While learning about the different multiple intelligences, students can create a spider map that illustrates and describes each intelligence.
Scavenger Hunt Activities for All Ages!
- Scavenger Hunt: Navigating a new online platform takes time and practice for both students and teachers! Our interactive scavenger hunt is an engaging way for students to learn all about how to use the Storyboard That storyboard creator. Students will explore all that the creator has to offer by carefully following the directions in the titles and descriptions in each cell.
- 6-Cell Scavenger Hunt: This scavenger hunt is similar to the first activity, except it has fewer cells to complete. This is a great option for younger students or older students who would benefit from differentiation of the assignment.
- Pair Scavenger Hunt: This scavenger hunt is designed for partners using the real-time collaboration feature. It is a great way for students to work together while helping each other get to know how to use Storyboard That.
What Other Resources Do You Have?
Short answer: a LOT.
To make your life easier and also provide some inspiration on how to use Storyboard That in any classroom, we've put together thousands of storyboard lesson plans, ideas, and activities that are ready to be used with a click of a button. Of course, everything we created can be customized and tailored to match the needs of your students, but more often than not, you probably won't have to!
Our Teacher Resources are broken up by grade level and subject to make it easy to find content for your classroom. We have lesson plans for all sorts of books, time periods, languages, and more! Activities come with Common Core standards, instructions, templates, and rubrics to help guide you and your students.
For another level of customization in the classroom, we also have worksheet templates and poster templates. Both make it easy to create tailored worksheets for students, classroom decorations, or student projects. There's no need to start on an overwhelming blank page, and every template is entirely customizable.
There is a special layout in the Storyboard Creator that allows you to make digital books. Turn pages of your own book made on Storyboard That!
Storyboarding Tips and Tricks
Once students are familiar with how to use Storyboard That, they may want to get more advanced with their creations! Check out our resources on layouts, effects, and more for a storyboard activity for students who want an extra challenge.
- All About the Storyboard Creator
- Character Posing - Part I: Basic Tips
- Character Posing - Part II: Advanced
- Downloading and Printing Options
- Expert Editing Tips: Copy, Crop, Erase, Layer
- How to Make a Comic Strip
- How To Storyboard Effectively
- How To Use Smart Scenes
- Layout and Composition Tips
- Make a GIF
- Special Effects
- Storyboarding Tips on Perspective
How to Use Storyboard That
Want a Storyboard That tutorial? We can help you get up and running! Sign up for a training session today!
You can also visit our comprehensive Help Center for answers to commonly asked questions on the Storyboard Creator, your Dashboard, or other features.
Reach us at support@storyboardthat.com or (US) +1-617-607-4259 for assistance or give anonymous feedback!
How to Guide Students in Creating an "All About Me" Collage Using Magazines, Art Supplies, or Digital Tools
Introduce the Concept
Explain the purpose of the "All About Me" collage as a visual representation of students' interests, hobbies, and personality traits. Emphasize that the collage will provide insight into who they are as individuals.
Gather Materials
Provide a variety of materials for students to choose from, such as magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, and construction paper. Alternatively, if using digital tools, instruct students on accessing appropriate digital resources.
Brainstorm and Plan
Encourage students to brainstorm and make a list of their interests, hobbies, achievements, and important aspects of their identity. Instruct them to consider images, words, and symbols that represent these elements.
Create the Collage
Guide students in creating their "All About Me" collage using the gathered materials. If using physical supplies, have them cut out relevant images and words from the magazines and arrange them on a blank sheet of paper. If using digital tools, instruct them on how to search for and insert images, symbols, and text into their digital collage.
Reflect and Personalize
Encourage students to reflect on their collage and make it more personal. Prompt them to add drawings, captions, or additional elements that are not found in the magazines to further express their unique identity and experiences.
Share and Discuss
Provide an opportunity for students to share their "All About Me" collages with the class. Encourage them to discuss the elements they included and the meaning behind their choices. Foster a supportive environment where students can appreciate and respect each other's collages.
Frequently Asked Questions about Getting to Know Storyboard That
How do I make a comic strip?
Making it easy for students to create a comic strip is Storyboard That’s specialty! Simply choose the layout that you want, add some art, scenes, and dialogue, and watch your comic strip come to life!
What are good storyboard exercises for students?
With Storyboard That, you can find all kinds of exercises and activities to use with your students. While we have lesson plans for all subjects, our pride and joy is our comprehensive literature library for students of all ages.
What are some beginning of the year activities to use with students?
We have provided our favorite storyboarding activities to use with students at the beginning of the year above. It’s best to stick with activities that get the students sharing about themselves and getting to know others at the beginning of the school year.
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