E6 G - Turn a text into a storyboard
aiMOOCE6 G - Turn a text into a storyboard
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E6 G - Turn a text into a storyboard
Mini-description: Turn the most important events of a short text into pictures. Add very short captions. Work step by step: notice → understand → practise → use → feedback → use again.
Look first. A storyboard shows a story in several picture boxes. Each box shows one important event.
Deutsch-Hilfe: Ein Storyboard zeigt eine Geschichte als Folge von Bildern. Unter jedem Bild steht nur sehr wenig Text.
Einleitung
In this aiMOOC, you read a short English text and make a simple storyboard. You do not need perfect drawings. Stick figures are fine. The important thing is: one key event per picture and one short caption.
Try English first. Use the pictures and easy words. Hint: Look for people, places and actions. Deutsch: Suche Personen, Orte und wichtige Handlungen. Example: Sam sees a lunch box. → Picture: Sam + lunch box. Solution idea: Caption: “Sam finds a lunch box.”
The picture above shows several storyboard frames for an animated film. You can see how a story is planned picture by picture.
Media task: Watch only a short part at the beginning. What changes from one image to the next? Do not try to understand every detail.
I can ...
- I can find the most important events in a short text.
- I can put events in the right order.
- I can draw one simple picture for one event.
- I can write a very short English caption.
- I can explain my storyboard with simple English.
Before you start: quick check
Read these words. Which ones do you already know?
story – picture – first – then – next – finally – person – place – action
Try English first: Say one word and show it with a gesture. Hint: “first” = number one in a sequence. Deutsch: Du musst noch nicht alle Wörter kennen.
Notice
A storyboard often has several panels. A panel is one picture box.
Look at this mini-story:
The red lunch box
Sam is in the school library. He sees a red lunch box under a chair. Sam asks Mia, “Is it yours?” Mia says, “No.” They take the lunch box to the school office. A few minutes later, Leo comes in. The lunch box is his. Leo smiles and says, “Thank you!”
Notice: Not every sentence needs a picture. Choose only the big events.
Key words in context
- event: something that happens
- panel: one picture box
- caption: very short text for a picture
- sequence: the correct order
- sketch: a quick, simple drawing
Deutsch-Hilfe: event = Ereignis, panel = Bildfeld, caption = kurze Bildunterschrift, sequence = Reihenfolge, sketch = Skizze.
Understand
For the lunch-box story, four events are enough:
- Sam sees a lunch box.
- Mia says it is not hers.
- Sam and Mia take it to the office.
- Leo gets his lunch box back.
Why? These events move the story forward.
Hint: Ask: “What happens next?”
Picture and audio input
Ask a teacher or partner to read this slowly two times. You can also read it aloud yourself.
Narrator: Sam sees a red lunch box. Sam: Is it yours, Mia? Mia: No. Let’s take it to the office. Narrator: Leo gets the lunch box back.
Listening task: Put your finger up when you hear a new event.
Deutsch-Hilfe: Höre auf die Handlungen: sees – asks – take – gets.
Pronunciation: sequence words
Say the words slowly:
first – then – next – finally
Clap once on the strong part of each word. Then say:
First, Sam sees the box. Then, he asks Mia. Next, they go to the office. Finally, Leo gets the box back.
Goal: Be easy to understand. Your accent does not have to be perfect.
Practise
Step 1: Find key events
Read:
Nina goes to the park after school. She sees a small dog near a bench. The dog has no owner with it. Nina reads the phone number on its tag. She calls the number with her father. Ten minutes later, the owner arrives and thanks Nina.
Choose four key events.
Try English first. Underline the actions. Hint: goes – sees – calls – arrives Deutsch: Markiere nur Handlungen, die die Geschichte weiterbringen. Example: “Nina sees a small dog.” Solution: Nina goes to the park. → Nina sees the dog. → Nina calls the number. → The owner arrives.
Step 2: Make captions short
Long sentence: Nina sees a small dog near a bench after school.
Better caption: Nina sees a dog.
Long sentence: The owner arrives ten minutes later and thanks Nina.
Better caption: The owner comes back.
Rule: A caption should be short and clear.
Step 3: Use sequence words
Use:
First ... / Then ... / Next ... / Finally ...
Example:
First, Nina goes to the park. Then, she sees a dog. Next, she calls the number. Finally, the owner comes back.
Use
Create a four-panel storyboard for this text:
A wet morning
Tom walks to school. It starts to rain. Tom has no umbrella. He sees Ava at the bus stop. Ava has a big umbrella. They walk to school together. At the school door, Tom says, “Thanks!”
Your storyboard:
- Panel 1: Draw the first key event. Add a short caption.
- Panel 2: Draw the next key event. Add a short caption.
- Panel 3: Draw the next key event. Add a short caption.
- Panel 4: Draw the ending. Add a short caption.
Word bank: walks – rain – umbrella – bus stop – together – school
Sentence starters: First, ... Then, ... Next, ... Finally, ...
Deutsch-Hilfe: Vier Bilder reichen. Zeichne nur die wichtigsten Ereignisse.
Speaking
Show your storyboard to a partner.
Use this pattern:
First, ... Then, ... Next, ... Finally, ...
Partner question:
What happens in this picture?
Possible answer:
Tom sees Ava at the bus stop.
Short writing output
Write four captions. Each caption should have about 3–7 words.
Example:
Tom walks to school. It starts to rain. Ava shares her umbrella. They arrive at school.
Optional mediation
Your German-speaking partner asks:
“Was muss ich bei einem Storyboard machen?”
Give a short answer in German. Do not translate the whole lesson.
Possible answer:
Du suchst die wichtigsten Ereignisse, bringst sie in die richtige Reihenfolge, zeichnest pro Ereignis ein Bild und schreibst eine kurze englische Bildunterschrift.
Feedback
Use this quick partner check:
- Clear picture? Can I see the event?
- Right order? Does the story make sense?
- Short caption? Is the text short?
- English clear? Can I understand it?
Say one positive sentence:
I like panel ... because ...
Say one helpful idea:
You can make the caption shorter.
Use again
Improve one panel after the feedback.
Before: Tom is walking to school in the morning and then it suddenly starts raining. After: It starts to rain.
This is often better for a storyboard.
Safe media and AI use
Use your own drawings or freely licensed media. The media in this aiMOOC come from Wikimedia Commons or openly published sources.
Use only fictional names and data in your own tasks.
Recordings are optional and should stay private unless your teacher gives a clear task and permission.
Do not upload personal photos, voices or school data without permission.
If you use AI in another learning setting, check the result and write the final captions in your own words. No external AI tool is needed for this aiMOOC.
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
What is a storyboard? (A story shown in several picture panels) (!A long word list) (!A grammar table) (!A map of a school)
What should one panel show? (One important event) (!Every sentence in the text) (!Only difficult words) (!A full page of writing)
What is a caption? (A very short text for a picture) (!A long dialogue) (!A chapter title only) (!A list of new grammar rules)
Which word can start the first event? (First) (!Finally) (!Yesterday) (!Maybe)
Which question helps you find key events? (What happens next?) (!How many letters are in the text?) (!What colour is every word?) (!How long is the page?)
Which caption is best for a simple storyboard? (Tom sees Ava.) (!Tom is a boy who is walking and looking around near the bus stop after school.) (!There are many different things happening in this long and detailed scene.) (!This is a very interesting picture with lots of information.)
What can you draw if drawing is difficult? (Simple stick figures) (!Only perfect realistic people) (!Only photos from the internet) (!Nothing at all)
Which set shows a useful sequence? (First then next finally) (!Blue green yellow red) (!Big small fast slow) (!Monday chair dog pencil)
What should you do after partner feedback? (Improve one part) (!Delete the whole storyboard) (!Add very long captions) (!Change every event)
What is important when you speak about your storyboard? (Be easy to understand) (!Have a perfect accent) (!Speak as fast as possible) (!Use very difficult words)
Memory
| Storyboard | Pictures in order |
| Caption | Short text for a picture |
| Event | Something that happens |
| Panel | One picture box |
| Sequence | Order of events |
| Sketch | Quick drawing |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| Find key events | Choose what happens |
| Put events in order | Make a sequence |
| Draw one panel | Show one event |
| Write a short caption | Add very short text |
| Check the storyboard | Make sure the story is clear |
Kreuzworträtsel
| Storyboard | What shows a story in several picture boxes? |
| Caption | What is the short text under a picture? |
| Event | What is something that happens in a story? |
| Panel | What is one picture box called? |
| Sequence | What is the order of events called? |
| Sketch | What is a quick drawing called? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Reading check
Read:
Ella is at home. Her cat jumps onto the table. The cat pushes a pencil case onto the floor. Ella picks it up. She closes the pencil case and puts it in her school bag.
Choose four useful storyboard events:
- Cat jumps on the table.
- Pencil case falls.
- Ella picks it up.
- Ella puts it in her bag.
Hint: Small details can stay out.
A comic strip and a storyboard are not exactly the same thing, but both can show events in picture panels.
Media comparison
Look again at a storyboard image and then at a finished film scene.
Question: What can a storyboard plan before the final scene is finished?
Possible answers: people, place, movement, camera view, important action.
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Vier Bilder ordnen: Draw four simple pictures for “A wet morning” and put them in the correct order.
- Mini-Captions: Write one short caption for each of four given pictures.
- Story-Wörter markieren: Take a short text and underline four important action words.
- Storyboard erklären: Explain your four panels to a partner using first, then, next and finally.
Standard
- Text kürzen: Turn a six-sentence story into four key events.
- Eigene Schulgeschichte: Invent a safe fictional school story and make a four-panel storyboard.
- Partner-Storyboard: Exchange short texts with a partner and storyboard each other’s text.
- Audio zu Bildern: Read your four captions slowly and clearly. A recording is optional and stays private.
Schwer
- Sechs-Panel-Storyboard: Create a six-panel storyboard from a longer short text.
- Perspektive wechseln: Tell the same event from another character’s point of view using simple English.
- Storyboard verbessern: Compare a first version and a revised version. Explain two changes.
- Mini-Filmplanung: Plan a 20-second silent mini-scene with six storyboard panels and short captions.
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Lernkontrolle
- Key events auswählen: Read a new short text and explain why you chose four events and left out other details.
- Reihenfolge begründen: Put five mixed events in order and explain your choices with first, then, next and finally.
- Caption verbessern: Shorten four long sentences into clear storyboard captions without losing the main meaning.
- Storyboard prüfen: Find one unclear panel in a sample storyboard and suggest a better picture or caption.
- Transferaufgabe: Turn a short everyday situation into a four-panel storyboard and present it orally in simple English.
Lernnachweis
For a learning record, show that you can:
- find the key events of a short English text
- put the events in a logical order
- make four or more simple storyboard panels
- write short and understandable English captions
- use simple sequence words
- explain the storyboard orally with understandable English
- improve at least one part after feedback
The learning record does not need personal data, public uploads or external AI tools.
Can-do check
| I can ... | Yes | Almost | Not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| find four key events in a short text | □ | □ | □ |
| put events in the correct order | □ | □ | □ |
| draw one event per panel | □ | □ | □ |
| write very short captions | □ | □ | □ |
| explain my storyboard with first, then, next and finally | □ | □ | □ |
One next step: Choose one “Almost” or “Not yet” item and practise it once more.
Wiederholung
Remember the five steps:
Find → Order → Draw → Caption → Check
Say them once. Then cover the line and say them again.
Folgekurs
Next, continue with:
E6 G - Tell a story from pictures
or
E6 G - Write short captions for a picture story
OERs zum Thema
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