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E7 M - Turn a story into another medium

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E7 M - Turn a story into another medium

Mini description: Turn a short story into a comic, dialogue, storyboard, audio scene or mini video. Keep the information your audience needs, change what the new medium can show or sound out, and explain your choices.

Look first. What can a storyboard show faster than a written story? What information still needs words?

I can ...

I can identify the key information in a short story.
I can choose a suitable medium for a scene.
I can turn narration into pictures, dialogue, sound or shots.
I can keep important characters, actions, places and reasons.
I can explain simple creative choices in English.
I can give and use short feedback.

Try in English first. Use the context, media and hints before you ask for German help.

Before you start

You already need basic language for Simple Past, feelings, places, actions and short conversations. You should also know words such as first, then, suddenly, because, but, so.

Quick start: Tell a partner about a film, comic or game scene you remember. Why do you remember it: the words, the pictures, the sounds or the action?

Media warm-up: one story, different forms

A story can move from one medium to another. The events can stay similar, but the way the audience gets the information changes.

Medium	What can carry information?
Comic	panels, faces, speech bubbles, captions, sound words
Dialogue	spoken words, pauses, reactions
Storyboard	shots, actions, short notes, camera ideas
Audio scene	voices, sound effects, music, silence
Mini video	image, movement, voice, sound, text

Notice: A comic does not need to repeat everything in captions. A picture can show the setting or an emotion.

The short story: The last bus

Read once for the main idea. Do not translate every word.

It was raining when Mia left the sports centre. She checked her phone: 8:47 p.m. The last bus was due in three minutes. Mia started running, but her wet shoe came loose near the crossing. She stopped for a second to tie it. When she looked up, the bus was already at the stop.

“Wait!” she shouted.

The driver did not hear her. The bus moved away.

Then Mia noticed a girl under the bus shelter. “Are you going towards Hill Street?” the girl asked.

“Yes, but I just missed the bus.”

“My dad is picking me up in five minutes. We can ask him.”

Mia smiled. “Thanks. That would really help.”

A few minutes later, a small blue car stopped beside them. Mia sent a message home before she got in.

Reading: what must stay?

Task 1 – Find the story spine. Write one short note for each box.

Key question	Your note
Who?
Where?
What problem?
What changes?
How does it end?

Task 2 – Keep, change or cut? Decide which details are essential for your new version. Be ready to explain one choice with because.

Hint: If removing a detail makes the ending confusing, the detail is probably important.

Deutsch bei Bedarf: Behalte Informationen, die man braucht, um Problem, Handlung und Lösung zu verstehen.

Listening and viewing: how media tell a story

Watch part of this video about storyboarding. Focus on how a sequence is planned visually.

While viewing: Note two things a storyboard can plan before filming.

After viewing: Say one sentence: A storyboard helps because ...

Now listen for a different kind of storytelling: sound effects in radio drama.

Listening focus: Which sounds can tell you where a scene happens or what a person is doing?

Safety note: External videos should only be opened according to your school rules. You do not need an account to complete the core tasks in this course.

Vocabulary in context

Use the words when you plan your version.

Word or phrase	Meaning from context	Example
panel	one picture area in a comic	Panel 2 shows Mia running.
speech bubble	words a character says in a comic	Put “Wait!” in a speech bubble.
caption	short written information outside speech	The caption can show the time.
shot	one camera view	Start with a wide shot of the bus stop.
sound effect	a sound that represents an action or place	Add rain and traffic as sound effects.
voice line	words spoken by a character	Keep the voice line short.
key detail	information the audience needs	The last bus is a key detail.
cut	remove something	We can cut the exact time.
keep	leave something in the new version	We should keep the missed bus.
adapt	change something for a new form	Adapt the narration into dialogue.

Pronunciation: make it easy to understand

Goal: Clear meaning is more important than sounding like a native speaker.

Try these chunks aloud:

last bus – connect the words smoothly.

wait for me – stress wait.

That would really help. – stress really when you want to show strong feeling.

Can you pick us up? – let your voice rise slightly if you use it as a real question.

Partner check: Could your partner understand the message the first time? If not, slow down, stress the key word and try again.

Notice → understand → try

Notice: In the story, narration gives time, place and action. Dialogue gives voice to the characters.

Understand: A new medium needs a new way to carry the same important information.

Try: Change this sentence into another form:

Mia started running, but her wet shoe came loose near the crossing.

Comic: show the loose shoe and add one short sound word or caption.
Dialogue: let Mia react in one natural line.
Storyboard: write one shot and one action note.
Audio: choose one sound effect and one voice line.
Video: choose what the camera should show first.

Choose your medium

Choose one main format.

Format	Minimum product	Keep it manageable
Comic	4–6 panels	short bubbles, clear sequence
Dialogue	10–14 lines	2–3 speakers
Storyboard	5–7 shots	simple drawings are enough
Audio scene	45–75 seconds	2–3 voices, a few sounds
Mini video	45–75 seconds	4–7 shots, simple editing

You do not need to record yourself. Audio and video recordings are voluntary and should stay private unless your teacher and you have agreed on another safe way to share them. Do not upload recordings or personal data without permission.

Plan: the must-keep checklist

Before you create, check the story information.

Keep?	Information	Why?
□	Mia leaves the sports centre in the rain.	Sets the situation.
□	She is trying to catch the last bus.	Gives the main goal.
□	Her shoe slows her down.	Explains why she misses the bus.
□	The bus leaves.	Creates the problem.
□	Another girl offers a possible solution.	Changes the situation.
□	A parent picks them up.	Solves the problem.
□	Mia messages home.	Shows a sensible final action.

Challenge: You may cut or compress details, but the new version must still make sense.

Speaking: explain your choices

Use short reasons.

We kept ... because ...

We cut ... because the picture already shows it.

We changed ... into dialogue because ...

The sound of ... tells the audience ...

Our first shot is ... so the viewer knows ...

Speak for about 30–45 seconds. Your partner listens for one clear reason and one useful media word.

Writing: create the new version

Comic writing: Keep speech bubbles short. Let the images do some work.

Dialogue writing: Add reactions and questions, not long explanations.

Storyboard writing: Use short present-tense notes such as Mia runs towards the stop.

Audio writing: Mark sounds clearly, for example SFX: rain or SFX: bus doors close.

Video writing: Plan what we see and hear. A simple shot list is enough.

Useful connectors: first, then, suddenly, while, because, but, so, finally.

Functional grammar

Use grammar to make the sequence clear.

Simple past tells the main events: Mia left. She ran. The bus moved away.

Past continuous can show an action in progress: It was raining when Mia left.

Direct speech makes characters sound present: “Wait!” she shouted.

E-look only – past perfect: You may notice a form such as The bus had already left when Mia reached the stop. For this course, you only need to recognise that it can show an earlier past action. You do not need to use it freely yet.

Do not change the task into passive or reported speech practice.

Mediation: help someone understand the task

Your exchange partner understands some English but missed the instructions. Explain in simple German or easy English what the person must do.

Do not translate every sentence. Give only the useful information: choose a medium, keep key information, create a short version, explain choices and use feedback.

Feedback: two stars and one next step

Give direct, useful feedback.

Check	Feedback starter
Story is clear	I understood that ...
Key information is kept	It was important that you kept ...
Medium is used well	The picture, sound or dialogue helps because ...
English is understandable	This line was clear because ...
Next improvement	Next, you could ...

Improve one thing only first. Then use the feedback in a second version.

Mini-transfer

Use the same method with a different tiny story:

A student finds a wallet in the school corridor. There is no name inside, but there is a library card. The student takes the wallet to the library desk. Ten minutes later, another student comes in looking worried.

Turn it into three comic panels, six dialogue lines, four storyboard shots or a 30-second audio plan.

Then answer: Which detail did you keep because the audience needed it?

AI and digital tools

Digital tools can help with layout, timing, spelling or feedback, but they should not replace your own decisions or your own English.

Check whether a tool produces language that fits your level.
Check facts, names and story details yourself.
Keep fictional profiles fictional.
Never enter private social-media data, real addresses or private recordings.
Do not send your work to an external AI service unless your school rules allow it.
Use AI feedback as a suggestion, not as the final answer.

Self-check: Can do

I can ...	Yes	Almost	Not yet
find the key information in a short story	□	□	□
choose a medium that fits my idea	□	□	□
change narration into pictures, sound or dialogue	□	□	□
explain one choice with a reason	□	□	□
use feedback to improve my work	□	□	□

Use again: Pick one row with Almost or Not yet and repeat one small task from this course.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is the main goal when you adapt a story to another medium? (Keep the key information while changing how it is presented) (!Copy every sentence exactly) (!Add as many new characters as possible) (!Translate the whole story into German)

Which detail explains why Mia misses the bus? (Her shoe comes loose) (!Her phone stops working) (!The sports centre closes) (!The other girl calls her)

What is useful in a comic? (Panels and speech bubbles) (!Only long paragraphs) (!Only background music) (!Only camera movements)

What can an audio scene use to show a place? (Sound effects) (!Panel borders) (!Camera angles) (!Speech bubbles)

What does a storyboard mainly help you plan? (A sequence of visual shots) (!A full German translation) (!A vocabulary test only) (!A private social-media profile)

Which sentence gives a reason for a creative choice? (We kept the rain because it creates the setting) (!Rain bus shoe stop) (!Keep the rain now) (!The rain is a word)

Which tense mainly tells the events in the short story? (Simple past) (!Future perfect) (!Present perfect continuous) (!Past perfect continuous)

What should you do after receiving useful feedback? (Improve one clear part and try again) (!Ignore the feedback) (!Delete the whole project) (!Upload the project publicly)

What is a safe choice for a class recording? (Keep it private unless safe sharing has been agreed) (!Post it publicly without asking) (!Use real private profile data) (!Send it to any external service automatically)

What matters most in pronunciation for this task? (Being easy to understand) (!Having a perfect native accent) (!Speaking as fast as possible) (!Using difficult words)

Memory

Panel	one picture area in a comic
Caption	short written information
Storyboard	visual plan of shots
Sound effect	sound that shows action or place
Key detail	information the audience needs
Speech bubble	written words spoken by a comic character

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Comic	panels and speech bubbles
Audio scene	voices and sound effects
Storyboard	planned shots and action notes
Dialogue	spoken lines and reactions
Mini video	images, movement and sound

Kreuzworträtsel

panel	What is one picture area in a comic called?
caption	What is a short text box that adds information called?
dialogue	What do we call spoken lines between characters?
storyboard	What visual plan shows a sequence before filming?
microphone	What device can record a voice?
feedback	What helps you improve a second version?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Comic: Turn the bus-stop scene into four simple panels. Use no more than two speech bubbles per panel.
Dialog: Write eight lines between Mia and the girl at the bus shelter. Add one question and one reaction.
Storyboard: Draw five quick frames for the story. Stick figures are fine. Add one action note under each frame.
Soundeffekt: Make a written sound plan for the story. Choose four sounds and explain what each sound tells the listener.

Standard

Hörspiel: Create a 45–60 second audio-scene script with two or three speakers and at least three sound cues. Recording is optional and private.
Kurzfilm: Plan a 45–60 second mini video with five to seven shots. Add what the viewer sees and hears in each shot.
Perspektive: Adapt the story from the other girl’s point of view. Keep the same ending but change what the audience notices first.
Medienvergleich: Make the same short moment once as a comic and once as an audio plan. Explain two differences in English.

Schwer

Adaption: Cut the story down to six essential story beats. Defend every cut with a short reason.
Dramaturgie: Change the ending without changing the original problem. Create a storyboard or dialogue that still feels logical.
Peer-Feedback: Exchange drafts, give two specific strengths and one next step, then produce a visibly improved second version.
Präsentation: Present your adaptation for about one minute. Explain your medium, two must-keep details and one detail you changed or cut.

Lernkontrolle

Informationsauswahl: You have space for only three comic panels. Decide which three moments from the story you would show and justify why the other moments can be compressed or cut.
Medienwechsel: A classmate has written a strong audio scene, but now it must become a silent storyboard. Explain which information needs a new visual form and give concrete examples.
Wirkung von Medien: Compare how rain could be communicated in a comic, an audio scene and a mini video. Explain what changes for the audience.
Überarbeitung: A dialogue version explains every action in speech. Rewrite two lines so that the dialogue sounds more natural and another medium feature carries part of the information.
Transfer: Choose a short scene from a story you know. Name the most suitable medium for your learning purpose and explain what information must stay for the scene to remain understandable.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should be able to:

identify the central problem, important actions and solution of a short story
select details instead of copying everything
use the strengths of one new medium
create a clear short adaptation in understandable English
explain at least two creative decisions
react to feedback and improve one part
follow privacy and copyright rules when using media or recordings

The learning record should show your own decisions. A recording is not required.

OERs zum Thema

Folgekurs

Next step: Present and discuss a media adaptation. Use your improved version again: present it, answer questions and explain how the medium changes the story.

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