As a prior middle and high school English/Language Arts teacher and a former librarian, I love the art of a great story. Recently, I read the blog post Edutopia: Using Storyboards in the Classroom. Edutopia is an initiative of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, so it comes as no surprise that they shared a filmmaker’s tool – storyboards – as a mechanism for teaching nearly any grade or concept.
What is a Storyboard?
A storyboard is a visual depiction of the plot line of a story, or a series of actions in sequence. Directors use storyboards to convey the ideas in their mind for how the film will look when it is completed to the actors and producers that are working on the project. If you want to see exceptional filmmakers discuss their storyboarding process, I highly recommend watching the documentaries Spielberg on STORYBOARDING and 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki.
Once I learned about this concept, I immediately understood the parallels between teachers and directors. Teachers have ideas in their mind about the way a semester, unit, or lesson will unfold – the story of the learning journey the students will undergo throughout the class. Teachers need to create and cultivate that shared vision to everyone in the classroom, while encouraging students to bring their skills and talents to contribute to the overall learning. Great directors bring out the best in their actors and production team, just as great teachers bring out the best in their students.
How Can Teachers Use Storyboards in the Classroom?
The best part of storyboards is that everything can be a story. There is the story of photosynthesis, the story of the American Civil War, the story of learning to read – stories are endless. Teachers can use storyboards to communicate the stories of concepts to students. By creating a visual representation of cell division, for example, students can see and understand that concept in sequential order with images to explain. Teachers can also use storyboards to share the sequence of class activities for the day, or even the year, so students have an answer to the ever persistent question “what are we doing today?” (And they may even remember the answer, if it is told to them in the form of a storyboard!)
How Can Students Use Storyboards in the Classroom?
Storyboards are an outstanding way for students to share their learning. Rather than completing a set of problems or writing a paper, students can explain complex concepts through creating a storyboard. By incorporating visuals in a logical manner, students can give a presentation or create a poster to communicate their understanding.
Why Do Storyboards Work?
According to the Neuroscience of Storytelling published by the NeuroLeadership Institute, our brains like stories for neurological reasons. For one, great stories produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter and hormone that creates the sensation of pleasure. Excellent storytellers cultivate “mirroring” or the synchronization of the storyteller’s neurons to the story listener’s. The creation of a clear narrative, coupled with mirroring, allows stories to cut through distractions. I’ve personally watched this happen when I read books to children in storytime. There is power in a story. It pulls people in.
The Art of Telling a Story
Storyboards are an excellent classroom tool, but they are most effective when the story is told well. According to neuroscientists, there are three aspects to telling a great story:
Create Coherence: Stories that stick in a student’s mind create what neuroscientists call “coherence” or the concept of building upon and reinforcing previous knowledge. Educators similarly structure their lesson plans to activate prior knowledge before teaching a new concept. When using the storyboard concept for teaching a lesson, educators can use the same plot device that Walt Disney uses in their films, The Hero’s Journey. Originally outlined in Joseph Campbell’s work, The Hero’s Journey mapped the typical quest a main character endures in any epic tale. All heroes embark on their journey after we – the story listeners – understand “the ordinary world,” or life as it was before the call to adventure begins. By beginning the story by telling students what they already know, educators are preparing them for the call to adventure of learning a new concept or topic. From a neurological perspective, this creates coherence.
Show, Don’t Tell: The old adage for storytelling has a neurological rationale. The human brain computes visuals in only 13 milliseconds, or 60,000 times faster than audio. While auditory processing is faster physiologically, the brain's overall capacity to process and interpret visuals is significantly greater and quicker. However, even language that ignites visual imagination is understood more quickly by the listener. Storyboards can create both a visual representation and support the teacher in telling a story that creates a mental image.
Generate Insights: The stories that people remember best are those that create the “aha” moment. For many teachers, watching students experience a lightbulb moment is their reason for teaching. Great stories leave the listener with a deeper understanding than they had before the story occurred. And those are the stories that endure.
Ready to try storyboarding in your classroom or educational setting? Check out Canva’s Free Online Storyboard Creator, Canva’s Design Storyboard Activities, and Canva Classroom Storyboard Templates for countless creative ideas.
The views and opinions expressed on SDPB’s Teacher Talk are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of South Dakota.
