Why Storyboarding Your Curriculum Is Important

Two guys with a mustache have to run and jump to defeat the enemies. 

Not so exciting right? Let me rephrase it:

Strange creatures have been appearing in the sewers of New York. Mario and Luigi, two Italian plumbers, are sent down to investigate. 

Isn’t it more appealing? 

The use of storytelling in education has become increasingly popular as research and experience prove its effectiveness in creating memorable learning experiences.

Now is the time to apply the principles of storytelling to our curricula by turning them into storyboards and creating a different learning experience. 

Jump on the train; here is why and how you should move from a curriculum coverage to a curriculum narrative.

Why You Should Storyboard Your Curriculum

Storyboarding your curriculum is a powerful tool to ensure the narrative flow and the connection with your students. By storyboarding your curriculum, you convey a student-centric message with transparent connections between subsequent units. 

Storyboarding your curriculum will improve your students’ engagement and improve comprehension. 

By visually mapping out the curriculum, students can better understand the sequence of concepts and topics and how they relate to each other. It might spark their interest and curiosity and lead to an active learning experience. 

Let’s be honest; with 30 students in a classroom, we rarely take the time to explain the curriculum to our students. We jump from one topic to another without allowing them to look at the bigger picture. When I transitioned from a curriculum coverage to a curriculum narrative, I proudly presented them with my storyboard. They were surprised to find out that the various topics covered in class were connected. 

Storyboarding makes complex and abstract concepts accessible as the curriculum is broken down into smaller chunks, giving engaging and clear learning targets. It also encourages students to reflect by providing an overview of the learning journey. 

By including hyperlinks to videos, texts, or other media, It is also possible to switch to a flipped classroom, which means no more homework. 

TedEd offers excellent videos to introduce new topics and trigger class discussions.

Break Down Concepts Into Relatable Stories

A storyboard is a set of sequential drawing that tells a story with key points. It breaks the story into linear bite-size chinks and allows a focus on each cells separately (source)

These bite-size chunks are your units.

They should relate to each other and should also be relatable. Take a look at the following science storyboard. 

The first part below introduces force motion and energy through roller coasters. All students can relate to roller coasters; they might have a direct experience or have seen it on TV. In either case, roller coasters are linked to extreme sensations and adrenaline. 

In the second example, students tell us about their dream place (city centre, yellow submarine, or Mars).

How to Storyboard your Curriculum

 Your storyboards should contain five main sections: 

1- Course Overview

What is the course about? What will be studied? What is the big question? It is your hook. If you are not keen on using a question, it could be a statement, but make sure it is written in student-friendly language. At this stage, you want to ensure that you grab everyone’s attention, so needless to display your technical vocabulary yet.

2- Unit Title

Your unit title should be optimized for student understanding and engagement. It should announce the storyline and be enticing and colorful. While writing it, you need to think like a copywriter. It is an excellent spot to use emotive language. The topic of your unit should serve a purpose and ensure that it fits the bigger picture. 

3- Image Cues

When you go to the library to pick a book, your first look at the book cover. The illustration’s role is to attract your attention. In your storyboarded curriculum, images play the same function; they should represent authentic situations students can relate to and should be connected to the title. 

4- Focus on the Story

Now is the time to show your storytelling skills. Use accessible language, and establish the connections between the units. Here, you are inviting the students on a journey. (step out from I) In my MFL plan, I make no mention of the language; I invite them on a learning journey. It is exactly what you should do, forget about technicalities and focus on the experience. 

5- Learning Target

It is where you display the dull curriculum coverage. The targets now make sense within the bigger picture. Technical vocabulary can be displayed in this part. 

Takeaways:

If you are tired of watching your students zoning out when you explain the curriculum, it is time to create a memorable learning experience by storyboarding your curriculum and displaying it in your classroom.

Take them on an exciting adventure through your curriculum by breaking down concepts into relatable stories using optimized titles, enticing images, and clear learning targets. But do not stop there! You could also use multimedia tools to enhance your storytelling and take your curriculum to the next level and even allow for a flipped classroom experience. 

So what are you waiting for? Get creative and storyboard your curriculum! Your students will thank you for that, and who knows, you might even find yourself having fun in the process. After all, learning is an adventure.