Telling Stories with PicturesActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works well for this topic because storytelling through pictures relies on visual experimentation and immediate feedback. Students need to test color choices and sequencing in real time to grasp how images communicate emotions and events.
Learning Objectives
- 1Design a sequence of at least three digital images to tell a simple story without words.
- 2Explain how the choice of color in a digital drawing can evoke specific emotions like happiness or sadness.
- 3Compare and contrast the process of creating a drawing using digital tools versus drawing on paper.
- 4Identify at least two differences between creating art on a tablet and creating art on paper.
- 5Create a digital image using at least two different drawing tools.
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Pairs: Color Emotion Swap
Pairs use drawing apps to create two scenes: one happy with bright colors, one sad with cool tones. They swap devices, guess the emotion from visuals alone, and discuss color choices. End with pairs combining elements into a short sequence.
Prepare & details
Design a sequence of pictures to tell a story without words.
Facilitation Tip: During Color Emotion Swap, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'Why did you choose this color for the character's face?' to deepen reflection.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Small Groups: Wordless Storyboard Race
Groups of three to four draw a four-panel sequence telling a simple adventure story, like a lost toy's journey. Use image libraries for backgrounds. Groups present to the class, who retell the story to check clarity.
Prepare & details
Explain how different colors can make a picture feel happy or sad.
Facilitation Tip: During Wordless Storyboard Race, remind groups to assign specific roles (creator, arranger, presenter) to keep everyone engaged.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Whole Class: Digital vs Paper Challenge
Project a simple scene prompt. Half the class draws on paper, half digitally; switch after five minutes. Discuss differences in ease of changes, colors, and sharing as a group.
Prepare & details
Compare how a digital drawing is different from a drawing on paper.
Facilitation Tip: During Digital vs Paper Challenge, provide a checklist of features (eraser, layers, color palettes) for students to compare side-by-side.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Individual: My Morning Sequence
Each student creates three to five images showing their morning routine without words. Add color to show feelings. Share one panel with a neighbor for quick feedback.
Prepare & details
Design a sequence of pictures to tell a story without words.
Facilitation Tip: During My Morning Sequence, encourage students to narrate their pictures aloud as they draw to reinforce the storytelling purpose.
Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology
Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials
Teaching This Topic
Approach this topic by treating visuals as a language students already speak but need to refine. Start with quick, low-stakes experiments like color swaps to build confidence, then move to sequencing. Avoid over-emphasizing technical perfection in drawing; focus on the clarity of emotion and plot instead. Research shows young students grasp abstract concepts like emotion better through hands-on, collaborative visual tasks than through verbal explanations alone.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students using colors intentionally to express emotions and arranging images in a clear sequence to tell a story. They should confidently explain their choices and compare digital and paper methods with thoughtful reasoning.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Color Emotion Swap, watch for students assuming color choices are arbitrary or personal preference.
What to Teach Instead
Use the peer swap to prompt students to explain their color choices out loud, then have partners guess the intended emotion before revealing. Compare class results to show patterns.
Common MisconceptionDuring Digital vs Paper Challenge, watch for students dismissing digital tools as 'less creative' without trying them.
What to Teach Instead
Have groups create one element both ways (e.g., a sun) and compare the textures and layers. Ask, 'Which version feels more exciting? Why?' to shift their focus to creative possibilities.
Common MisconceptionDuring Wordless Storyboard Race, watch for students treating the activity as a puzzle to solve rather than a story to tell.
What to Teach Instead
After the race, display one group’s storyboard and ask the class, 'What do you think happened before the first picture? What might happen next?' to reinforce narrative thinking over single events.
Assessment Ideas
After Color Emotion Swap, partners present their color changes and explain the emotion they aimed to convey. Partners offer one suggestion for how to make the emotion clearer, using the color swatches as reference.
After Wordless Storyboard Race, display three storyboards in random order. Ask students to hold up a green card if they think the story is happy, red if sad, or yellow if unsure. Discuss the reasons for their choices.
After My Morning Sequence, students draw one picture showing a happy feeling and one showing a sad feeling using only color. They write one sentence comparing the digital tool’s features to what they would draw on paper.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask students to create a second version of their storyboard using only shapes and lines, no filled colors.
- Scaffolding: Provide pre-cut images or stamps for students who struggle with drawing, so they focus on sequencing first.
- Deeper exploration: Introduce simple animation apps to bring one frame of their storyboard to life.
Key Vocabulary
| Visual Narrative | A story told through a series of images or pictures, rather than words. |
| Sequence | The order in which things happen or are arranged. In storytelling, this means putting pictures in the correct order to make sense. |
| Digital Drawing Tools | Tools used on a computer or tablet to create pictures, such as brushes, pencils, and fill buckets within a drawing application. |
| Color Emotion | How different colors can make people feel certain emotions, like bright colors feeling happy or dark colors feeling sad. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in Creative Digital Storytelling
Adding Sound to Stories
Exploring how sound effects and music can enhance a digital story.
2 methodologies
Creating Digital Characters
Students design and draw their own characters using simple digital art tools.
2 methodologies
Animating Simple Movements
Introduction to basic animation concepts by making characters move across the screen.
2 methodologies
Sharing Digital Creations
Students learn how to save and present their digital stories to an audience.
2 methodologies
Digital Backgrounds and Settings
Students create digital backgrounds to set the scene for their stories.
2 methodologies
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