Activity 01
Pairs: Quick Sketch Relay
Pairs take turns sketching one screen or action for a shared app idea, passing the paper every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. They add speech bubbles for user thoughts. Discuss and refine the full sequence as a pair.
Analyze how a storyboard communicates a sequence of interactions.
Facilitation TipDuring Quick Sketch Relay, circulate and prompt pairs with questions like, 'What part of the screen do you want the user to notice first?' to focus attention on layout.
What to look forProvide students with a simple scenario, such as 'a user wants to feed a virtual pet.' Ask them to draw three quick sketches showing the main screens or steps involved. Check if the sketches are clear enough to convey the basic idea.
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Activity 02
Small Groups: Storyboard a Game
Groups of 4 plan a simple game like a maze chase using 6-8 storyboard panels. Draw screens, arrows for flow, and notes on interactions. Present to class for feedback and one revision round.
Justify the use of sketching as a rapid prototyping tool.
Facilitation TipIn Storyboard a Game, remind groups to label each frame with a clear user action or outcome before moving to the next.
What to look forHave students work in pairs to create a simple storyboard for an app that helps them remember homework. After completion, students swap storyboards and answer two questions: 'Can you understand the user's goal?' and 'What is one step that could be clearer?'
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Analyze App Storyboard
Project a sample app storyboard. Class discusses sequence, user decisions, and improvements in a think-pair-share format. Vote on changes and redraw key panels together on butcher paper.
Construct a storyboard for a simple interactive application.
Facilitation TipFor Analyze App Storyboard, provide colored pencils so students can trace arrows or highlight decision points as they explain flow.
What to look forOn a small piece of paper, ask students to write one sentence explaining why a storyboard is helpful for planning an app. Then, have them draw one simple sketch representing a button or icon they might use in an app.
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Activity 04
Individual: Personal Idea Board
Each student sketches 3 rough ideas for an app solving a classroom problem, then picks one to storyboard in 4 panels. Share one panel with a neighbor for quick feedback.
Analyze how a storyboard communicates a sequence of interactions.
Facilitation TipWith Personal Idea Board, model how to use sticky notes for movable elements like buttons or icons to encourage revision.
What to look forProvide students with a simple scenario, such as 'a user wants to feed a virtual pet.' Ask them to draw three quick sketches showing the main screens or steps involved. Check if the sketches are clear enough to convey the basic idea.
RememberUnderstandAnalyzeSocial AwarenessSelf-AwarenessDecision-Making
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers approach this topic by framing sketching as a language for planning, not art. Avoid modeling polished drawings, which can intimidate students. Instead, demonstrate how to use simple shapes, arrows, and labels to communicate ideas. Research shows that rapid, iterative sketching builds confidence and reveals design flaws early, so emphasize cycles of draw, share, and revise rather than aiming for a 'final' version.
Successful learning shows when students use quick, clear sketches to communicate layout and flow, and when storyboards include connections to explain user actions. Students justify their choices and revise based on peer input, demonstrating understanding of prototyping as an ongoing process.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Quick Sketch Relay, watch for students erasing or adding detail to sketches, thinking they must be polished.
Prompt pairs to pause and discuss: 'Which lines show the most important part of your idea?' Encourage them to circle or label that part and ignore the rest, reinforcing that sketches are tools for communication, not art.
During Storyboard a Game, watch for groups arranging frames in a line without arrows or notes to show sequence.
Ask groups to trace the path from one frame to the next using their fingers, then add arrows or numbers. If gaps appear, have peers suggest missing steps or transitions.
During Personal Idea Board, watch for students spending too long on one sketch or waiting for perfection.
Set a timer for 2 minutes per sketch. Remind students to use sticky notes to rearrange elements quickly, making it easy to test different layouts without redrawing.
Methods used in this brief