Art and Design · Year 3 · The Art of the Story · Summer Term

Sequential Art and Storyboarding

Breaking a story down into a series of visual frames, understanding how images create narrative flow.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Art and Design - Drawing and Illustration
• KS2: Art and Design - Narrative Art

About This Topic

Sequential art and storyboards introduce Year 3 students to the power of 'narrative' in art. This topic aligns with the National Curriculum target for students to use drawing to share their ideas and experiences. By breaking a story down into 'frames', students learn about pacing, timing, and how to show a sequence of events without using a single word. This is the foundation of everything from comic books to Hollywood movies.

This unit links strongly to English (Narrative Writing) and Computing. Students learn that an artist is a 'director' who chooses what the viewer sees. This topic comes alive when students can physically 'act out' the frames of a story, using their bodies to understand 'camera angles' and 'close-ups' before they draw them.

Key Questions

1. Explain how artists use sequential images to indicate the passage of time in a story.
2. Analyze what unique information a picture can convey that words alone cannot.
3. Design a storyboard that uses different 'camera angles' to enhance the drama of a scene.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how sequential images convey the passage of time in a narrative.
• Compare the visual information presented in a storyboard frame to accompanying text.
• Design a storyboard sequence using at least three different camera angles to depict a dramatic event.
• Explain the function of different visual elements, such as character expression and background detail, in advancing a story.

Before You Start

Basic Drawing Skills

Why: Students need foundational drawing abilities to represent characters, settings, and actions clearly.

Understanding of Simple Sequences

Why: Students should have experience ordering events chronologically to grasp the concept of sequential art.

Key Vocabulary

Storyboard	A sequence of drawings, often with directions and dialogue, that outlines the shots of a film, animation, or comic.
Frame	A single image or drawing within a sequence that represents a moment in time or an action.
Camera Angle	The position from which a camera (or artist) views a subject, affecting the viewer's perception of the scene, such as eye-level, high-angle, or low-angle.
Narrative Flow	The way a story progresses from one event or image to the next, creating a sense of movement and continuity.
Visual Clue	An element within an image that provides information or hints about the story, characters, or setting.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

A storyboard is just a comic book with speech bubbles.

What to Teach Instead

Students often rely on words to tell the story. A 'Silent Story' challenge (no words allowed) forces them to use 'visual cues' like facial expressions and 'action lines' to communicate the plot.

Common Misconception

Every frame should look the same distance away.

What to Teach Instead

Children often draw everything in 'mid-shot'. The 'Camera Angle Challenge' helps them see that 'zooming in' on a face shows emotion, while 'zooming out' shows the setting.

Active Learning Ideas

Role Play: The Human Storyboard

In groups of three, students are given a simple 3-part story (e.g., 'A cat sees a bird, the cat pounces, the bird flies away'). They must 'freeze-frame' these three moments, with the teacher 'taking a photo' (sketching) the best angles.

30 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: The 'Missing Frame' Mystery

Show students the first and last frame of a story. Pairs must brainstorm and sketch the 'middle' frame that explains how the character got from A to B, discussing the 'logic' of the movement.

20 min·Pairs

Stations Rotation: Camera Angle Challenge

Set up stations with a toy figure. At each station, students must draw the figure from a different 'angle': 'Bird's Eye' (from above), 'Worm's Eye' (from below), and 'Close-up'. They discuss how the 'mood' changes.

45 min·Small Groups

Real-World Connections

• Animators at Aardman Animations, known for Wallace and Gromit, use storyboards extensively to plan out every scene before production begins, ensuring a clear visual narrative.
• Film directors, like Christopher Nolan, meticulously plan shots using storyboards to communicate their vision for complex action sequences and character moments to their cast and crew.
• Comic book artists, such as those creating 'The Beano', use sequential panels to tell humorous stories, relying on visual gags and character expressions to engage young readers.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a short, wordless story (3-4 panels). Ask them to draw one additional frame that shows the next event. On the back, they should write one sentence explaining how their drawing continues the story.

Discussion Prompt

Show students two versions of the same scene: one drawn with an eye-level camera angle and another with a low-angle shot. Ask: 'How does the camera angle change how you feel about the character? Which angle makes the character seem more powerful?'

Quick Check

During drawing time, circulate and ask students to point to a specific frame in their storyboard. Ask: 'What is happening in this frame? How does it connect to the frame before it? What camera angle are you using here?'

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'storyboard' used for in the real world?

It is a 'map' for a film or animation. Directors use them to plan where the actors will stand and where the camera will be before they start filming. It saves a lot of time and money!

How many frames should a Year 3 storyboard have?

Starting with 3 frames (Beginning, Middle, End) is best. Once they master that, they can move to 6 frames to show more 'detail' or 'action' between the main events.

What are 'action lines' in sequential art?

These are simple lines drawn behind a character to show movement (like 'whoosh' lines) or around a character's head to show an emotion (like 'sweat drops' for nervousness).

How does active learning help students understand 'pacing' in a story?

Pacing is about time. By 'acting out' a story in 'Role Play', students feel the 'gap' between actions. They realise that some moments happen fast and some slow. Translating this physical 'feeling' of time into 'frames' on a page helps them understand that each box represents a moment in time, making their visual storytelling much more coherent.