Activity Overview
Learning to summarize a story is a skill students will use throughout their life. Starting with the Beginning, Middle, and End, students will learn to identify important scenes in stories in a way that creates an easy to understand summary. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that summarizes the beginning, middle, and end of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. Teachers may choose to have students include two cells for each, or differentiate by only including one.
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter Summary Example
Beginning: Manayara tells her sister Nyasha that she will be queen one day, and Nyasha will be her servant. Nyasha has planted a garden and befriends a garden snake who she affectionately names Nyoka. Early one morning a messenger arrives from the city, telling Mufaro that the Great King wishes to choose a wife. They prepare themselves for the journey to the city.
Middle: Manayara sneaks out to journey to the city alone, in order to beat her sister. Along the way she meets a hungry boy and an old woman, both of whom she is rude to. The next day, Nyasha, her father, and the wedding party head out as planned. Nyasha comes across the same people and is kind to them.
End: They find Manayara sobbing at the city gate. She tells them of a cruel snake with five heads, but Nyasha goes ahead anyway. When she arrives at the king’s chamber, she sees her garden snake friend, Nyoka, and he changes shape into the king! He tells Nyasha that he was her garden snake friend, the hungry boy, and the old woman, and that because she was so kind, she is the most beautiful daughter in the land. They get married and Nyasha becomes the queen, with her sister Manayara as a servant in the household.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual summary of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Separate the story into the Beginning, Middle, and End.
- Create images that represent important moments or sets of events for each of the story components using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short description of each part of the story.
- Save and Exit to submit your work.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot | Each of the three cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end. Sentences accurately summarize each part. | One cell is out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information. | Important information is missing and/or two or three cells are out of order. |
| Images | Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. | Some of the images help tell the story. Descriptions do not always match the images. | Images do not make sense with the story. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is difficult to understand. |
Activity Overview
Learning to summarize a story is a skill students will use throughout their life. Starting with the Beginning, Middle, and End, students will learn to identify important scenes in stories in a way that creates an easy to understand summary. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that summarizes the beginning, middle, and end of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. Teachers may choose to have students include two cells for each, or differentiate by only including one.
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter Summary Example
Beginning: Manayara tells her sister Nyasha that she will be queen one day, and Nyasha will be her servant. Nyasha has planted a garden and befriends a garden snake who she affectionately names Nyoka. Early one morning a messenger arrives from the city, telling Mufaro that the Great King wishes to choose a wife. They prepare themselves for the journey to the city.
Middle: Manayara sneaks out to journey to the city alone, in order to beat her sister. Along the way she meets a hungry boy and an old woman, both of whom she is rude to. The next day, Nyasha, her father, and the wedding party head out as planned. Nyasha comes across the same people and is kind to them.
End: They find Manayara sobbing at the city gate. She tells them of a cruel snake with five heads, but Nyasha goes ahead anyway. When she arrives at the king’s chamber, she sees her garden snake friend, Nyoka, and he changes shape into the king! He tells Nyasha that he was her garden snake friend, the hungry boy, and the old woman, and that because she was so kind, she is the most beautiful daughter in the land. They get married and Nyasha becomes the queen, with her sister Manayara as a servant in the household.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual summary of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Separate the story into the Beginning, Middle, and End.
- Create images that represent important moments or sets of events for each of the story components using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short description of each part of the story.
- Save and Exit to submit your work.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot | Each of the three cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end. Sentences accurately summarize each part. | One cell is out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information. | Important information is missing and/or two or three cells are out of order. |
| Images | Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. | Some of the images help tell the story. Descriptions do not always match the images. | Images do not make sense with the story. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is difficult to understand. |
How Tos about Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Visual Summary
Organize students for a collaborative story retelling activity
Form small groups and assign each group a different section (beginning, middle, or end) of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters to retell together. Collaboration helps students practice summarizing while building teamwork and oral language skills.
Guide students to create group storyboards
Have each group create a shared visual storyboard using markers or digital tools, illustrating the key events in their assigned section. Visuals reinforce comprehension and encourage students to focus on the most important details.
Facilitate group presentations to the class
Invite each group to present their storyboard in order, retelling their portion of the story to the class. Presenting builds confidence and helps all students hear a complete, student-driven summary of the story.
Encourage students to reflect on summary skills
Lead a short class discussion about what made each summary effective and how visuals helped clarify the story. Reflection reinforces summarizing strategies and helps students transfer these skills to other texts.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Visual Summary
What is a visual summary of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters?
A visual summary of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is a storyboard or series of images that depict the beginning, middle, and end of the story, highlighting key events and characters to help students understand the narrative structure.
How can I teach students to summarize Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters using beginning, middle, and end?
Guide students to identify important scenes in each story section—beginning, middle, and end—then have them create images and short descriptions for each, forming a clear and easy-to-understand summary.
What are some important scenes from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters to include in a storyboard?
Key scenes include Manayara’s boast to Nyasha, the messenger’s arrival, Manayara and Nyasha’s journeys, the encounters with the hungry boy and old woman, and Nyasha discovering her friend Nyoka is the king.
What is the objective of creating a storyboard for Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters?
The objective is to help students summarize the story visually, enhancing comprehension by breaking the plot into the beginning, middle, and end, and representing key events through images and text.
Why is summarizing a story with a visual storyboard helpful for elementary students?
Summarizing with a visual storyboard helps younger students by making complex stories more accessible, supporting retention, sequencing, and understanding through both visual and written elements.
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