Activity Overview
When explaining a process, it's often more fun to make a narrative out of it! Give students the ability to show off their creativity by creating a narrative storyboard that illustrates the story of how food is digested. Students can add characters, faces, and frame the story from the perspective of someone eating the food. To scaffold the activity or provide an alternative, give students the text and have them create the illustrations using Storyboard That.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the digestive by creating a narrative storyboard. Tell the story of a piece of food as it travels through the alimentary canal. Make sure you include all the different stages from the mouth the anus. You should use a series of scenes, shapes, objects and Textables to tell your story.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create your narrative storyboard. Add cells as needed.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vizualizations | All the visualizations are easy to understand and help in telling the story. | Most of the visualizations are easy to understand. | Some of the visualizations are easy to understand. |
| Content | The story shows what happens in all the stages of digestion including: The role of the liver, gallbladder, bile, and enzymes are also included. | The story shows what happens in all of the following stages: The role of the liver, gallbladder, bile, and enzymes are not included. | The story shows what happens in 3 of the following stages: |
| Creativity | The work is highly creative. It could be used as an exemplary model. | Creativity is evident. | Creativity is not evident. |
| Conventions | There are only minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage, if any. | There are few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage, but they do not hinder understanding. | There are many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage which make the text difficult to understand. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
Activity Overview
When explaining a process, it's often more fun to make a narrative out of it! Give students the ability to show off their creativity by creating a narrative storyboard that illustrates the story of how food is digested. Students can add characters, faces, and frame the story from the perspective of someone eating the food. To scaffold the activity or provide an alternative, give students the text and have them create the illustrations using Storyboard That.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the digestive by creating a narrative storyboard. Tell the story of a piece of food as it travels through the alimentary canal. Make sure you include all the different stages from the mouth the anus. You should use a series of scenes, shapes, objects and Textables to tell your story.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create your narrative storyboard. Add cells as needed.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vizualizations | All the visualizations are easy to understand and help in telling the story. | Most of the visualizations are easy to understand. | Some of the visualizations are easy to understand. |
| Content | The story shows what happens in all the stages of digestion including: The role of the liver, gallbladder, bile, and enzymes are also included. | The story shows what happens in all of the following stages: The role of the liver, gallbladder, bile, and enzymes are not included. | The story shows what happens in 3 of the following stages: |
| Creativity | The work is highly creative. It could be used as an exemplary model. | Creativity is evident. | Creativity is not evident. |
| Conventions | There are only minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage, if any. | There are few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage, but they do not hinder understanding. | There are many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or usage which make the text difficult to understand. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
How Tos about The Digestive System: A Narrative
How to Differentiate Digestive System Storyboards for Varied Learners
Adapt storyboard tasks by offering multiple entry points and supports so all students can access the digestive system narrative activity. Providing scaffolds helps students of different abilities succeed and stay engaged.
Offer sentence starters or templates
Give students pre-written sentence beginnings or a storyboard template to support writing and organization. This helps struggling writers focus on content instead of format.
Provide vocabulary lists with visuals
Share key digestive system terms alongside images or icons. This aids understanding and allows students to use accurate language in their storyboards.
Allow oral or digital narration options
Let students record themselves explaining each scene or use text-to-speech tools. This supports diverse communication styles and helps build confidence.
Use flexible grouping for peer support
Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm ideas or provide feedback. Collaboration makes the activity more accessible for all learners.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Digestive System: A Narrative
How can I teach the digestive system using a narrative storyboard?
Teaching the digestive system with a narrative storyboard helps students visualize each stage of digestion. Have students create a story from the food's perspective, showing its journey through the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and anus. This creative approach boosts engagement and understanding.
What are the steps to make a digestive system storyboard lesson?
Begin by explaining the key stages of digestion. Guide students to create a storyboard that follows food from eating to waste removal. They should use scenes, characters, and labels for each organ. Encourage creativity and accuracy for an effective lesson.
Why is a narrative approach effective for teaching the digestive system?
A narrative approach makes abstract science concepts relatable by turning them into stories. Students remember processes better when they create or follow a character—like a piece of food—through the digestive system’s stages.
What tools can students use to illustrate the digestive process in class?
Students can use resources like Storyboard That to build digital storyboards, or draw scenes by hand. These tools allow for easy addition of characters, labels, and sequential scenes to clearly show each digestive step.
What are some tips for making digestive system lessons more engaging?
To make lessons engaging, let students create stories or comics, use digital storyboard tools, add creative characters, and present their work. Interactive and visual activities help build deeper understanding and excitement for learning.
More Storyboard That Activities
Digestive System
This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides
Testimonials
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher
© 2025 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
