"The Raft" Text Connections: Storyboard That Lesson

Q: What are text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections in reading?

Text-to-text connections link what you're reading to another story or book. Text-to-self connections relate the text to your own life or experiences. Text-to-world connections tie the story to real events or issues in the wider world.

Q: How can students make connections while reading The Raft by Jim LaMarche?

Students can make connections by identifying moments in The Raft that remind them of other books, their own lives, or real-world events. They can use a T-chart to organize these text-to-text , text-to-self , and text-to-world connections and illustrate each with scenes or descriptions.

Q: Why is making connections an important reading skill for elementary students?

Making connections helps students understand and relate to texts more deeply. It boosts comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking by linking new information to what students already know or have experienced.

Q: Can you give an example of a text-to-self connection with The Raft?

For example, if Nicky in The Raft didn't want to visit his grandma, a student might connect this to a time they also felt unsure about visiting a family member, making the story feel more personal and relatable.

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Student Rubric

Lesson Plan Overview

Text Connections
Text to Text	Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story
Text to Self	Connection that reminds you of something in your life.
Text to World	Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world.

Making connections is a very important skill to acquire and perfect. The Raft is a great story for students to connect to on many different levels. In this activity, students will be making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students should choose which connection they want to make first and work to write a narrative for that. Once all three connections have been made, students can work on their illustrations.

TEXT TO TEXT

Text: Nicky loves spending time on the raft he found.
Text: In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn travels a river on his raft.

TEXT TO SELF

Text: Nicky did not want to spend the summer with his Grandma.
Self: When I was little, I did not want to go to my Grandma's house.

TEXT TO WORLD

Text: Nicky describes a moment he had on the raft with otters.
World: On the news, they talked about a zoo that had an otter exhibit and the otters could do fun tricks.

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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

Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with The Raft. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify parts of The Raft that you connect with.
Parts from the The Raft go on the left side. The connections you make go on the right side.
Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
Write a description of how the text relates to another text, the world, and you.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 3-4

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: T-Charts

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Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Text Connections

Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with the text: Text to Text, Text to World, & Text to Self.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Text Connections	Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly.	Student made and labeled two text connections correctly.	Student made and labeled one text connection correctly.
Examples of Connections	All examples of connections support understanding of text.	Most examples of connections support understanding of text.	Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand.
Illustration of Examples	Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text.	Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text.	Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand.

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Lesson Plan Overview

Text Connections
Text to Text	Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story
Text to Self	Connection that reminds you of something in your life.
Text to World	Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world.

TEXT TO TEXT

Text: Nicky loves spending time on the raft he found.
Text: In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn travels a river on his raft.

TEXT TO SELF

Text: Nicky did not want to spend the summer with his Grandma.
Self: When I was little, I did not want to go to my Grandma's house.

TEXT TO WORLD

Text: Nicky describes a moment he had on the raft with otters.
World: On the news, they talked about a zoo that had an otter exhibit and the otters could do fun tricks.

Copy Activity

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

Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with The Raft. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify parts of The Raft that you connect with.
Parts from the The Raft go on the left side. The connections you make go on the right side.
Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
Write a description of how the text relates to another text, the world, and you.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 3-4

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: T-Charts

Copy Activity

Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Text Connections

Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with the text: Text to Text, Text to World, & Text to Self.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Text Connections	Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly.	Student made and labeled two text connections correctly.	Student made and labeled one text connection correctly.
Examples of Connections	All examples of connections support understanding of text.	Most examples of connections support understanding of text.	Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand.
Illustration of Examples	Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text.	Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text.	Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand.

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How Tos about Making Connections in The Raft

Organize a whole-class discussion on text connections

Lead a lively group discussion where students share their text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. This helps build confidence and encourages deeper understanding as students see how others relate to the story.

Prepare connection sentence starters for students

Offer helpful prompts such as “This reminds me of...”, “I felt the same way when...”, or “This is like when...”. These sentence starters make it easier for students to begin their responses and develop thoughtful connections.

Model making connections with a think-aloud

Read a passage from The Raft aloud and describe your own connections as you go. When teachers model the process, students see how to make meaningful links between text, themselves, and the world.

Use anchor charts to track connection types

Create a visual anchor chart in your classroom that lists the three types of connections. Add student examples throughout the unit to reinforce learning and celebrate new insights.

Encourage students to illustrate their connections

Invite students to draw or use digital tools to illustrate each connection they make with The Raft. This taps into creativity and ensures all learners can express their understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions about Making Connections in The Raft

What are text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections in reading?

Text-to-text connections link what you're reading to another story or book. Text-to-self connections relate the text to your own life or experiences. Text-to-world connections tie the story to real events or issues in the wider world.

How can students make connections while reading The Raft by Jim LaMarche?

Students can make connections by identifying moments in The Raft that remind them of other books, their own lives, or real-world events. They can use a T-chart to organize these text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections and illustrate each with scenes or descriptions.

Why is making connections an important reading skill for elementary students?

Making connections helps students understand and relate to texts more deeply. It boosts comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking by linking new information to what students already know or have experienced.

What is a simple activity to teach text connections using The Raft?

Teachers can ask students to create a storyboard or T-chart. On one side, students list events from The Raft; on the other, they write or draw their text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-world connections, explaining each briefly.

Can you give an example of a text-to-self connection with The Raft?

For example, if Nicky in The Raft didn't want to visit his grandma, a student might connect this to a time they also felt unsure about visiting a family member, making the story feel more personal and relatable.