Why We Should Engage Students in Curriculum Storyboards

Too often, students experience learning as a series of disconnected lessons rather than a cohesive journey.

But what if we changed that?

What if, before diving into instruction, we invited students into the learning process by engaging them in the curriculum storyboard?

I was recently inspired by a conversation with Allison Zmuda, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, and Bena Kallick about why students should engage with Curriculum Storyboards and how we might do this effectively.

Shortly after, I was working with a district where teachers asked how to use Curriculum Storyboards with students. At the time, we were just beginning to design them, so I hadn’t fully anticipated the “what next” conversation.

But as the discussion unfolded, the excitement in the room was undeniable.

Q: How can you use Curriculum Storyboards with your students?

1. One teacher suggested turning each unit into a classroom poster, creating a visual anchor that could be referred to throughout the unit or year.
2. Another proposed giving students the storyboard image at the start of a unit and asking them to predict what the learning might be about, how it could be relevant, or how it might connect to prior knowledge.
3. A third teacher envisioned a student-facing storyboard with space for personal reflection.

These ideas reinforced a key realization: a curriculum storyboard isn’t just a curriculum tool, it’s a shared roadmap that can guide and inspire students throughout the learning journey.

The Importance of Purpose

When students see where they are going and why it matters, they are more likely to be invested. Students naturally start making connections to what they already know.

When students see the roadmap for their learning, they anticipate challenges and recognize that learning is a journey, not just a series of tasks to complete.

A storyboard serves as a bridge between past learning and new concepts, helping students anchor new information more effectively.

How often do students ask, “Why do we have to learn this?”

A Curriculum Storyboard makes learning relevant by showing connections between concepts and real-world applications, helping students see the “why” behind the “what.”

Upon further reflection, learning shouldn’t just happen to students; it should happen with them. By sharing the learning roadmap, students can take ownership, ask questions, and set personal goals, making them active participants in the learning process.

A storyboard doesn’t just show what students will learn; it also invites them to think about how they learn.

• Engaging students in the roadmap encourages reflection, self-monitoring, and deeper thinking about their own learning process.
• Engaging students in the curriculum storyboard isn’t just a strategy; it’s a mindset shift.

It transforms students from passive recipients of instruction into active, engaged learners who are part of the journey ahead. If we want students to care about learning, we need to show them why it matters.