In search of a quick input-based activity that you can use either in a remote or in-person setting? Have students draw the scenes of a story.

Illustrations are a great way that students can show comprehension of the material. In the past, I’ve used a random chapter of a audiobook from a novel and had students draw what is happening. I divide the chapter out ahead of time, and then play the segment, pausing at each interval to give students time to draw.

In previous years, I’ve had students act out my story “Erika quiere un uncornio” in class and then had students read an illustrated text, which is available in this product. But being remote this year, I needed to do something different. Since the story didn’t have any new structures and included ones that we’ve already been practicing, I had students read the captions and then illustrate during class time. At the end, students showed their pictures on camera as I read the text outloud.

This is an easy activity to set up with any text.

1. Write a few phrases of a story on a powerpoint slide
2. Underline phrases that you want students to re-write by labeling their illustration
3. Save the Powerpoint as a PDF
4. Open the PDF and then choose Print and change the layout to print 6 pages per sheet (This works much better than printing 6 slides per sheet directly from PowerPoint)
5. Share with students or Post a digital copy
6. If using remotely, students can choose to print and illustrate in the space OR they simply look at the PDF on their computer and draw on a piece of paper
7. If using remotely, teacher can read the text and students hold up their illustration to the camera.

I make sure to tell students that I am not judging their artwork but looking to see how descriptive their illustration is, in other words, does it include as much detail from the text as possible?
When I first did this I asked students to label their illustrations, but many did not, so instead I underlined certain phrases that I want them to label on their drawing. But I would also be clear that they also need to illustrate the rest of the text as well and not just what is underlined.

If you want this lesson, which is 100% ready to use as soon as you download it, you can purchase it from our TeachersPayTeachers storefront.