Story Boards for History

We've been working our way through some workbooks on American History. The chapters aren't bad in terms of the reading, short but alive with description and interesting information. At the end of the chapter there are a lot of questions and my children have been bored to death trying to get through them. They just weren't absorbing the information. So I got an idea to come at it in a different way. I got some bristol board from the Dollar Store and divided it up into 24 squares. When we are done reading the chapter the kids take one square and sketch the details of the chapter. It has been amazing to watch them pull out of the chapter what to sketch. They have actually been dividing their squares into quarters and putting various scenes in them. Then they sit around and chat about what they did. It has been a fantastic way to get the information to 'stick' for them. Much better then the questions at the back or any test I could give them. When I say to them "Get your story boards!" , they go running for them they are so excited about it. They'll often put themselves in the shoes of the characters and write in bubbles about their heads what they're thinking. I see them connecting with the history we are reading about, it's coming alive for them, and I am so happy to have the tool of narration for history, science and geography. I'll post some pictures of their first story board once they are finished the first work book.

I should also mention that after they were done with their story boards and they were put away, the kids made up a play with two acts about Christopher Columbus and Americus. It was great! :)