Activity Overview
Learning to summarize a story is a skill students will use throughout their life. Starting with the Beginning, Middle, and End, students will learn to identify important scenes in stories in a way that creates an easy to understand summary. In this activity, students will create a 3 cell storyboard that summarizes the beginning, middle, and end of Pattan’s Pumpkin.
Pattan’s Pumpkin Summary Example
Beginning: There once lived a man named Pattan, who lived in the Sahyadri mountains with his wife Kanni. Pattan found a plant with beautiful flowers that looked like it needed some care, and he planted it near their hut. The plant thrived and soon it grew into an enormous pumpkin.
Middle: One day the sky turned dark and the rain began to fall heavily. Pattan knew that they had to leave the mountains, for there was sure to be a dangerous flood from all of the rain. The next morning, Pattan got to work hollowing out the giant pumpkin, which had grown as tall as the mountain. He climbed the mountain, cut open the top, and began digging. With the animals jumping in to help, the great pumpkin was finally ready and big enough for everyone to fit inside.
End: Pattan helped everyone, including all of the animals, into the pumpkin, and when it was time to go, he cut it free and off they rolled down the mountain and into the river. Many days and nights passed, until finally they reached the plains. When the rain stopped, they all returned to the valley. They built a new home by the river and Pattan planted the single pumpkin seed that he had saved. Pattan and Kanni had many children, who grew up and lived alongside them in their own homes in the foothills of the mountains.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual summary of Pattan’s Pumpkin.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Separate the story into the Beginning, Middle, and End.
- Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the story components using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short description of each part of the story.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot | Each of the three cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end. Sentences accurately summarize each part. | One cell is out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information. | Important information is missing and/or two or three cells are out of order. |
| Images | Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. | Some of the images help tell the story. Descriptions do not always match the images. | Images do not make sense with the story. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is difficult to understand. |
Activity Overview
Learning to summarize a story is a skill students will use throughout their life. Starting with the Beginning, Middle, and End, students will learn to identify important scenes in stories in a way that creates an easy to understand summary. In this activity, students will create a 3 cell storyboard that summarizes the beginning, middle, and end of Pattan’s Pumpkin.
Pattan’s Pumpkin Summary Example
Beginning: There once lived a man named Pattan, who lived in the Sahyadri mountains with his wife Kanni. Pattan found a plant with beautiful flowers that looked like it needed some care, and he planted it near their hut. The plant thrived and soon it grew into an enormous pumpkin.
Middle: One day the sky turned dark and the rain began to fall heavily. Pattan knew that they had to leave the mountains, for there was sure to be a dangerous flood from all of the rain. The next morning, Pattan got to work hollowing out the giant pumpkin, which had grown as tall as the mountain. He climbed the mountain, cut open the top, and began digging. With the animals jumping in to help, the great pumpkin was finally ready and big enough for everyone to fit inside.
End: Pattan helped everyone, including all of the animals, into the pumpkin, and when it was time to go, he cut it free and off they rolled down the mountain and into the river. Many days and nights passed, until finally they reached the plains. When the rain stopped, they all returned to the valley. They built a new home by the river and Pattan planted the single pumpkin seed that he had saved. Pattan and Kanni had many children, who grew up and lived alongside them in their own homes in the foothills of the mountains.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual summary of Pattan’s Pumpkin.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Separate the story into the Beginning, Middle, and End.
- Create an image that represents an important moment or set of events for each of the story components using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short description of each part of the story.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plot | Each of the three cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end. Sentences accurately summarize each part. | One cell is out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information. | Important information is missing and/or two or three cells are out of order. |
| Images | Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. | Some of the images help tell the story. Descriptions do not always match the images. | Images do not make sense with the story. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is difficult to understand. |
How Tos about Pattan’s Pumpkin Visual Summary
Plan a Class Discussion Using the Story’s Key Events
Engage your class by leading a discussion about the most important events in Pattan’s Pumpkin. Encourage students to share their thoughts and listen to others’ ideas, building comprehension and speaking skills.
List the story’s beginning, middle, and end on the board
Write out each story section so students can visually follow the sequence. This helps students organize their thoughts and prepares them to summarize key moments.
Ask students to describe what happens in each part
Invite students to explain the main events for the beginning, middle, and end. Prompt them with questions if they get stuck, supporting deeper understanding.
Connect events to students’ own experiences
Encourage students to relate parts of the story to something in their own lives. This makes the story more meaningful and helps them remember important details.
Summarize the discussion as a class visual chart
Create a chart or poster that captures students’ ideas for each story section. Display this in your classroom as a reference for future summarizing activities.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pattan’s Pumpkin Visual Summary
What is a visual summary of Pattan’s Pumpkin?
A visual summary of Pattan’s Pumpkin is a simple storyboard or set of images that shows the key events from the beginning, middle, and end of the story, helping students understand and retell the main plot points.
How do you teach students to summarize a story using beginning, middle, and end?
To teach students to summarize a story, guide them to break the story into three parts—beginning, middle, and end—then identify the most important scene or event in each part and describe it briefly, possibly with pictures for clarity.
What are some easy activities for teaching story summarization in grades 2-3?
Easy activities include creating storyboards, drawing the main events, using graphic organizers for beginning-middle-end, and having students retell the story in their own words or with simple sentences and images.
Why is summarizing stories important for elementary students?
Summarizing helps elementary students understand main ideas, improve reading comprehension, and express key points clearly—skills they will use across all subjects and throughout life.
What is the main lesson in Pattan’s Pumpkin?
The main lesson in Pattan’s Pumpkin is about resourcefulness, caring for others, and working together to overcome challenges, as Pattan saves his community and animals from a flood using a giant pumpkin.
More Storyboard That Activities
Pattan’s Pumpkin
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
