Making media is the other half of reading it. A storyboard is a row of frames, like a comic planned in advance. Each frame has a picture note and a line of words. A weather report is a short spoken text: greeting, place, weather now, what to wear or do, and goodbye.

Choose an audience before you start. Classmates need clear words. A younger child needs shorter sentences. A principal needs a polite tone. The same beach can be a storyboard for friends or a report for the class.

A review says what works and what to change, with a reason. “I liked it” is a start. “The middle frame skips the problem, so I was lost” is a review.

Four frames are enough. Frame 1 shows the start and the place. Frame 2 shows the problem. Frame 3 shows the action. Frame 4 shows the ending. You already know this shape from the plot mountain.

Under each frame, write one sentence. Do not draw a perfect picture first. A stick figure and a label are a plan. If you record later, the storyboard keeps you from forgetting the middle.

Leave a note about sound. Will someone speak? Is there a knock, a wave or silence? Sound is a technique you choose.

Stand or sit still. Look at the audience or the camera. Say the place first so people know it is their weather.

“Good morning. This is the Mayaro report. The sky is cloudy and the wind is up. Wear a light jacket on the beach, and pull the seine only with an adult. That was Asha, at break.”

Facts first. If you add a joke, put it after the facts so nobody misses the jacket. Use Standard English for the report even if your friends chat in Creole before you begin.

Use two stars and a wish, or simply two sentences: what worked, and what to change. Tie each one to the audience.

“The greeting was clear, so the class knew it was Mayaro. The middle frame had no words, so I did not know the bag had split. Add one sentence under frame 2.”

Be kind about the person and clear about the work. Do not say someone is silly. Say what the frame needs. Ask before you show a classmate’s work outside the class.