Panel Sort
Every panel has a job. Sort these fifteen panel descriptions into five narrative jobs, then explain how one panel could do two jobs at once.
How to play
- Cut out the 15 cards.
- Sort them into five groups: establishing, reaction, action, transition, dialogue/conflict.
- Check your answers with the key.
- Choose five cards and arrange them into a sequence. Explain what happens in the gutters.
Cards
Wide shot of a city skyline at duskThe setting is shown before any character appears.
An empty bedroom with one open windowThe room is still, but something is missing.
A crowded school corridorMany people, one small figure in the middle.
Extreme close-up of wide eyesThe character has just realised something.
A hand trembling over a door handleThe body shows fear before the face does.
A silent stare between two charactersNo one speaks; the pause carries the tension.
A fist slams into a tableThe action is sudden and loud.
A character runs through a narrow alleyMovement and urgency fill the frame.
A door bursts openThe panel breaks the previous stillness.
Clock hands move from 3 to 6Time passes between one scene and the next.
Footsteps down a long corridorThe sound leads into the next location.
A character walks from the street into a shopThe panel links two spaces.
Two faces in profile, nose to noseThe composition stages a confrontation.
A speech balloon: “You knew.”The dialogue changes the relationship.
A finger points across the panelThe gesture accuses someone off-frame.
Answer key
| Narrative job | Cards | What the panel does |
|---|---|---|
| Establishing | City skyline, empty bedroom, crowded corridor | Shows place, mood, and the character's position in the world. |
| Reaction | Wide eyes, trembling hand, silent stare | Shows the emotional consequence of an event. |
| Action | Fist on table, running, door bursting open | Changes the situation and creates momentum. |
| Transition | Clock hands, footsteps, walking into a shop | Moves time or space without a caption. |
| Dialogue/conflict | Faces in profile, “You knew.”, pointing finger | Reveals power, knowledge, or accusation through speech and gesture. |
Extension
Choose one card from each job and put them in an order that tells a story. Then answer:
- What happens between each pair of panels?
- Which panel would you make largest, and why?
- Where would you use silence instead of dialogue?
Exit ticket
Which panel job is hardest to draw without words? Explain why in two sentences.
Teacher note: the cards are designed for printing and cutting. The answer key can be withheld or displayed after the sorting stage.