If you missed the introductory page entitled
STEM Activities to Complement Cockroach of Meadowfield, click on the button to the right. |
What is Stop Motion Animation?
Here's an example of where the A (art) in S.T.E.A.M. merges with technology in a big way—it's called Stop Motion Animation and you and your students are going to love it!
As you'll discover on this page, I find that pictures/videos are better than words. Please watch this introductory YouTube video to answer the question: What is stop motion animation?
The great thing about using stop motion animation as a teaching tool is that it is immensely entertaining for students and they are learning at the same time—always a winning combination in the classroom.
There is a learning curve, however, for both teacher and student. But once everyone works through the basics, the sky's the limit!
There is a learning curve, however, for both teacher and student. But once everyone works through the basics, the sky's the limit!
The Project
If you are working with a younger group of elementary students who have never done any stop motion animation before, you will certainly want to keep it simple.
*SC.K2.CS-CS.3.1 Create a digital artifact (independently and collaboratively) that clearly expresses thoughts and ideas
*MAFS.2.MD.1.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
*VA.2.S.1.1 Experiment with tools and techniques as part of art-making processes.
*VA.2.S.2.2 Follow sequential procedures focused on art production.
*LAFS.2.SL.1.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
*VA.3.S.2.1 Integrate the structural elements of art and organizational principles of design with sequential procedures and techniques to achieve an artistic goal.
For the intermediate level students, who may have some experience with animation, they can do one of several projects using the Cockroach of Meadowfield characters.
*SC.35.CS-CC.1.3 Identify ways that technology can foster teamwork, and collaboration can support problem solving and innovation.
*SC.35.CS-CC.1.4 Describe how collaborating with others can be beneficial to a digital project.
*LAFS.4.SL.2.AP.5a Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
When it comes to the materials used to make the objects/characters, there are many choices.
- They can draw worker 1200, for example, cut her out and move her across a forest scene they draw on paper. Once they become familiar with the animation app, they can measure how far to move their cut-outs and how many pictures to take to make a smooth animation.
*SC.K2.CS-CS.3.1 Create a digital artifact (independently and collaboratively) that clearly expresses thoughts and ideas
*MAFS.2.MD.1.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
*VA.2.S.1.1 Experiment with tools and techniques as part of art-making processes.
*VA.2.S.2.2 Follow sequential procedures focused on art production.
*LAFS.2.SL.1.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
*VA.3.S.2.1 Integrate the structural elements of art and organizational principles of design with sequential procedures and techniques to achieve an artistic goal.
For the intermediate level students, who may have some experience with animation, they can do one of several projects using the Cockroach of Meadowfield characters.
- Let the students pick a scene from the book and recreate it in stop motion(Silverfish on scary stream bed, Stag Beetle fighting in the ring, Cockroach in the humming box).
- If they want to be more creative, let them write their own original scene/story using characters from the trilogy. They can write their own storyboard.
- To make it a science lesson, students will use some of the science in the story (how a beehive functions as a social unit, how bombardier beetles produce their acidic weapon, how water striders take advantage of the surface tension of water). Using science concepts like these, they produce an animation that will teach a science lesson. They could even have Book Louse as the narrator!
*SC.35.CS-CC.1.3 Identify ways that technology can foster teamwork, and collaboration can support problem solving and innovation.
*SC.35.CS-CC.1.4 Describe how collaborating with others can be beneficial to a digital project.
*LAFS.4.SL.2.AP.5a Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
When it comes to the materials used to make the objects/characters, there are many choices.
- simple drawings on a white board
- paper cut-outs
- plastic bugs
- clay figures molded over a wire frame (this is explained by a video in the model making section farther down this page).
The video below will provides a great overview of the kinds of stop animation you can do in the classroom. This video is actually a teacher's explanation of a project she expects her students to do, and judging from the content, it is probably a middle/high school/college level course she is teaching. But it still gives great examples of the types of stop motion you can do—even with your younger kids.
Brief tutorial of the basics. This one uses cut-out paper figures
Model Making for Your Stop Motion Project
One of the easier ways for young children to make three dimensional models is with non-hardening clay. They can mold their bug-fellow characters from the Cockroach of Meadowfield trilogy and bring them to life by twisting the model's clay legs, antennae and wings. This video explains how its done.
This next video looks like great fun and an art project by itself. More suited to the older, intermediate level student, these models are more elaborate and rather time-consuming to build. The basic technique should be demonstrated by the teacher in class; then practiced by the students. To save class time, allow the students to make their models at home (let the parents get involved too). Then, when it's time to start filming, the students bring their models back to school. This video shows exactly how to make amazing claymation puppets. Very cool!
Filming
When it comes to filming your animation, there are two options. The first option may be the easier of the two — a camera phone or notebook. Both Apple and Android systems have stop motion animation apps you can download that will do the job nicely.
The second option is to film using a digital camera and tripod.
The second option is to film using a digital camera and tripod.
- Option One is use your camera on an Iphone or Ipad. Here is a tutorial on making a stop motion using the Ipad app called "Stop Motion". Keep in mind, you can use Android devices and apps in much the same way.
There are dozens of other apps you can download. Here is a handy list from an Irish website of some recommended Stop Motion Animation Apps to use with your smartphone or other device (Android and iPhone). Some are free. Others are priced in Euros (google a euro to dollar converter if you need to know the price).
- Option Two is to use a digital camera wired to a computer (you could also use a computer webcam, but that is more limited)
Here is a You Tube tutorial that tells you all the ins and outs of learning how to do fairly high level stop motion animation projects using a digital camera, tripod and computer with animation software. Definitely more advanced than option one, but something to think about nonetheless.
What Other Educators are Saying About Using Stop Motion Animation in the Classroom
Nancy Yamamoto, Instructional Reform Facilitator at San Francisco Unified School District, contributed an article to KEQD and I have it linked below. It's a great article that points out the educational benefits of using stop motion animation in the elementary curriculum.
An overview of the steps involved to incorporate stop motion in the classroom can be read at the link below. This is from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) website and an article by Dr. Stephanie Hatten, district technology instructional specialist for Galena Park Independent School District in Houston, Texas.
My Very First Stop Motion Video
To show you how easy it can be, I tried my first ever attempt at a stop motion video using my Android smartphone's camera and a free app called Motion. This app seems to do the job, but has nothing built in to allow for the addition of sound. Kind of a bummer there.
You can look at my video by clicking on the button below.
Using my smartphone, I downloaded the Motion app. It's a very basic and simple app for stop motion filming. Of course, by the time this info reaches you, there could be a myriad of new apps you could use. Technology is like that :).
I put a plastic roach on my kitchen floor and moved the roach a little at a time toward the refrigerator. Through the Motion app, I took 155 pictures of the roach with my phone's camera. I sent the final video to my picture gallery on my phone, shared it on goggle photos on my home PC and that was it.
The filming process took about 8 - 10 minutes at the most.
You can look at my video by clicking on the button below.
Using my smartphone, I downloaded the Motion app. It's a very basic and simple app for stop motion filming. Of course, by the time this info reaches you, there could be a myriad of new apps you could use. Technology is like that :).
I put a plastic roach on my kitchen floor and moved the roach a little at a time toward the refrigerator. Through the Motion app, I took 155 pictures of the roach with my phone's camera. I sent the final video to my picture gallery on my phone, shared it on goggle photos on my home PC and that was it.
The filming process took about 8 - 10 minutes at the most.
I hope all this information helps you get started setting up your classroom animation studio. Good luck with your filming.