Art and Animations Lesson: Student Project
Lesson Plan
2 hours 30 minutesGrades3, 4, 5Visual and Performing Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Monica Lilley
About this lesson
This lesson will guide students through the process of creating and reviewing their stop-motion animation video.
Inquire: Students watch a video on art and activism.
Investigate: Students spend time creating their videos in their groups.
Inspire: Students reflect on each other's videos, writing about the techniques used, the feelings the creators achieved, and the success for awareness of the climate change issue.
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How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Suggestions
- This lesson can be extended over several class periods and adjusted to fit various school schedules and teacher needs.
- Students learn how their projects can create change in their local community and have opportunities to share their work with their community.
- Students can add voiceovers, sound effects, or background music to enhance storytelling.
- Students can host an Art and Animation gallery or event, inviting other classes in to watch their animations.
- Students could plan and organize ways to share their videos. This could include a movie night or messaging local, state, and federal representatives.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 4 of 4 in our 3rd-5th grade Art and Animations unit.
- Teacher will need to decide how students will create their stop motion videos and organize the required equipment.
- Teacher may need to learn one or more apps if students decide to use different technology.
Differentiation
- Pair students with someone more experienced or confident to model the stop motion process.
- Teachers can provide printed scenes or simple paper puppets so students can focus on animation, not design.
- Teachers can set a smaller goal, such as a 15–20 frame animation, to keep the project achievable and less overwhelming.
- Teachers can provide technology with fewer features and built-in tutorials.
- Teachers can provide pre-made sets of 3 characters or objects, or show how to turn on the grid feature in the camera app for students to place the most important object where two lines cross.
- Teachers can provide a stand or taped-down device position so students don’t have to worry about adjusting angles.
- Students with prior experience in stop motion can be encouraged to use green screen or layered animations, and include at least two scene changes or transitions to practice sequencing.
- Instead of using the Analyzing Animations Worksheet, students could interview each other to get feedback.
From the scientist review
In this lesson, students will create an animation where they will convey a message of their choice about climate and the environment. The video about the climate activist includes information about how climate is specifically impacting Milwaukee, although the effects she mentioned in the video are applicable to other places. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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