2 November 2010

MEET T H E ZI M MER
TWINS!
G e t
c r e a t i v e

Here is a great chance for your students to take

a seat in the director's chair!

On the Zimmer Twins website (www.zimmertwins.com), students can

create their own cartoon movie endings to a story starter. They can also

create their very own animated movie from scratch. Only the creativity of

your students will decide what happens at each ending. Students can
create
The Zimmer Twins is a fun way to incorporate technology into the and edit movies solo or
classroom. On the site, students will "Collab-o-write" by
meet Edgar and Eva Zimmer, 12 year working together to
old twins with psychic powers. Watch create a collaborative
your students expand their m ov i e . S o m e o f t h e
vocabulary, practice proper writing examples of story
habits, and become junior movie starters include titles like
producers all at the same time! "Surprise" and "Rock

Out" where students

Students can:
Watch a starter (a short animation that ends with a cliff-hanger). take charge of what

Create their own ending to the story by writing dialog for the characters happens next!
and putting scenes together.
Create a movie from scratch...your imagination is the limit!
Save their work on the website for other kids to watch, rate and comment

Meet the Zimmer Twins • Kidz@conference • iain_b@xtra.co.nz •

2 November 2010

ME ET TH E Z IM M E R TWI NS
on. (environmental/school politics etc...) Half the class
Watch and rate movies made by other kids. will develop an animated movie supporting an issue,

half will formulate a movie against the issue.

The fun and animated graphics will help spark your
students' imagination and creativity in whatever
Example: Use the story builder to create movies
they choose to do!
that state an opinion such as, “If I was Prime
Zimmer Twins Lesson Ideas Minister or President what problems would I fix? If I

was mayor what would I change about the city?

Media. Develop greater media literacy.

Example: Bias and Stereotypes. Using the Zimmer

Example: Write a commercial. Learn about
Twins characters as spokespeople, develop role-
persuasive advertising techniques and propaganda
playing scenarios that explore gender discrimination
in the media
and equal rights.
Example: Analyze movie or restaurant reviews and
English
students write their own. Observe how restaurant

reviews use a pattern to describe each restaurant. Example: Use metaphors and similes to build
Create a chart during a prewriting activity to clarify interest in writing
the ideas and structure of a restaurant review.

Develop a restaurant review in the form of an Example: Work in the story builder to develop more

animated movie. effective writing styles. Learn about the thesaurus,

and use a variety of adjectives to generate more

Example: Divide the class into small groups. Have interesting sentences.
teams develop fact or fiction movies based on short

articles about a subject (animals, history etc...). At Example: No More Repetition. Use conjunctions to

the end other groups have to guess which is fact improve writing style and string ideas into

and which is fiction. meaningful sentences.

Example: Students produce a news segment where Example: Proofreading exercises – peer exercises

they explain, inform, describe, analyze, comment, to check grammar and spelling in movies.

review or advise about an issue

Example: Develop an exciting opener to grab the

Social Studies attention of your audience. Use this opener to

create an animated movie.

Example: Encourage students to convey opinions

by writing about a contentious issue

Meet the Zimmer Twins • Kidz@conference • iain_b@xtra.co.nz •

2 November 2010

ME ET TH E Z IM M E R TWI NS

Example: Create your own movie starters. Switch create a movie describing why there side is right.

with a buddy, and develop the ending to their The other team collabo-writes on the movie, and

movie starter. explains a counter argument.

Example: Short stories: how character, setting, Example: Use magazines or newspapers for

plot effect the story reference. Students use these to research sentence

openers. Record a list of these of openers in a

Example: (English) Compose a story using five
writing journal, use a thesaurus if needed. Use
sentences. Create a character that is angry. In the
collected sentence openers to create a five-
story explain why your character is angry. Focus on
sentence paragraph about a given subject.
one theme (e.g. Character, Story plot, Character

traits, Tone...). Example: (English) Use pictures to reinforce a

story.
Example: (English) Character traits. Students pull

a character trait out of a hat, and then write a Example: (English) Use the story builder as an aid

story. The character’s actions must fit whatever to

traits have been given without using the actual

study word order such as Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives.
words. Other students must guess.

Example: (English) Word sequencing. Teacher

Example: (English) Students use the story builder
creates a story with the story builder tool using
to create a movie that describes going to the store
familiar vocabulary Teacher then shuffles the movie
to buy 4 things. Students brainstorm for shopping
clips around so they are out of order. Students
items.
must put the stories into the right order.

Example: Collabo-write! Use the story builder to

Example: Similes. Teacher explains what a simile
work on group tasks. Divide class into small
is and why it is used. Teacher shows students how
groups. Pick opposing ideas for debate. Students
to use the story builder. Students practice creating

Meet the Zimmer Twins • Kidz@conference • iain_b@xtra.co.nz •

2 November 2010

ME ET TH E Z IM M E R TWI NS

similes as a whole group. Students then practice agrees angry bored confused disagrees dizzy

writing similes in groups of 2 at the computer. This examines happy impressed plots plugs ears relieved

lesson may be adapted to a variety of themes scared seeks surprised suspicious tease

including, rhymes, homonyms, mood, and

Moving actions
appropriate tone.

announces lectures reads aloud reports sings talks

Example: Comparing stories. Developing short
thinks whispers yells celebrates chases crowd surfs
movies set in the present, past and future.
dances drops faints falls finds flies floats gives hides

hugs lands

Example: Use the following list of set words and More moving actions

actions included in the Zimmer Twins Movie Editor to

laughs leaves levitates meets plays rides rocks runs
help develop descriptive animated movies. Use the 4
sits sneaks sleeps stands steals struts wakes walks.
steps of the writing process (Prewriting, Drafting,

Revising, Editing) to encourage excellent writing

skills.

Talking actions

Meet the Zimmer Twins • Kidz@conference • iain_b@xtra.co.nz •