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Lesson Plan for Technology Teaching

By Yvonne Carlson 4/2/2017
Basic Information
Grade level: 3rd grade and up
Unit title: Film Making: Communicating with Video Media
Lesson title: Making A Stop Action Animation Video
Time required: 7-8 class periods of 55 minute sessions

Standards

ISTE-S Creative Communicator

Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using
the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
CLOSE

6a Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or
communication.
6b Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6c Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such
as visualizations, models or simulations.
6d Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

My Local District has developed Technology Standards for teachers to reference.

Define Learning Outcomes

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Option 1: Apply the UbD framework

Enduring Understandings:
1. The skills, techniques, elements and principles of design can be
learned, studied, refined and practiced.
2. Animation and filmmaking provide a medium to understand and
exchange ideas.
3. Animation and film are visual media that have height, width,
depth and time.
4. Narrative stories have historically been used to communicate
ideas from generation to generation.
5. Animation and film stories need to be told visually because they
are primarily a visual media.
Essential questions:
1. Do movies influence societys view of itself?
2. How does an artist learn to master a new skill?
3. Why is it important to write and edit your film and animation
story ideas?
4. What does the phrase show me, dont tell me mean in
animation and film?
Reference: Animation and Filmmaking Map

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Option 2: List learning objectives:
Objectives: Students will use a stop motion technique to create a simple
two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional animation that communicates
an idea. They will also be able to define the concepts of: placement,
frame, direction, fps, onionskin/ghost image and speed.
Expected outcomes of this lesson/unit, students will know:
Students will be able to apply placement, frame, direction, fps, onionskin/ghost image, and
speed in the creation of a stop motion animation film.
The students will know and apply the sequence filmmakers use in stage of filmmaking:
preproduction, production and postproduction processes.
List the facts, vocabulary, how-tos, information that students should know or memorize.
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As a result of this lesson/unit, students will understand:

List the big ideas, principles, generalizations, rules, etc. that students should understand here.
Societies preserve and transmit cultural values through narratives conveyed with
images either mentally by verbal expressions or through artistic renderings that
include audio, visual and kinesthetic expressions.
Audiences determine the meaning of artistic expressions, which may supersede or be
different than the intent of the artist because it is subjectively experienced.
Artists need to consider multiple points of view to effectively reach their audience.
As a result of this lesson/unit, students will do (Skills):
Demonstrate their understanding of placement, framing, direction, and speed.
Use braining storming and preproduction planning steps to determine an idea for
filming and how they can render that idea with stop motion animation.
Share their understanding that stop motion animation requires a series of still photos to
be taken of a composition/scene that has incremental changes between each frame and
that a sequence of photos makes up shot.
Properly care for the technology equipment by using proper storage protocols, studio
set up for holding the iPad securely, and carefully handling and transporting of the
device to avoid dropping it, stepping on it or dropping things on it.
Operate both software applications for shooting stop motion animation and for editing
the animation.
Comply with the copyright laws and Creative Commons rules.
Follow the stop motion animation rubric to peer review and self-assess their work.

Assessment
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Briefly explain how you will determine whether your students have achieved the learning
goals and objectives, or develop enduring understandings for the topic.
Evidence of learning:
Individual and Group brainstorm worksheets.
Editing process reflects cooperative group work and group consensus.
The animation artifacts: animation of student name and animation film.
Peer Review Forms filled out with constructive feedback what they like and what
suggestions they have on how to make it better.
Peer review & Self-Assessment rubric.
Final: Group Teamwork Rubric Assessment with reflection and short answer
summative questions.
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Final: Group Teamwork Rubric Assessment with reflection and summative questions.

Class
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Placement:

Direction:

Speed:
Test resource from: https://www.theartofed.com/2015/06/09/a-complete-guide-for-stop-
motion-animation-in-the-art-room/
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Procedures
Describe the steps in this lesson. The procedure should be described clearly so that colleagues
could understand and implement it easily.
DAY ONE
1. Introduction
A. View: Choose 2-3 short animation films to view as a whole group to inspire interest.
(5-7 minutes)
Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JvPopzegAI Robot and the Butterfly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0sPB3vhdm0 Video 3 Spider & Pig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17QLMm0TwRo New Year 2016 the Hahn Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsiGnd1knyw Elephant Trap by Tiny Circus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkALQS-OjZQ Stand Up Tall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFrarqJE4oE Behind the Scenes Stand Up Tall
https://vimeo.com/195878315?ref=fb-share&1 1914 by Skyler Swender
https://youtu.be/ByGq-EdQ2L0
https://youtu.be/ZsiGnd1knyw
B. Discussion questions to consider: 5 minutes
1. What simple idea(s) do you see in this film? (Whole group)
2. How does it make you feel? And why? (Share Pair)
3. Show 1914 by Skyler Swender and discuss: Do movies influence
societys view of itself?
4. How does an artist learn to master a new skill? option: Do a
video conference with a local animator expert or with a student
from Minneapolis School of Art and Design such as Skyler
Swender, and ask the expert this question.
C. Share the purpose of the new unit and the general skills students will learn. 1-2
minutes
D. View how to use iMotion or iMovie (choose per what is available with your school.)
https://youtu.be/BHjbEGe6E9I iMotion software app tutorial
http://iosguides.net/app-guides/imovie-for-ipad/ How to use iMovie tutorial (5-10 minutes)
E. Review Equipment Protocols for using the iPads. (2-3 minutes)
2. Demonstration to prepare for Guided Practice example animated handwriting
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group project. (4-5 minutes)

View sample of handwriting ones name. Go through each step in the mini project to
learn how to use the equipment, manage the lighting, and understand the 3 step
process for how to take a shot.
3. Guided Practice: Students work in pairs to each have a chance to animate their name
and work the equipment. (15 minutes)
Learn these basic skills through guided practice:
How to take a shot.
How to position using onion-skin overlays of a few preceding frames.
Materials needed students use white construction paper and crayons or
markers.
Pairs of students take turns operating the iPad or being the subject together
they make a stop motion video of the subject writing their names. This is done
by having the subject write one small part of their name with each frame. Then
they can carefully decorate the letters. A picture is taken between each small
change. The animation will show the name being written and decorated by
itself. Students can have the option to come up with unique ways to present
their names on their own. The mini filming time will take about 10 to 15
minutes.
4. Watch software editing and publishing how to video. (10 minutes)
Students have guided practice in editing skills on their name animation:
Import the video footage into the iMovie app.
Go into event library and move footage to media editor.
Select parts to copy and or paste to get a repeated action cycle.
Add titles to your film.
Add background sound or music.
Export film as Quicktime.
The completed guided practice project will be an animation of their name. This mini project
helps the students try out the features of the camera, the filming, the editing and the
publishing. Once they have learned the basics they will be ready for a larger more complex
challenge.
DAY TWO
A. Watch the making of Stand Up Tall (4.46 minutes) to explore how the students
produced their stop action movie and how they developed their ideas and special
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effects. Create a list of ideas the class formulated from watching the behind the scene
film. Discuss ideas and effects observed. (7-10 minutes) Stand Up Tall
B. View tutorial of how to do stop motion animation chose tutorial that works with the
hardware and software available for your school context. (10 minutes)
Stop Animation Workshop Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UqjYcWTYGc tutorial
Directions: Working in our groups of 4, we will begin Brainstorming, then we will
watch a short video on scripting and storyboarding. Once your group has settled on an
idea, characters and setting, you will begin scriptwriting the idea and then drawing a
storyboard to show how each main sequence of scenes will look.
C. Brainstorming: (10 minutes) provide worksheet packets for each student
1 minute individual brainstorm.
9-minute group brainstorm. Students come up with one simple idea to animate such
as an everyday experience, picking a dandelion, and blowing on the puff ball of seeds
until they all float away.
In your notes include: plot ideas, scenes, characters, other details and ideas
Simple is best. Keep it to 1-2 characters and concentrate on details.
Determine which format - 2D or 3D - will support your ideas best.
D. Scripting Steps (25 minutes) Recording ideas into a script format.
Choose a theme or idea.
Think up personalities for each character.
Calculate the number of frames needed per second to make a 30 second film.
Define the roles needed to produce the film that each member will fill.
Collect all the needed props and material.
Decide on the backgrounds that will be needed.
Analyze again whether 2D or 3D will work best and commit to one.
Determine what kind of shots will be needed: wide angle, pan across, pin in, pan out,
close-ups, tight crop, panoramic.
Insure all items are appropriate scale.
Review pacing, angle and other shot aspects.

DAY 3 - 4
A. Review Story Boarding How Tos Video Stop Animation Workshop Videos (10
minutes).
B. Storyboarding (20-40 minutes).
Make a visual set of drawings depicting the outline of your plot, characters and
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backgrounds.
Use storyboard to help save time during filming, stimulate creativity and consider
important details.
Select an approach that will work best with your context with the story and character
and the action that will occur, and the idea that you intend to communicate to your
audience.
Using a large poster board and post-it notes sort out your ideas and determine a
sequence for shooting.
Include transitions to be used from scene to scene.
Categorize the various sections with director notes:
o Sequence
o Camera angle
o Timing
o Other directions
C. Set-Ups (30-40 minutes)
Gather or create the props, the characters and back drops.
Create or collect the needed backgrounds.
Backgrounds can be created with art materials or be constructed with real items.
Check background scale with scale of your characters.
Background needs to be large enough to fill the frame
D. Digital Equipment and Technology Review (5 minutes)
iPad
iMovie
Information resources How Tos for references to make working on the project as
independent as possible. I.E. How to film with an iPad, and How to edit with
iMovie or iMotion.
E. Evaluation Review the rubrics and allow them to guide your process as a check list.
(15 minutes)
Follow the rubrics for the film creation and group work requirements.
Critique list for one anothers projects mid-way through editing process to share ideas.
Final self-evaluation collaboration rubric.
DAY 5-6 Filming and Editing
A. Studio Set-Up Plan Either show the student how to set up their studios or allow them
to problem solve how to set it up with given supplies. Have each group present their
solution and receive peer feedback. (10-20 minutes)
B. Facilitate the production and postproduction process. Students will execute their script
and storyboard plan. They will have two periods to shoot and complete editing and
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critique one anothers works in progress. (40 minutes)

C. Peer Review Groups will pair up to do a peer review (A and B; C and D; E and F)
Each pair of groups will share their progress with each other and do a peer review of
ideas that are working well and give suggestions that might help them work through
challenging portions of their script. (10-13 minutes)
D. Clean up and follow storage protocols. (2 minutes)
E. Repeat step B on day 6. Complete filming (20 minutes) & editing (25 minutes).
DAY 7 Closure: Film Festival Premiere
A. Each group will share their films and give and receive feedback from their audience
(peers) using the stop motion animation rubric.
Option: Invite another class and parents to the premiere. Post films to class website.
B. Students will take their reflective exam the lasts 25 minutes of the class.

Worksheets to use on days 2 and 3.

These packet worksheets are created by Alecia Eggers Kaczmarek. She shares them
for other teachers to use on her webpage titled A complete guide for stop
motion animation in the art room. https://www.theartofed.com/2015/06/09/a-
complete-guide-for-stop-motion-animation-in-the-art-room/
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Resource from: https://www.theartofed.com/2015/06/09/a-complete-guide-for-stop-

motion-animation-in-the-art-room/
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Check List Rubric for Peer Review and Self-Assessment

Rubric Check List for peer review

http://sirwinston.old.dsbn.org/TGJ3M/Links/Stop%20Motion%20Animation%20Rubric.pdf
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Additional Resources
Instructor Resources Student Resources
These resources are helpful in preparing for teaching
a unit on stop motion animation.
How to teach stop-motion animation Stop Animation Workshop
Stop-Motion lesson how tos Videos
http://minimatisse.blogspot.com/search/label/Technol These short 1 minute videos
ogy workshop will be viewed
https://www.theartofed.com/2015/06/09/a-complete- together during the group
guide-for-stop-motion-animation-in-the-art-room/ lesson time, and then made
https://www.theartofed.com/2017/01/11/step-step- available for the students to
guide-gif-animations/ review in their groups as they
https://www.theartofed.com/2015/06/09/a-complete- proceed through each step, and
guide-for-stop-motion-animation-in-the-art-room/ need to review the idea or
https://youtu.be/gR8R4MOyvgw Students creating steps.
their solution for creating their animation studio. https://youtu.be/ihq8DthxwNI
Rubric Check List for peer review How to make things fly
https://youtu.be/E-r3bLTRPQg PowerPoint YouTube
http://tinkerlab.com/easy-stop-motion-animation-kids/ https://youtu.be/mfg9j7ppoaw
How to - moving your figures
for certain effects.
https://youtu.be/5t7yMu1Wvv
c More special effects using
Lego bricks and figures.

List any other materials you will use in this lesson.

3 D: Claytoon clay that never hardens for making 3D figures. Legos and other 3D items.
2 D: A crate of basic art supplies for making backgrounds, back drops, scenes, props.
Construction papers over many colors, markers, crayons, pencils, pens, glue, glitter,
cotton balls, art sticks, yarn, string, beads etc.
Assortment of Do It Yourself (DIY) materials for making a stand for the iPad for creating
the studio. Crates, frames, grates, locker shelves, etc.
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Reflection (Choose at least 3)

1. Why do you choose this technology topic or skills?

I guest instructed for a technology specialist on a stop motion animation filming day, and got

to watch and help 4th graders create their first ever stop action animation. I was very excited

to see their creations and I learned enough through the tutorials to help them be successful.
I believe this skill is essential for teachers and students to learn so they can create animations

to enhance their skills in communicating content, concepts, and skills that are not easily

communicated with words or static images. In my research, I learned that science teachers

were having better success at communicating concepts when they were taught how to create

short animations to demonstrate difficult concepts. These teachers experienced success in

integrating technology effectively because it resulted in their students developing better

understanding. This positive experience changed their attitude, and increased their

confidence in thinking of other ways to effectively integrating technology with their content

and methods (Tsai, 2015). So, I wanted to learn stop motion animation and how to teach it to

others.
2. Why do you think its important to for students to learn?
I believe that students can use stop motion animation to demonstrate their understanding of

the concepts they are learning. Even early primary grades can create a stop motion animation

to demonstrate their understandings of ideas and concepts they are learning such as simple

fractions and why 1/3 >1/4 even though 4 is larger than 3.

Stop motion animation involves images, and all the features that go along with:
Images through photography, composition, design and other artistic elements.
Sound including elements of sound effects, music, creative commons and copyright

laws for using music and sound recordings from the Internet, and voiceovers.
Lighting and the elements of shadows, silhouette, brightness and contrasts, special

effects.
Speed, frames per second, slow motion, fluid motion, time lapse motion and manual

stop motion shooting.

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Message narrative and story elements and story development.

Formatting editing the produce into a sequence that makes sense, including title

pages and credit pages.

The complexity of the process involves the students in many problems to consider and work out.

It engages them in critical and creative thinking. It involves point of view and considering the

audience the product is intended to influence. Teachers can use stop motion animation

assignments to transform learning experiences to the higher levels as suggested in the SAMR

Model of redefinition (Puentedura, 2016). Students are having their learning transformed in ways

that pre-21st century technology could not have easily accomplished. The technology equipment

and applications, make this medium accessible and affordable for any student, even as young as

Kindergarten, to learn this multimedia production skill so they can create and communicate

knowledge in whole new ways.

Stop Motion also includes these benefits:

Offers children ownership and autonomy in the film making process.

Teaches children how stop motion animation works.
Debunks the mechanics of how movie-making happens.
The creative constraint of the medium encourages problem solving.
Its a simple, hands-on technology that young children can achieve.
Encourages children to project and plan out where a story is heading.
Fosters iteration and experimentation through trying and testing.
Supports storytelling (Doorley, 2017).
3. What challenges will students likely encounter when they learn this technology topic work

skills?
Students will have challenges with all the many steps. I think where they will be tempted in

taking short cuts is in writing the script and story board. They may not think they need as much

detail and thought put into it.

And how will you address that? To address this challenge, I am having the students do a practice

animation of their name so that they can understand the equipment they will be working with and
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the process just to create one shot. They will understand that the story- board will need to include

details for each shot (series of pictures to make just one scene) such as the one done to animate

their name. Another thing I will do is provide examples of previous student scripts, and

storyboards so they have a good idea what a well written script looks like and accompanying

storyboard. Finally, I will provide a rubric checklist to guide them on each step, so they will

know if they have addressed all the important elements for each step of pre-production.

4. Can you synthesize a few pedagogical strategies for teaching this technology topic/skills?
Critical Thinking and Problem solving: For students to set up their groups studio, I will

provide a quantity of boxes, crates, frames, locker shelves etc., for students to create their own

make shift iPad tripod substitute. I will use items they might have at home. This way, they can

solve the problem for how to do animation at home without the fancy and expense tripod devices

experts might use. Each group can present their solution to the class and the class can critique the

solution and tell what works well, and what might be some problems they might need to modify

the design to avoid. Such as:

Is the stand easy to bump causing the camera to move slightly?
Is it easy to access the staging area where changes will be made?
Is the lighting blocked by any part of the stand or the person operating the hardware?

Giving the students the opportunity to think through the elements of their studio and the

available material to assemble a workable filming situation, will give the students a sense of

autonomy for their production, and give the group a project to do that helps them develop

their working relationship, and develop good communication with each other. Having the

student peer review each others studios will also give them practice at their critiquing process

which they will be doing later as they work their way through the production, and then post

production process.
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Collaboration and Differentiation: Students will work in groups of 4. They will do creative

collaboration to come up with their idea for what to animate and how to do it. They will take

different roles in creating the objects needed for production, and in the production process.

Each person will have a key job to fill because the production requires several people to

manage the many elements of production: filming, animating (changing the figures), directing

(following the script and story board), stage manager (handles the background and backdrop

changes, props, light, etc.).

Reflections References:

Doorley, R. (2017). East stop motion animation for kids. Retrieved from
Tinkerlab: http://tinkerlab.com/easy-stop-motion-animation-kids/
Puentedura, R. (2016). Ruben Puentedura on applying the samr model.
Retrieved from Common sense media:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/ruben-puentedura-on-
applying-the-samr-model
Tsai, H. (2015). A senior teacher's implementation of technology integration.
International Education Studies, 8, 151-161. doi:10.5539/ies.v8v6p151