MicroComputer Support

February/March 2005

In the MCS Spotlight: 
Wantagh UFSD
Clay Animation Projects
 

Students plan storyboards before creating the projects.

This fall, Wantagh UFSD began a pilot project using Clay Animation. The initial project involved 6 fifth grade classes in the Wantagh Elementary School.  The topic, "The American National Holidays," was chosen by fifth grade teachers and the computer specialist, Cathy Schlaich, with respect to social studies curriculum and with the idea of creating a new project that included content of which the students had some prior knowledge.

The classes were organized into 6 groups of 4 students each, with each group researching facts and creating a storyboard on a particular national holiday. Holidays chosen were Thanksgiving, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.

Students work collaboratively while planning, writing, designing, building and animating a project.  Claymation can be applied to almost every subject area and grade level.  The process is the same for Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Phys. Ed., Foreign Language, and the list goes on.  Clay animation crosses curriculum involving Technology, Art, Music, and any subject area!  Students at left are creating their characters in Art class. The difference is not how the projects are created, but what topics they explore and explain. Claymation also covers the NETS standards for technology on the elementary, middle and high school levels. 

Students above work in groups to create backgrounds for their stories.

Students are currently in the last stage of animating their shows on the computer.  Some groups have chosen to record their voices as the characters, and some have decided to use text with instrumental music in the background, like silent films.  One of the most difficult tasks the students have is matching the timing of their voices to their show.  They are taught  how this is an editing technique that takes time and patience.  The students require more help with this stage than any other. They have worked diligently on their animations and are taking great pride in the finished product.  It is an effort well worth the time and a project the students will not soon forget. 

For more information on Clay Animation kits visit Tech4Learning.com