Lesson Plan
Course Title:
Animation
Session Title: Animation History: The Beginning
Lesson Duration: Approximately two 90-minute class periods
[Lesson length is subjective and will vary from instructor to instructor]
Performance Objective:
Upon completion of this assignment, the student will be able to identify historic people and
events that played a role in the development of animation.
Specific Objectives:
1. Name the major advances in technology during the 19th century that led to the first animated
film in 1906.
2. State the major accomplishments of pioneers in the field of animation.
3. Research information on additional people who contributed to the art and technology of
animation.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
§130.83(C)
(2) The student understands professional communications strategies. The student is expected
to:
(A) adapt language for audience, purpose, situation, and intent;
(B) organize oral and written information;
(D) present formal and informal presentations; and
(E) apply active listening skills.
(10) The student develops an understanding of animation. The student is expected to:
(J) research the history and evolution of animation by:
(i) explaining the history of animation;
(ii) describing how changing technology is affecting the industry; and
(iv) comparing current animation technologies with historical technologies.
Interdisciplinary Correlations:
§113.32
United States History Studies Since 1877
(2) History. The student understands traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history
from 1877 to the present. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the major characteristics that define an historical era; and
(C) apply absolute and relative chronology through the sequencing of significant
individuals, events, and time periods.
Instructor/Trainer
References:
1. Cavalier, S. (2011). The world history of animation. Great Britain: Aurum Press Ltd.
2. Do an online search for: thaumatrope, phenakistoscope, zoetrope, praxinoscope,
Joseph Niepce, Louis Daguerre, Matthew Brady, George Eastman, Eadweard
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
1
Muybridge, Thomas Edison kinetoscope, Auguste Lumiere, Edwin S. Porter, Georges
Melies, J. Stuart Blackton, Emile Cohl, Winsor McCay, Max Fleischer, Otto Messmer,
Walt Disney
Instructional Aids:
1. Animation History: The Beginning of Animation slide presentation
2. Animation History: The Beginning of Animation Written Exam
3. Animation History: The Beginning of Animation Written Exam Answer Key
Materials Needed:
1. Video examples of early animations and films. Many of the early films are in the public
domain and can be found online. It is important to note that some cartoons made during this
time period lack political correctness and depict racism. The films listed below should be
safe for students to view. Teachers should screen any video prior to showing it to the class.
Here is a list of public domain films listed in this lesson:
A. Various early Edison Films
B. Fun at the Bakery Shop – Thomas Edison
C. The Great Train Robbery – Edwin S. Porter
D. Workers Leaving the Factory – Auguste and Louis Lumière
E. Trip to the Moon – Georges Melies
F. The Enchanted Drawing – J. Stuart Blackton
G. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces – J. Stuart Blackton
H. The Haunted Hotel – J. Stuart Blackton
I. Fantasmagorie – Emile Cohl
J. How a Mosquito Operates – Winsor McCay
K. Gertie the Dinosaur – Winsor McCay
L. Sinking of the Lusitania – Winsor McCay
M. Colonel Heeza Liar – John Bray
N. Felix in Hollywood – Pat Sullivan
2. Paper and pencil
Equipment Needed:
1. Teacher computer with projection system to display slide presentation.
2. Student computers with an online connection for students to research early animators.
Learner
None.
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
ASK: What do you think is the earliest animated cartoon character?
[Allow students to respond, but don’t provide an answer yet.]
ASK: What 19th century inventions led to animated cartoons in the 20th century?
[See if students have any clue about 19th century inventions.]
ASK: Did you know that many techniques developed by early animators are still
used in some form today?
SAY: Understanding the history and background of early film animation can give
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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2
you an appreciation of animating in the 21st century. For the next couple of
days we are going to spend some time exploring animation history.
Option:
Have students write the name of the earliest animated cartoon character on a piece
of paper along with their name. Collect the pieces of paper and challenge students to
look for the correct answer as they progress through the lesson. Have a “reveal” at
the end of the lesson to see if anyone knew or was able to guess the correct answer.
Provide a prize to the winner (optional).
Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
I. Name the major advances in technology during the
th
19 century that led to the first animated film in 1906.
A. Thaumatrope
 Device created in 1827 by English physician
John Ayerton Paris, which has two different
drawings on opposite sides of a disk. When the
disk is spun, the images merge into one.
 Paul Roget used the thaumatrope in 1828 to
demonstrate his persistence of vision concept.
B. Phenakistoscope
 In 1832, Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau and
his sons introduced the phenakistoscope
("spindle viewer"). It was also invented
independently in the same year by Simon von
Stampfer of Vienna, Austria.
 The phenakistoscope used a spinning disc
attached vertically to a handle. The user would
spin the disc and look through the moving slits
at the disc's reflection in a mirror.
C. Zeotrope
 This device was invented in 1834 by William
Horner, who originally called it a Daedalum
("wheel of the Devil"). Later, it was renamed the
"zoetrope," or "wheel of life."
 It was more convenient since it did not require a
mirror and allowed more than one person to
use it at the same time.
 It consisted of a cylinder with slits cut vertically
in the sides. As it would spin, the user looked
through the slits at the pictures across.
D. Praxinoscope
 The praxinoscope was invented in France in
1877 by Charles-Émile Reynaud.
 This improved on the zoetrope by replacing its
narrow viewing slits with an inner circle of
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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Instructor Notes:
Use the slide
presentation Slides 2-4
to discuss the key
points.
mirrors, placed so that the reflections of the
pictures appeared more or less stationary in
position as the wheel turned.
 In 1889 Reynaud developed an improved
version capable of projecting images on a
screen from a longer roll of pictures.
E. Birth of Photography
 Animation on film was only possible because of
invention of photography in 1827 by Joseph
Niépce.
 Louis Daguerre, an assistant to Niépce,
developed a new process for developing
images in 1837 called tin-type photos, also
known as Daguerre-types.
F. Improvement of Photography
 The technology behind photography improved
dramatically in the last half of the 19th century.
 During the American Civil War (1860-1865),
New York photographer Matthew Brady
became well-known by taking photos of the
war.
 In 1885, George Eastman introduced
transparent, flexible film and in 1888 marketed
his Kodak camera, bringing photography to the
average American.
II. State the major accomplishments of animation
pioneers.
A. Eadweard J. Muybridge
 Well known as a photographer in California,
Muybridge was hired by former governor
Leland Stanford to photograph the governor’s
race horse. Stanford had a wager that all four
hooves of a horse leave the ground when
running. Muybridge’s job was to prove the
theory.
 Using twenty-four cameras, a system of trip
shutters, and high speed film, Muybridge’s
series of still photographs gave the impression
of motion.
B. Motion Pictures in America
 America’s premier inventor, Thomas Alva
Edison, who invented the light bulb and the
phonograph, developed a motion picture
camera (the kinetograph) and a projector (the
kinetoscope) in 1891.
 Edison filmed random events including haircuts,
boxing matches, Annie Oakley, and the new
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
4
Use the slide
presentation Slides 514 to discuss each of
the historical animation
figures.
Brooklyn Bridge.
C. Birth of Narrative Films
 By the turn of the century, the subject of motion
pictures evolved towards narrative stories.
 The Edison 1902 film, “Fun in a Bakery Shop”
was an early example of movie special effects.
 In 1903, the landmark silent movie “The Great
Train Robbery” debuted. It was created by
former Edison cameraman Edwin S. Porter,
was a commercial success, and led to the birth
of silent pictures.
D. Motion Pictures in France
 Auguste and Louis Lumiere were French
inventors and pioneer manufacturers of
photographic equipment who devised an early
motion-picture camera and projector.
 In 1895, they created the film “Workers Leaving
the Factory” which was considered the first
motion picture.
 In 1903, they turned their attentions away from
cinematography and patented a color
photography process that launched in 1907.
E. Georges Méliès
 After seeing the Lumiere’s new invention in
1895, Georges Méliès began making films. He
had been a magician and expert in special
effects for the theater.
 In 1902, Georges Méliès made his most
famous film, “A Trip to the Moon.” The film
included the celebrated scene in which a
spaceship hits the man in the moon in the eye.
It was loosely based on works by Jules Verne
and H. G. Wells.
F. J. Stuart Blackton
 Blackton started as a vaudeville performer
known as “The Komikal Kartoonist” who drew
lightning-fast sketches. After meeting Edison,
Blackton became interested in putting his
drawings on film.
 “The Enchanted Drawing” was an early attempt
at animation and special effects.
 In 1906, using a chalkboard, Blackton created
“Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” which is
known as the first animated film.
 “The Haunted Hotel” in 1907 expanded on the
use of stop motion in films.
G. Émile Cohl
 Eugène Jean Louis Courtet, who went by the
pseudonym Émile Cohl, was a French
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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5
caricaturist, cartoonist, and animator.
 After seeing a screening of Stuart Blackton’s
“The Haunted Hotel,” Cohl began animating.
 In 1908, Cohl created “Fantasmagorie.” This
animation was created using an illuminated
glass plate for his table while drawing black
lines on paper. The end result was printed in
negative to intentionally give the feel of a
chalkboard.
 The title referred to a fantasmograph, which
was an early animation machine similar to a
zeotrope.
H. Winsor McCay
 McCay worked as a cartoonist for several
newspapers.
 In 1912, McCay animated “How a Mosquito
Operates.”
 In 1914, McCay brought “Gertie the Dinosaur”
to life on film. It was included in his vaudeville
act along with camera tricks where McCay
appeared on screen with Gertie.
 McCay used animation to illustrate the “Sinking
of the Lusitania” in 1918.
I. Silent Movie Era of the 20’s
 In the 1920s, movie theatres popped up around
the country. Sound was not added until 1927;
all of the movies were silent.
 Before each movie, theatres usually showed
several cartoons as well as news reels.
 Because of the popularity of movies, there
became a strong demand for animated
cartoons. The first studios were based in New
York.
 Most studios relocated to California to take
advantage of the good weather.
J. Celluloid
 From 1914 through 1920, several film and
animation houses were started in New York.
 The John Bray Studio proved to be one of the
most influential of the early studios with its
cartoon series, “Colonel Heeza Liar.”
 Bray employee Earl Hurd invented the process
of inking the animator’s drawings onto clear
pieces of celluloid and then photographing
them in succession on a single painted
background. This development in late 1914
simplified the animation process.
K. Otto Messmer
 In 1919, Otto Messmer created Felix the Cat for
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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L.
M.
N.

O.
the Pat Sullivan Studios.
 Unlike Winsor McCay’s “Gertie the Dinosaur,”
Felix the Cat was a studio character. This
meant that audiences could look forward to
seeing him again and again. Felix was also
exposed to audiences across the country.
 One good example of an early cartoon was the
1923 release of “Felix in Hollywood.”
Fleischer Studios
 Max and Dave Fleischer created “Koko the
Clown” and the “Out of the Inkwell” series in the
1920’s.
 Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope; a
machine that allowed an artist to trace over the
live action from a movie film.
 The Fleischer brothers would have success in
the 1930s with Betty Boop and her spinoff
character, Popeye the Sailor Man.
Walt Disney
 In 1923, Walt Disney relocated to Southern
California, following the lead of many motion
picture studios.
 In 1928, Disney was one of the first to use
sound with the release of “Steamboat Willie.”
 In 1929, he used an entire symphony orchestra
for the background music in “The Skeleton
Dance.” This was the first cartoon in his series
of “Silly Symphonies.”
 In 1932, “Flowers and Trees” was the first
cartoon released in color. It won the first
Academy Award presented to a cartoon.
 In 1937, Disney released the first full-length
animated feature film.
 During his life, Disney would release 19
animated feature films.
 He came up with several innovated techniques
for making animated movies including:
o the pencil test
o the storyboard
o the multi-plane camera
The Golden Age of Animation (1930’s – 1950’s)
By the 1930s, many film studios were in California
and had their own animation departments. The
major animation studios were:
o Disney Studios
o Warner Brothers (Leon Schesinger)
o Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
o Universal Studios (Walter Lantz)
The Golden Age of Animation (1930’s – 1950’s)
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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
Check the slide presentation for a list of famous
animators during this era.
P. Academy Awards for Best Animated Short (19321950)
 Check the slide presentation for a list of the
winners of the Academy Award for Best
Animated Short Film (Cartoon) from 1932-1950.
Q. Public Domain Films
III. Research additional animators and discover their
contributions to the art and technology of animation.
A. Name of the animator
B. Nationality
C. Years of birth and death
D. Professional training
E. Studio association(s)
F. Associated animators/partners
G. Major contribution to the field
H. Characters created
I. Films worked on
J. Early career summary
K. Late career summary
Go over the
expectations for
student papers prior to
allowing students to
work in the computer
lab.
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Teacher will go over the slide presentation with the class. Samples of early films and
animations should be shown to the class.
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Assign (or allow students to choose) an early animation pioneer to research.
Students may be creative in the way in which they present their information on the
animator's contributions to the art. Afterwards, a class discussion may be held to
discuss the merits of animation pioneers.
Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Play “Name that Animator.”
Divide the class into two teams. Have each team develop a set of ten unique
statements (clues) about each historical animator. The statements must be true and
should be written and structured in such a way as to “stump” the other team. The
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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8
teams will alternate presenting clues and guessing the name of the animator.
Team One will begin by presenting the clues one at a time to Team Two, which will
work together to name the animator. Team One will progress through their clues until
Team Two answers correctly or Team One runs out of clues. Then Team Two will
present their clues one at a time to Team One which will work together to name the
animator. Team Two will progress through their clues until Team One answers
correctly or Team Two runs out of clues. And so on…
The teacher will design a points system so that the earlier in the clue set that the
opposing team correctly guesses the animator, more points are awarded. For
example, if a team gets the correct answer with the first clue, they receive ten points;
if they require two clues to get the correct answer, they receive nine points; and so
on. The team with the most points at the end of the review wins!
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
Teacher monitors individual/group progress as students research historical
animation figures. Teacher provides individual help/redirection as needed.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Administer an objective exam (Multiple Choice). Use the exam key for grading.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):


Students can try to create an exact copy of an early animated film.
Students can continue their research into recent animation techniques including
3D polygon animation.
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
9
Animation History: The Beginning of Animation Written Exam
Student Name: __________________________________________
Date: __________
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter that corresponds to the best answer for each of the questions
below.
1. Which of the following is not an early animation device from the 19th century?
A. rotoscope
B. thaumatrope
C. phenakistoscope
D. zeotrope
2. Which photographic pioneer is credited with the introduction of flexible film?
A. Matthew Brady
B. George Eastman
C. Joseph Niépce
D. Louis Daguerre
3. Which photographic pioneer is credited with the invention of photography?
A. Matthew Brady
B. George Eastman
C. Joseph Niépce
D. Louis Daguerre
4. Which photographic pioneer became famous for his American Civil War photographs?
A. Matthew Brady
B. George Eastman
C. Joseph Niépce
D. Louis Daguerre
5. Which photographic pioneer is credited with creating the tin-type process?
A. Matthew Brady
B. George Eastman
C. Joseph Niépce
D. Louis Daguerre
6. Eadweard J. Muybridge contributed to the development of animation by:
A. creating color film
B. inventing the motion picture camera
C. taking stop action photographs of a horse running
D. developing the concept of persistence of vision
7. Thomas Edison's early motion picture camera was known as the _____.
A. thaumatrope
B. multi-pane camera
C. rotoscope
D. kinetograph
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
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8. Which film pioneer from France worked with his brother to develop a motion picture camera
and project at the same time as Edison and also went on to create color photography?
A. Auguste Lumiere
B. Louis Daguerre
C. Émile Cohl
D. Georges Méliès
9. In 1903, Edison cameraman Edwin S. Porter created _____. This early narrative film was a
commercial success and led to the birth of the silent picture industry in the United States.
A. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces
B. The Great Train Robbery
C. Wings
D. Trip to the Moon
10. In 1914, John Bray Studios employee Earl Hurd simplified the animation process with the
use of _____. This new technique was quickly used by all major animation studios.
A. the rotoscope
B. the multi-plane camera
C. the pencil test
D. celluloid (transparent film)
11. Which animation pioneer created the first animated film in 1906 entitled Humorous Phases
of Funny Faces by drawing on a chalkboard?
A. Otto Messmer
B. Winsor McCay
C. Earl Hurd
D. J. Stuart Blackton
12. After seeing a screening of Stuart Blackton’s “The Haunted Hotel,” _____ created
“Fantasmagorie.” This animation was created using an illuminated glass plate for his table
while drawing black lines on paper.
A. Auguste Lumiere
B. Louis Daguerre
C. Émile Cohl
D. Georges Méliès
13. Which animation pioneer working for the Pat Sullivan Studios created Felix the Cat, the star
of United States cartoons during the 1920s?
A. Otto Messmer
B. Winsor McCay
C. Earl Hurd
D. J. Stuart Blackton
14. Which animation pioneer developed the first successful cartoon character Gertie the
Dinosaur which was part of a 1914 New York vaudeville routine?
A. Otto Messmer
B. Winsor McCay
C. Earl Hurd
D. J. Stuart Blackton
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
11
15. The first major studio to relocate to Southern California, following the lead of many motion
pictures studios, was the _____.
A. Fleischer Studios
B. Walt Disney Studios
C. Pat Sullivan Studios
D. John Bray Studios
16. Which cartoon was awarded the first Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1932?
A. Koko the Clown – Fleischer Brothers
B. Flowers and Trees – Disney
C. The Milky Way – MGM
D. For Scent-imental Reasons – Warner Brothers
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
12
Animation History: The Beginning of Animation Written Exam
Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. D
8. A
9. B
10. D
11. D
12. C
13. A
14. B
15. B
16. B
AAVTC: Animation: Animation History: The Beginning
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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