Title: Creating a Clay Animation Short
Topic – Cross Curricular:
Writing
Visual Arts
Technology applications
Computer applications
Content Areas:
Language Arts
Visual Arts
Technology
Technologies Used:
Digital camera
USB cable
Multimedia/Hypermedia
Microsoft Movie Maker
MP3 or CD
Word processing
Other Equipment and Materials:
Miniature tripod
Clay
Cardboard/card board box
Paint
Wire or pipe cleaners
Recordable CD or flash drive
Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle, and High School
Duration: approx. 15 hours
Relative Advantages:
Professional, polished looking products motivate students.
Fosters collaboration and cooperation.
Students express their ideas by creating a product using technology.
Leveraged learning by sharing with others.
This lesson can be used for various theme units.
Objectives:
 Use multimedia software to create a clay animation story.
Curriculum Outcomes:
Language Arts
Students will be expected to: GRADES 4-6
 Use writing and other forms of representation to explore, clarify, and
reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learnings; and us
their imagination
 Use technology with increasing proficiency to create, revise, edit, and
publish texts
Visual Arts
Students will be expected to: GRADE 3-5 and GRADE 6-8
 Use additive and constructive techniques with clay
 Create design/images on subjects, topics and themes relevant to the
art curriculum areas
ISTE Standards – NETS-T
2. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences
A. Plan for management of technology resources within the context of
learning activities.
B. Plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced
environment.
3. Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
A. Facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content
standards and student technology standards.
B. Use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the
diverse needs of students.
C. Apply technology to students’ higher order skills and creativity.
D. Manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced
environment.
4. Assessment and Evaluation
A. Apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using
a variety of assessment techniques.
C. Apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students’
appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication,
and productivity.
5. Productivity and Professional Practice
D. Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents,
and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
ISTE Standards – NETS-S
1a – Creativity and Innovation Students apply existing knowledge to
generate new ideas, products, or processes.
1b - Creativity and Innovation Students create original works as a means
of personal or group expression.
1c - Creativity and Innovation Students use models and simulations to
explore complex systems and issues.
2a - Communication and Collaboration Students interact, collaborate,
and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media.
2b – Communication and Collaboration Students communicate
information and ideas
effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
2d - Communication and Collaboration Students contribute to project
teams to produce original works or solve problems.
4b – Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Students
plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
5a - Digital Citizenship Students advocate and practice safe, legal, and
responsible use of information and technology.
5b – Digital Citizenship Students exhibit a positive attitude toward using
technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
6a – Technology Operations and Concepts Students understand and use
technology systems.
6d - Technology Operations and Concepts Students transfer current
knowledge to learning of new technologies.
Description
One proven-successful way of motivating students to use technology is for
the students to develop their ideas and turn them into a product. A way to
use technology to enhance this process is to have the students use
multimedia, their writing and artistic skills to create a clay animation short.
This lesson describes a sequence for this activity. There are five phases
(steps) to complete this activity.
1. Phase 1: Preproduction/Develop an Idea - At this stage the students take
several sessions to learn to use the multimedia package’s commands and
tools. The teacher might assign several small projects to get them used to
various capabilities of the moviemaking software. For example, they learn to
import pictures from their own student profile and explore using “Titles” and
“Credits”. The students also begin to storyboard some of their ideas. Once
they have developed their idea, students will write a synopsis of their clay
animation short referencing their storyboard. Students will draw what will
happen in the animation to show sequence.
http://www.accessart.org.uk/drawingtogether/storyboardtemplate1.html
2. Phase 2: Purpose/Create the characters – The teacher introduces the
purpose of the activity: to create a clay animation short using Microsoft
Moviemaker. To get a feel for the task, the students review clay animation
shorts featuring Wallace and Grommit. Then the class forms small groups
and discusses issues they must consider when designing these products. The
groups meet to compare and discuss guidelines they all should meet. As a
class, they might decide, for example, that the products meet the following
criteria:
Keep the idea simple.
Use only one or two characters in the scene.
Colors are attractive and sound entertaining, but neither should be
overused so as to be distracting to the viewer.
After deciding on their criteria, the small groups break off into pairs and
begin to revise the drafts of their storyboard and synopsis. Students will
create character drawings detailing shape, colours and props. They will
include five descriptive words to describe their character(s). The drawings
will be used to help guide the construction of an armature for their
character(s). The coloured clay is applied to the armature adding shape,
colour and props (hat, glasses, clothes, book, ball etc.) This phase will take
several sessions.
•
•
•
3. Phase 3: Create the background/set design - After their characters have
been made, the students use their storyboards to create a background or
set. Students can draw or paint a background onto paper and then glue it
onto the inside of a card board box. If a card board box is being used for a
set, allow for lighting considerations when constructing the set. Cut off the
top of the box so it’s not too dark inside. It is important the background is
big enough to fill the viewfinder of the camera used to take the shots.
4. Phase 4: Shoot the Story – The students are paired up and placed with an
adult or older student supervisor. The students set up their sets/background
in a well lit area. The digital camera being used should be set to the lowest
resolution so the clay animation flows more smoothly. A tripod should be
used and once the camera is set and the picture is framed never change its
position. The students make small movements and take a picture after its
movement. Take 2 pictures of each movement for better quality video. 8 to
10 shots will equal 1 second of footage. Teacher should encourage and
stress the importance of taking a lot of pictures because the more taken the
better quality the animation. Once the all the pictures have been taking they
can be transferred from the camera to a recordable CD by using a USB
cable. Put the student’s name and the title of the production on the CD.
5. Phase 5: Make/Edit Animation video - Using the Movie Maker application
on WS XP, the students will upload their photos from a photo file that they
created using the photos that were stored on the CD. They then place their
photos in sequence. Next they add their photos to the storyboard. Then they
can add a title and end credits. The students may want to add music
(http://freeplaymusic.com) and/or audio (voices and sound effects). Lastly,
the students need to preview their animation video to see if it works
properly. Below is a tutorial for Creating Movies with Movie Maker.
Creating Movies with Windows Movie Maker
1. Download and install onto your computer the latest version of
Movie Maker from the Microsoft Windows Movie Maker download
Web page.
2. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, and then click Windows
Movie Maker.
3. In Movie Tasks click Import video. The Import File window will
open.
4. Navigate to the folder on your computer which holds your video
files, and click on it.
5. Select the video clip you want to use click Import. Repeat this
process as many times as necessary to bring in all video clips
needed for your project.
Note: This process will take a few seconds to a few minutes, as Movie
Maker examines the inbound video and generates clips from it. Clips
are created from natural segments in the video. These segments are
created each time you start and stop recording.
6. If you want to include still shots in your movie, go to Movie Tasks
and click Import pictures.
7. Navigate to the folder on your computer that holds pictures you
want to use, and click on it.
8. Select the picture files from the folder and click Import to import
them into Movie Maker.
9. Now you’re ready to get audio or music files. In Movie Tasks click
Import audio or music.
10. Navigate to the folder on your computer which holds your audio or
music files. Click on it and then click on Audio to open the sub
folder.
11. Select the audio or music files in the folder that you want to use,
and click Import to import them into Movie Maker.
You will see all of the imported files listed in the collections pane. You
may switch to different collections using the collections drop down
menu above the collections pane.
It’s time for you to actually create the movie now that all the media
has been collected.
12. If you have already created a PowerPoint slide show to use in your
movie, Movie Maker will use the slide shots to help you get
organized. Incorporate the PowerPoint slide shots into the movie
by dragging them in order onto the storyboard (the series of blocks
in a strip at the bottom of the screen).
13. Next try placing a video clip in with the still slides. Select a video
clip from the collection and drag it onto the storyboard between
two of your slides. Video clips appear as motion picture film strips.
14. Now add some background audio to enhance your movie. In the
collection above the storyboard, drag whichever audio file you
would like as your background audio onto the storyboard. Make
sure the little vertical line, showing the insertion point, appears
before slide one. This will make the audio track start at the
beginning of the movie.
15. A warning message will display warning you that audio clips can
only be added in Timeline View and you have been automatically
switched to that view. Just click OK and the audio will be added.
Note: If you want to change the position of an audio clip in your
movie, you can simply drag the clip to a different place. This drag and
drop editing is available for all aspects of Windows Movie Maker.
Students will enjoy
the creative freedom
of editing their video
footage.
16. Click on the video clip and then click the play button in the
playback pane on the right side of the screen. Watch a few seconds
of the video and press the pause button. Next you will learn how
to shorten a video that is too long by splitting it and removing
unnecessary parts.
17. Click the Split button
to split a long video clip into two sections.
After splitting the video you will see two distinct clips.
Note: You may obtain stills from your video using the Take Picture
button immediately to the left of the Split button.
18. Click on the second clip and press your Delete key to remove it.
Don’t worry if you deleted the wrong clip; the Undo button will
restore the clips as they were, allowing you to try again.
You may also notice that you can record directly from a digital
camcorder if your computer and video camera support each other. Just
use a cable to connect the computer and camera and you are ready to
go!
Students can
increase collaboration
and cultural learning
by sharing movies,
such as research
footage of a local
celebration, or
interviews of field
experts.
Next you will learn about some editing tricks using Movie Maker 2.0.
19. Click on the audio clip you inserted and move your cursor to the
right end of the audio clip. Your cursor will change to a red
horizontal line with arrows on either end. Click and drag to shorten
the music to match the end of the last slide. In this way when the
video ends so does the audio.
20. Click on View video effects and drag the desired effect on any clip
in the timeline to add that effect. Repeat this for each clip.
21. Click on View video transitions and drag the desired transition
between the clips on which you wish to apply the transition.
22. Click on Make titles or credits to create titles and end credits for
your movie. Just click on the desired option and fill out the text for
the title. Then you can set the options for color, text font and
animation.
23. At any point during the process you can view the results of your
work by selecting Play Timeline from the Play menu You can also
click on the Play button in the video pane to view your
presentation.
You can also split a video clip into two clips to insert something in
between, or combine clips that are contiguous. This is useful if you
have several short clips that you want to view as one clip within the
workspace. You can split video content into two clips from your current
project, or from the Collections location. You can also edit the
properties of a clip, such as title or author. This feature is especially
helpful when you are working with several clips.
The creative options are endless with Windows Movie Maker. By using the
View menu, you can switch from Storyboard to Timeline view, and you can
also zoom in or zoom out to get a better look at your material. You can add
clips by using the Clip menu, and you can set trim points to eliminate content
that you do not want. After you have added the clips to trim to your
collection, you can trim the start or end points of those clips. Note that
trimming the clips does not alter the original, or source material, and you
have the option to clear your selected trim points at any time. You can also
add transitions, effects, titles and credits to your movie. You can explore
these options by using the AutoMovie feature.
Taken from WindowsXP201Tutorial from download.microsoft.com
Required resources: Microsoft Movie Maker; Digital camera; USB cable;
Assessments:
A Teacher generated Rubric considering these elements: following the 5 step
process (synopsis/storyboard, character design, set design, use of
technology, final product)
A Student Self-Assessment Survey
Sources:
Tech Mentors, (2009). Digital Literacy. District 2
Tech Mentors, (2009). Movie Maker: Animation. District 2
WindowsXP201 Tutorial taken from download.microsoft.com on July 9, 2010.
Rubric for the Clay Animation Short
Student Name: _____________________
Teacher Name: _______________
Date: ____________________
CATEGORY
Storyboard
and
Synopsis
(Idea)
4 - Excellent
3- Very Good
Drawings and
Drawings and paragraph
paragraph are in a
are in a logical sequence
logical order, interesting which reader can follow
sequence which the
reader can follow
2- Satisfactory
1-Needs Improvement
Reader will have
Sequence of information is
difficulty following work difficult to follow
because ideas jumps
around
Character resembles
Character somewhat
Character does not resemble
Creation of Character resembles
written
description
and
description;
some
props
resembles
description;
description
character(s)
shape, colors and props are used to add details
add interesting details
no props added
Creation of
background/
set
Set is carefully
completed with correct
props and interesting
details
Set is completed with
some props but lacking
some details
Set is completed with
few or no props and
very little detail
Set lacks completion
Use of
Digital
Camera and
Lighting
Sufficient pictures have
been taken to enhance
movement; lighting
enhanced quality of
finished product
Sufficient pictures have
been taken to make
movement but lighting
was lacking so finished
product lacks clarity
More pictures are
needed to create
effective movement;
more pictures would
have helped to
enhance animation
Insufficient amount of pictures
and poor lighting conditions
Movie Maker Finished product is high Finished product is very Finished product lacks Finished product lacks quality
quality with sound files
added
Overall Achievement -
good quality but no
sound files were added
quality - some of the
steps are lacking or
sequence is difficult to
follow
and does not work properly;
and/or incomplete work
Total points out of 20 =
Points
Date: __________________
Please answer the following six questions below regarding the
clay animation project. Your answers will be helpful for your
teacher.
1. Rate the five step process of making a clay animation short on a scale
of 1 to 5.
1 poor
2 satisfactory
3 average 4 very good
5 excellent
2. What part of the project did you like best?
3. What part of the project did you find the most challenging?
4. How did you find using Movie Maker?
5. Can you see yourself using Movie Maker for other projects? If yes,
please give an example.
6. How did you feel when you saw your final production?
Five Step Process for a Clay Animation Production
1. Storyboard your idea
Due:____________
 sketch drawings of story in sequence on a storyboard template
 write a paragraph describing your animation story
2. Create your character(s) Due:____________
 character drawing detailing shape, colours and props
 5 words to describe your character
 build an armature for your character
 apply clay to the armature adding shape, colour and props (hat,
glasses, clothes, book, ball etc.)
3. Create your background (set) Due:____________
 using a mid-size box, cut out one side and the top
 glue in coloured construction paper or colour the sides and bottom
to create the background
 place in props need to complete the miniature set (furniture, boat,
car, chair etc.)
4. Shoot your story
Due:____________

place your character(s) carefully in your set

make sure you have adequate (good) lighting

try to use a tri-pod for your digital camera

move your character a little at a time (9-12 shots = 1 second of
movement)

keep the camera as steady as possible when taking a picture
5. Movie Maker (edit animation video) Due:____________

using the Movie Maker application, upload your photos

place your photos in sequence

add a title and end credits

add music and/or audio (voices and sound effects)

review your animation video to see if it works properly
Sample letter for volunteers:
HELP WANTED!!!
Clay Animation Movie Making Time!
On Thursday April 29th the Grade 3/4 class will be shooting our clay animation projects after
lunch (12:30pm). There are 20 students which will be paired into 10 productions. Each
production needs an adult supervisor, a digital camera with USB cord (preferably with a tripod).
Once the student(s) have shot their video, the photos will be downloaded to a recordable CD
for storage with his or her name and production title on it.
What we need assistance with for this afternoon is:


Digital cameras (with USB cord) and tripods
Volunteers to help supervise students while shooting their video
If you are able to assist in anyway, please fill out and send back to Mr. Reed by Wednesday
April 28th.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Mr. Reed
_________________________________________________________________________
___Yes, I feel comfortable lending a digital camera (with USB cord) and/or tripod for the
afternoon in care of ___________________.
(son or daughter’s name)
___Yes, I am able to help supervise the afternoon of Thursday April 29th.
________________________
(please print name)