Third Grade Takes on Stop Motion

Our third grade students have recently wrapped up their first tech project. Working in pairs over the last four weeks, the pupils put together short animations using the stop motion process. The challenge was to create characters with Model Magic and then share a short action or sequence of actions using photos. The photos were compiled in iMovie, the timing set to give the illusion of movement and then music added to pull the project together.  This process demanded collaboration, creating a script, acute attention to detail, and a lot of patience. Serious problem solving was also needed to bring the visions to life.

At the end of the project the students wrote a short reflection about what they enjoyed, what they found challenging and what they would change. Many realized they needed even more pictures, while some discovered that it was important to maintain the same angle with the photos.