Claymation in Expressions

I have been wanting to try Claymation with the students for years and finally DID IT! I had been playing around with it at home with my kiddos and realized how fun and engaging it can be. From there all it took was a little encouragement which I got from my #PLN one evening during a Stop Motion Animation Twitter Chat. After that it was GAME ON!

I wanted the first go around to be purely experimental so I opened up groups to 2-3 students. Next year I may limit groups to 2 students as I feel like the 3rd person was not always necessary. Once groups were formed I had students brainstorm ideas which I left wide open. I left ideas open because I wanted to see where the students would run with it and also wanted them to invest in the overall process. Once ideas were generated I had the students create storyboards, sketch out characters details and scenery design. Once the storyline and sketches were completed I had students build their scenes using manila folders and construction paper. This took more time than I expected but I allowed for it so that scenes were developed thoughtfully. I was really pleased with the scenery students developed but I may invest in Elmer's tri-fold displays  next school year for additional background support. Once the scenery was constructed the students choose clay colors to create their characters. They LOVED this part- which is why I saved it for last!

Once all the parts of the animation were constructed the filming process began. The majority of students used imotion for filming and then edited in imovie. There was a LOT of problem solving that occurred during this process which is where the learning took place! In addition to crashing apps, students struggled with the basic functions of filming video like stabilizing the camera, acquiring proper angles, and utilizing other tools to make their animation work- not to mention all the collaboration that took place in order to meet a deadline.  Here are some examples of problem solving methods.

velcro was used to affix clay characters to unstable scenery

wire was used A LOT to form characters or create effects like flying

cardboard and other materials were used to make mounts to stabilize the iPads

Despite some challenges and working under pressure I think the students LOVED this project. Once they were finished they were very excited and pleased with their animation and the problems of the past were quickly forgotten. Here are some examples.