Stop Motion Animation

Today for class #3 we made a stop motion video as a group. We used the app Stop Motion Studio, the creation of this video was challenging as my group members and I had never created a video like this before. This little project also gave us a chance to be creative and work together as a team to combine ideas and draw each portion of the video.

We decided to make our video on a whiteboard drawing with whiteboard markers. Our concept was to show the life cycle of a plant, starting from an empty pot and ending with a bloomed flower. Step by step, we drew each stage: first the pot, then adding dirt, dropping in a seed, pouring water, adding sunlight and watching the seed sprout and grow into a flower.

Working with stop motion required a bit of patience. We had to keep drawing, erasing, and making small changes so the video would look smooth. Sometimes things didn’t line up, so we had to fix or redo them. In the end, it was fun to see all the frames come together and the video flowed nicely.

As a future teacher, I can see how stop motion could be a fun and creative tool in the classroom. Students could use it to show their learning in different subjects such as illustrating the steps of a science experiment. Stop motion encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity, while also letting students show their understanding in a hands-on way.

The website stopmogo.com highlights 5 reasons why making stop motion animation is a great tool for kids in the classroom!

1. Various Skills: There are many skills and roles kids can use while creating an animation such as directing the animation, telling the story, taking the photographs, managing audio and acting!
2. Meaningful Learning: Using stop motion in teaching can create memorable experiences and solidify learning in meaningful ways.
3. Accessible For Everyone: All students can participate in some way using stop motion whether it’s, working the camera, moving the objects, or creating the story. There are many opportunities for kids of all abilities to engage.
4. Cross-Curricular Links: Stop motion animation can be used across many subject areas, whether it’s Art, Literacy, Math, Science, or Social Studies, students can get creative with projects in any subject.
5. Life Skills: Creating stop motion animation allows kids to use life skills such as teamwork, problem solving, and creative thinking.