Landscapes in Google Slides, Animated in Scratch
Part One: Create a Landscape
This is the digital version of the paper art assignment to the right. You can find the examples here and here. Your job is to create an original landscape or find a picture on the internet of a landscape and re-create that landscape in Google Slides in two class periods. See my example below.
Google Slides is very similar to Google Drawings. Because of our final goal, it is easier to start in Google Slides. Remember - our final goal is a project like this or this in Scratch
Day 1: find an image.
- Pick a landscape that speaks to you. What is your happy place? A cityscape? A forest? A beach in Hawaii? The Moon? Space? We will be using it in another project about you.
- You need to use Google Slides.
- The image must be 480px X 360px
- You will export your final work and turn it in as a PNG to Canvas
If you copy an image from the internet:
- You must be able to cite your source
- If you do a google search, your image choice must be "labeled for reuse and modification"
- Paste the URL for the google search you did to find your image in the speaker notes of your final slide
- Consider looking here:
- Creative Commons Search - From the folks at Creative Commons, a search engine that pulls only CC images AND they give you a copy and paste attribution!
- Google Advanced Image Search - Use this interface to filter by specific subject, file type, and usage rights.
- NASA's Digital Library of Images - All public domain
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Digital Library - All public domain
- Library of Congress
- National Archives
- National Museum of African American History & Culture
- Smithsonian's History Explorer
- Digital Public Library of America
Day 2: Re-create the image.
Today is a work day. Remember - use Google Slides. Use the video to the right but remember - you DON'T NEED TO BE AS DETAILED as the video shows. Remember the goal is to be inspired by the image you found on the internet, NOT to re-create it. You should be able to complete this in one or two class periods.
See the first slide from my example. See this example and this example that is in progress.
Consider adding a color scheme to do so. Use Colorzilla and the Adobe Color Wheel like I showed you in class. These colors are your starting point. You can adjust them or add more shades if you feel you need to.
When you are finished, export your drawing as a PNG and upload it to Canvas.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure you paste the URL of your image search into the Speaker notes of your slide. If you can't find it, search your browsing history.
- Work from the back to the front of the picture.
- Use the following tools discussed in class to make your work faster:
- Polyline (two-finger or right click to "edit points")
- Grouping (shift +click each shape, then two-finger click and choose group or ctrl+g)
- Layer Order (Two finger click on the shape)
- Duplicate (ctrl+d)
- Resize and Rotation (two finger click on the shape)
Day 3: Transitioning to Three Dimensions.
See the example to the right as a metaphor for what we're going to be creating in class.
Your task today is to separate your drawing into foreground, midground and background layers. Make sure the background of each image is set to be transparent. When you are finished, export each slide as a PNG and load it as a sprite into your scratch project. See my original example.
Make the background of each layer transparent:
- Two-finger click on the background
- Select transparent
