Suggested Duration: 13 Weeks

UNIT DESCRIPTION

In this unit, students are introduced to the twelve principles of animation. The unit is designed to teach students the principles of animation while at the same time reinforcing their skills and abilities in Animate CC.

Each lesson contains an instructional video mini-lesson(s) and accompanying tasks to complete in Animate CC. This will allow students to learn at their own pace and free up the instructor to support where necessary.

In order to provide an adequate level of support to students, it is essential for instructors to prepare ahead of time by mastering the skills and techniques from each lesson before launching the live session with students.

Unit TEKS

(2) The student applies academic knowledge and skills in animation projects. The student is expected to:

(b) apply mathematics knowledge and skills such as using whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and knowledge of arithmetic operations.

(3) The student understands professional communications strategies. The student is expected to:

(b) organize oral and written information;

(c) interpret and communicate information;

(d) deliver formal and informal presentations;

(f) listen to and speak with diverse individuals;

(4) The student understands and employs problem-solving methods and conflict-management skills. The student is expected to:

(a) employ critical-thinking skills independently and in groups; and

(5) The student applies technology applications. The student is expected to use personal information management, email, Internet, writing and publishing, and presentation applications for animation projects.

(9) The student applies technical skills for efficiency. The student is expected to employ planning and time-management skills to complete work tasks.

(10) The student develops an understanding of animation technology. The student is expected to:

(a) demonstrate appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and storage devices;

(12) The student uses an appropriate design process to create and modify solutions to problems. The student is expected to:

(A) combine graphics, images, and sound;

(13) The student creates animation projects. The student is expected to:

(A) use a variety of techniques and software programs; and

(B) publish and deliver products using a variety of media

(15) The student understands and applies animation principles, elements, and techniques. The student is expected to:

(B) describe and use cells, stop motion, tweening, motion paths, masking, looping, scripting/programming, and interactivity;

(C) describe lighting and camera shots;

Unit 3 - Understanding and Applying Animation Principles and Techniques

Download Unit Slideshow

Unit 3: Understanding and Applying Animation Principles and Techniques Slideshow

Introduction: The 12 Principles of Animation (1 Day)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the 12 Principles of Animation with an overview video.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to describe the 12 principles of animation.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 2 - 3)

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students' prior knowledge.

Mini Video Lesson (40 minutes)

Students will watch an overview video of the 12 Principles of Animation.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 1: Squash and Stretch 1 (2 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the first of 12 principles of animation, squash and stretch.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply squash and stretch to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow
U3L1 Squash and Stretch.fla
Teacher Version U3L1 Squash and Stretch.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students' prior knowledge.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 2: Squash and Stretch 2 (2 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students continue practicing squash and stretch.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply squash and stretch to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 7-10)
U3L2 Squash and Stretch 2.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 3: Anticipation (3 Days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to anticipation. This lesson is designed to span over 2 - 3 days and involves students practicing on 3 different scenes.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply anticipation in their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slide 5)
U3L3 Anticipation.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 4: Staging (2 Days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the six elements of staging.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply staging in their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 13-15)
U3L4 Student Worksheet
U3L4 Staging.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 5: Straight Ahead & Pose-to-Pose (2 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the two approaches to animation, straight ahead and pose-to-pose and will practice both methods.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and use straight ahead and pose-to-pose.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 16-18)
U3L5 Straight Ahead & Pose-to-Pose.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Performance Exam 1: Squash & Stretch, Anticipation, Staging, andStraight Ahead/Pose-to-Pose (4-5 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students will create a short animation scene to demonstrate their understanding and ability to apply the first four principles of animation.

Performance Objectives:

Students will create a short animation scene that includes the following elements:
- At least one example of squash and stretch
- At least one example of anticipation
- Staging that includes a background and at least one object
- Either straight-ahead or pose-to-pose animation

What You Will Need:

U3 Understanding and Applying Animation Principles and Techniques Slideshow (slides 19-20)
Unit 3 Performance Exam 1 Grading Rubric

Instruction

Opening: Project Instructions (10 minutes)

Explain the project to students and review the grading rubric with them.

Solo-Work Time (40 minutes)

Students will complete the project over 7 days. Provide support where needed.

Wrap-Up: Save Work (5 minutes)

Instruct students to save their .fla files to Google Drive.

Lesson 6: Follow-Through and Overlapping Action (2 Days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to follow-through and overlapping action.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply the principle of follow-through and overlapping action as well as drag.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 21-24)
U3L6 Follow Through and Overlapping Action.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 7: Slow In & Slow Out (3 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to slow in and slow out. They will practice this principle on two different scenes, a car scene, and a walk cycle scene.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply easing in their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slide 25-27)
U3L7 Slow In & Slow Out.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 8: Arcs (3 days)

Lesson Planning & Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the principle of arcs.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply arcs to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 28-30)
U3L8 Arcs.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 9: Secondary Action (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the principle of secondary action.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply secondary action to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 31-32)
U3L9 Secondary Action.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Performance Exam 2 Project and Presentation: Follow Through and Overlapping Action, Slow In and Slow Out, Arcs, and Secondary Action (7-10 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students will build upon their scene from performance exam 1 to demonstrate understanding and the ability to apply follow through and overlapping action, slow in and slow out, arcs, and secondary action. Upon completion, students will present their animations to the class and discuss how they used the previously mentioned principles.

Performance Objectives

Students will build upon their short animation scene from the previous performance exam and add the following elements:
- At least one example of follow through, overlapping action, and drag
- The use of slow in and slow out for at least one movement
- The use of arcs in at least one movement
- At least one example of secondary action

What You Will Need

U3 Understanding and Applying Animation Principles and Techniques Slideshow (slides 34-35)
Unit 3 Performance Exam 2 Grading Rubric

Instruction

Opening: Project Instructions (10 minutes)

Explain the project to students and review the grading rubric with them.

Solo-Work Time (40 minutes)

Students will complete the project over the course of 5-7 days. Time will need to be allotted for student presentations upon completion. Provide support where needed.

Wrap-Up: Save Work (5 minutes)

Instruct students to save their .fla files to Google Drive.

Lesson 10: Timing (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the principle of timing.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply the principle of timing to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 36-38)
U3L10 Timing.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 11: Exaggeration (3 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the principle of exaggeration.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply the principle of exaggeration to their animations.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 39-42)
U3L11 Exaggeration.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 12.1 Solid Drawing Part I - Figure Drawing (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students are introduced to the principle of solid drawing.

*Note: The solid drawing series of lessons is all about learning to draw. While the video lessons certainly provide adequate instructions, they are taught by a novice artist. If you have a background in fine art or animation, you will likely want to teach these five lessons directly.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to build human figures out of boxes.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 43-46)
U3L12.1 Solid Drawing.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 12.2 Solid Drawing Part II (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students continue their study and practice of solid drawing.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to build human figures out of boxes, spheres, and cylinders.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 47-49)
U3L12.2 Solid Drawing 2.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 12.3 Solid Drawing Part III (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students continue their study and practice of solid drawing.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to build human figures out of boxes, spheres, and cylinders using quick gestures.

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 50-52)
U3L12.3 Solid Drawing 3.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 12.4 Solid Drawing Part IV (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students continue their study and practice of solid drawing.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to define and apply perspective, horizon line, diagonal lines, ground plane, and vanishing point.
Students will be able to define and apply one, two, and three point perspective

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 53-55)
U3L12.4 Solid Drawing 4.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Lesson 12.5 Solid Drawing Part V (2 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students continue their study and practice of solid drawing.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to draw figures in perspective

What You Will Need

U3 Slideshow (slides 56-58)
U3L12.5 Solid Drawing 5.fla

Instruction

Opening Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check students’ ability to recall key information from the previous lesson.

Video Lesson With Integrated Solo-Work Time (50 minutes)

Model how to access the video lesson and instruct students to watch the video and complete the work tasks as they come up throughout the video. Provide support to students where necessary. It is highly recommended that you prepare ahead of time by completing the lesson yourself.

Wrap-Up: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Ask a question designed to check for students’ understanding of the lesson content.

Performance Exam 3 Project and Presentation: Timing, Exaggeration, and Solid Drawing (7 days)

Lesson Planning and Preparation

Lesson Overview

Students will build upon their scene from performance exams 1 and 2 to demonstrate understanding and the ability to apply timing, exaggeration, and solid drawing. Upon completion, students will present their animations to the class and discuss how they used the previously mentioned principles.

Performance Objectives

Students will build upon their short animation scene from the previous performance exam and add the following elements:
- At least one example of timing
  - Students will need to explain how they used timing during their presentation
- At least one example of exaggeration
- Updated drawing to reflect the use of solid drawing techniques

What You Will Need

Unit 3 Performance Exam 3 Grading Rubric
U3 Slideshow (slides 59-61)

Instruction

Opening: Project Instructions (10 minutes)

Before explaining the project to students, show the video on slide 19 explaining the last principle of appeal. There isn’t a student practice file to accompany it, so you can continue on to explaining the project and reviewing the grading rubric.

Solo-Work Time (40 minutes)

Students will complete the project over the course of 5-7 days. Time will need to be allotted for student presentations upon completion. Provide support where needed.

Wrap-Up: Save Work (5 minutes)

Instruct students to save their .fla files to Google Drive.