Wildcat Workshop

Animation Across the Curriculum: Using Low-Cost, High Impact Animation Processes to Enhance STEAM Learning

In our school’s makerspace, students have:

• crafted stop motion videos with wooden dolls to recreate culturally significant dances,

• cut up photos and maps to create stop motion sequences that add visual interest to a documentary,

• used whiteboards and dry erase markers to craft stick figure and text animations to spark civic discussions,

• created digital animations with an iPad app for “Genius Hour,”

• made animated GIFs about space with Google Slides and a pixel art app, and

• used LEGO minifigures to make original movie trailers. 

In this workshop for teachers, explore one or more low-cost animation processes in rotating stations. Walk away with an editable resource document with lists of materials needed for each process, links to examples and other helpful resources, and tips for each process. This workshop draws upon resources from a Teachers Institute of Philadelphia course on animation. Throughout the workshop, we will discuss how stop motion techniques can be used across the curriculum.