Have you ever thought about STEAM and joint storytelling? This project is about just that! STEAMcomic is a project based on storytelling, especially in comic technique and STEAM subjects. We will design our comic book characters using the online 3D modeling program called Tinkercad. Then, we will use them to write the story and draw a comic. After that, we will bring these elements to life using a 3D printer. Finally, we will use a stop motion application to create the trailer with the 3D pieces and the students' drawings. Are you ready to participate in our STEAMcomic?! 

Lights... Camera... Action! ?️

STEAMcomic is a project we created at the Roquetes Institute and the Sant Jordi School based on storytelling, especially in comic technique and STEAM subjects. We designed our comic book characters using the online 3D modeling tool Tinkercad. We downloaded the .obj character from Tinkercad and animated these creations using Monster Mash. Then we used them to write the story and draw a comic. After that, we brought these elements to life using a 3D printer. Finally, we used a stop motion app on a tablet and a Chromebook to create the trailer using the 3D pieces and the students' drawings.

Recommended age: 10-14 years.

Materials:

Materials to reuse: cardboard, fabric...

Tablet and/or computer

3D printer or material to model: plasticine, mud...

Micro:bit

Implementation:

The number of sessions is indicative.

SESSION 1-2

We introduce the main character and design the secondary characters.

We will use the same common main character. It will be this robot: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:539474  (JointedCommons - Attribution License - Share Alike. Creative) 

Create or choose secondary characters.

We need to define the size in centimeters to be able to create the Stop Motion scenario. We will create them using Tinkercad and print them using the 3D printer.

We can also edit some of these articulated designs: Articulated Characters.

SESSION 3

We write history.

In this step, we will write a summary of the story using an indirect style and an environmental-themed argument focusing on energy .

This activity can be done in pairs, where each pair of students will imagine and write an argument.

Afterwards, we will have to choose an argument from the whole class to create a common comic. We'll read all the stories and create a Google Form to vote for the one we liked best.

SESSION 4

Now it's time to split forces, or what is the same thing: work in groups! ✨✨✨

We will create work teams of three people who will work simultaneously on different processes:

COMIC:

Editors: write the script

Layouts: draw the templates of the comic (which will be of different sizes, vignettes with text underneath...)

By hand

With software:

To animate the 3D character: https://www.mixamo.com/#/

To download the 3D image in motion: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/3d-viewer-for-google-chro/jceeiccnnkpmlgddogegmifjahkohnfb

To create cartoons and comic characters: https://www.canva.com/search/templates?q=comic 

Illustrators: design the comic book drawings, etc.

STORYBOARD:

Editors: write the script for Stop Motion

Layouts: draw the Stop Motion scenes (camera shot - close-up...)

By hand

With software: https://www.storyboardthat.com/es  / https:/ /www.canva.com/search/templates?q=comic 

Illustrators: design the sets for each scene in the trailer in Stop Motion

TRAILER

Creation team:

Paint the 3D models created in Tinkercad and printed with the 3D printer using acrylic paint.

Design and print the background and the different objects needed for the story.

Adding movement to characters using micro:bit and a servo motor (link to tutorial).

Filming crew: take photos of each scene.

Editing and sound: go through the photos and make the necessary modifications, such as duration, voiceover, sound effects, etc.

SESSION 5

We share our creations