Middle School Elective Explores 2D Animation

In the 2D animation middle school elective that concluded last week, students experimented with how to make pictures and objects move across a two-dimensional screen. “We explored the history and process of animation using stop motion, drawing, iMovie, music, and collage to tell visual stories,” explains teacher David Starfas. The first lessons of the class tasked students with making thaumatropes and flip books; then students progressed to exploring stop motion animation and learning how to use technology to create animated gifs. These skills were used to animate the Jon Klassen book I Want My Hat Back. For their final project, “students were able to show off what they have learned by creating their own short animation using the app Animatic, along with the previously learned techniques,” adds Mr. Starfas. “Each project built off of the concepts students learned in earlier lessons, and they were able to craft successful animations.” To view the students’ final animation projects, click here.