The girls in Mr Wilson's 4th class had great fun today as they got to become cartoonists!
We have been learning all about filmmaking this year, and now we get a chance to animate!
We began our journey by learning about how animation works, focusing on the concept of frames per second (fps)—the number of individual images shown per second to create the illusion of movement. The children were amazed to discover that the cartoons and movies they love are actually made up of thousands of still images played in quick succession!
To put this learning into action, we used iPads to create our very own animations. Our first challenge was to animate a bouncing ball. Through this activity, we explored how gravity affects movement. Children observed how the ball squashes when it hits the ground and stretches as it moves quickly through the air. This hands-on learning helped everyone understand how physics plays a big part in bringing drawings to life.
Once the basics were mastered, the children were encouraged to let their imaginations run wild! Some children created animations of trees changing through the seasons, showing how leaves grow, fall, and change colour. Others animated exciting moments like a penalty shootout, complete with a moving football and cheering crowd.
We also took time to explore how professional animation works. The class was fascinated to learn about Pixar Studios and how films like Toy Story were created. We compared early animation techniques with today’s digital tools and saw how far the technology has come!
To further broaden our understanding, we looked at Lego stop-motion and clay animation. These styles showed us that anything can become a character or story element—even toys or lumps of clay!
