Stop Motion Video
Using Stop Motion Video is an excellent way for students to tell stories. The creativity expressed and problem solving that comes from creating videos is amazing to see. I've used Stop Motion for a wide variety of subject areas in my classroom. Students have gone on to create videos in their spare time, which to me is a great indication we've done something that peaks their interest and they enjoy. Stop Motion can be used by any age from K-12 to create really amazing pieces they will certainly remember.
The app I use is Stop Motion studio which is available for iPad, iPhone and Android devices. I use this as it is on our school devices and free. The pro version which has more adjustable features like green screen is $6.99. I use the free version with my students mostly, but did install the pro version to play around with some of the features on my teacher iPad. The pro version allows you to add titles, use transitions, use green screen backgrounds and more editing features.
You can save your Stop Motion to your Camera Roll and use some of the features in iMovie to edit your stop motion together, add slide transitions and use Green Screen also.
There are stop motion Chrome extensions to use with Chromebooks and webcams, but I haven't done any work with those yet.
You can save your Stop Motion to your Camera Roll and use some of the features in iMovie to edit your stop motion together, add slide transitions and use Green Screen also.
There are stop motion Chrome extensions to use with Chromebooks and webcams, but I haven't done any work with those yet.
You will also want to have Google Drive installed on your device or some other way for students to upload their work off the device. If they upload their finished product with Drive, they can add as an assignment in Google Classroom and share with others. You could also have YouTube, Vimeo or any other platform installed so students can directly upload their work to be published.
Curriculum Connections
Some examples of ways you could use Stop Motion in your curriculum:
And many more!
- Story retells - any age
- Science - how particles in different material interact, how sound waves move from a source, animals in a habitat (predator prey), seasonal changes
- Math - how to perform certain strategies or solve equations, properties of 3D shapes
- Health - healthy food groups, healthy habits like brushing teeth or hands, emotions, dealing with situations
- Religion/Social Studies - cultural celebrations, journeys of famous historical figures
- Music - Adding animations to music, telling musical stories, sound effects
- Phys. Ed. - proper techniques for throwing, shooting..etc.
- IRT - self regulation, social stories, adding voice to a story
And many more!
Best Practices
There are definitely some tips and tricks to getting your Stop Motion just right. Here are some really important points to consider.
Set up - You want your camera to be still or it will jump all around and be hard to see. Consider how you will set up and how you will keep your device as still as possible. I suggest shooting from above and using a locker organizer. You can also use a milk crate but they can block a lot of light. Some iPad covers have built in stands or you can buy simple ones from the dollar store. I've also used tripods or music stands. In a pinch, I've seen students use books stacked up evenly to hold the iPad up over their project.
Lighting - Lighting is very important. The best is to use natural daylight, as it lights your project from all sides. Avoid creating shadows on your project or they will appear on your video. Inconsistent lighting can also cause your camera to keep refocusing which will make for blurry pictures in your movie. If you use a milk crate or shoot in a dimmer location, consider adding a lamp as a light source like these students did. |
Plan ahead - When my students film , I try and have them make all the backgrounds, characters and props ahead of time if possible. This will allow them to be more focused when filming. Get them to make out a little scripts or story board of what is going to happen. This will allow you to not waste precious time with the iPads and will avoid inconsistencies in video if they have to set up over multiple days. The longest part is set up, once you have all your characters and a plan, the filming will go much faster and smoother.
Materials - You can use so many different materials for stop motion. You can use paper, markers, crayons, Lego, StikBot, Playmobile, playdough, clay....really anything you can imagine! Students can even mix materials! I will caution not to use the oily modelling clay with figures. The oil from the clay can cause the faces of Lego and Stikbots to wipe off. Paper is probably my favourite material because it is fast, cheap, clean, versatile, and easy to correct if you make a mistake.
I purchased a Stikbot studio at Chapters, but they are also available at many retailers like WalMart and Amazon. They have loads if different people and animals. Pro tip - if you use sticky tack with your figurines (Lego and Stikbot) their hands and feet will stick better and will be less likely to fall over when filming. |
Recording voice - Students can add their own voice or sound effects directly in their video using the record feature. Because iPads usually record all ambient sound, the classroom can be a noisy place to record. You will need a quiet location for students to record their voices so no background noises appear in their video. Luckily they can film their whole video and add voices later. If they are worried about the length of the recorded voice, using the pause feature for the frames is an excellent way to ensure the recording lines up with the story. They can also crop and edit their sound recording to appear exactly where they want it in the video. For more info on how to do this, watch the tutorial video below!
Watch my tutorial video to learn how to make your very own stop motion video!
Some great student work examples:
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