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Tech Integration Project
Lesson Accelerator: Project Overview

Awesome Animation
Software Type: Image Editing
The example project created in this Lesson Accelerator addresses NETS Performance Indicators for middle grades as used in a(n) Science curriculum. It could also be used with older learners or adapted for lower grades. See the section on Extending and Adapting at the bottom of this page for ideas on how to use this same project for different subjects, grades, and skill levels.
Project Launchers
Lesson Accelerator Project Launcher pages contain video tutorials that show you, step-by-step, how to create this project using specific software applications, as well as a movie showing you what the finished project looks like. They also provide a download of all the example files used in the project, so you can recreate it.
When you've reviewed all the information on this page and would like to go to a Project Launcher, click the application name below that corresponds to the one you'd like to use for the project.
Go to: Photoshop Elements 3 (Mac) - Project Launcher
Go to: Photoshop Elements 5 (PC) - Project Launcher
Description
Students will be working with image editing software to create frame-based animations. Students will begin by creating a title layer with a border. Next they will add a new layer and create a simple background. They will continue to copy layers adding to the image each time. Finally, the students will save the image as a GIF animation. This is a great lesson, which can easily be adapted to cover a variety of curriculums.
Goals
To give students the opportunity to use the layering capabilities in image editing software to learn about and create frame-based animation.
Objectives
The student will be able to:
  • open and save image files.
  • create and copy layers within image editing software.
  • use the drawing tools in their image software.
  • convert an image file into a GIF animation.
Preparation and Skill Mastery
Students should have mastered basic computer skills, such as using the mouse and keyboard, opening files, and saving to a personal folder. Students should have a general idea of how frame-based animations are created. For instance, showing students a flipbook, as an example of frame-based animation, to familiarize them with the concept.
Materials
  • A computer with image editing software installed
  • Web browser software installed for viewing the finished animation
  • A printer (optional)
Task List
The tasks to be completed for this project include:
  • Creating a new document.
  • Adding and formatting text.
  • Copying and modifying layers.
  • Using different draw tools to create the images.
  • Saving the document in different formats.
  • Previewing the finished image in a Web browser.
  • Changing the speed of animation and the rate of a single frame.
Assessment
Assessment can be based on the following:
  • Is the student able to demonstrate effective use of the drawing tools?
  • Is the student able to copy and modify layers?
  • Is the student able to save the image as a GIF animation and adjust the speed of the animation and the rate of single frames, as needed?
  • Does the completed animation play in a Web browser?
Extending or Adapting
Here are some possible ways that this lesson plan might be extended or adapted for different timeframes, grade levels, and skill/ability levels:
  • Animation can be a great way to help students visualize a process. A variety of science topics can be effectively demonstrated through the creation of simple animations, such as the seed growing into a flower that is shown in the example project. Some other examples might include volcanoes erupting, the rock cycle, the water cycle, the lifecycle of a butterfly, plus many others.
  • Math concepts can be animated, using the same techniques demonstrated in the example project. Students could create animated addition or subtraction problems, or illustrate fractions by animating an image of a pizza being sliced.
  • Math concepts can be animated, using the same techniques demonstrated in the example project. Students could create animated addition or subtraction problems, or illustrate fractions by animating an image of a pizza being sliced.
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