Inspiration
Before jumping into making animations, it helps to watch samples of animated productions. Having a chance to view animations allows students to get a feel for the medium. Discussing or responding to animations gets students thinking about what are the features of an animated production and what makes an animation successful. Think about it - you wouldn't have students write poetry without reading any, right? Or writing an article without having read at least a few beforehand? Its the same with media!
For ways of organizing the Inspiration step, see the Teacher Planning section.
Inspiration: what it is called in the various subject areas
Animations on the Web
Use the following in your classroom to jumpstart discussion or to generate ideas. We suggest that you choose which animations you show your students to discuss as a group, so they fit in with your goals. Students can also explore animations on their own to respond to (ELA), to add to their repertoire of media works (VA) or as part of viewing media (l'écoute en FLS).
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) - Go to site
NFB Kid's Channel - Go to site
Toon Boom Showcase - Go to site
Patrick Smith - Go to site