Literacy and storytelling through animation
The Challenge
How can we support positive literacy learning experiences for young Travellers? How can increase learning opportunities for reluctant readers and writers? How do we ensure preferred learning styles are used and oral traditions and cultural interests are acknowledged? What can young Travellers create at home, using technology which is available to them?
The Solution
Animation is a great creative tool that makes literacy learning accessible and exciting for young learners. It offers alternative ways for learners of all ages to create their own texts regardless of literacy abilities. Drawing on ideas of storytelling, multimodality, and interest-driven content, animation encourages meaningful and intrinsically motivated learning experiences for young Travellers.
USING ANIMATION TO ENGAGE LEARNERS
STEP research has shown that animation provides a pedagogy that enables Gypsy/Traveller children to reach their highest potential. Children are able to make choices that reflect their personal and cultural interests while developing skills in all areas of the curriculum. Animation provides children with a strong communicative language where they can express their ideas and collaborate without having to overcome traditional language barriers. Using the STEP approach, animations can be created in homes, outdoors or in schools using laptops, tablets or phones.
YOUR VIDEO GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED WITH ANIMATION
These ‘how to’ videos have been developed in partnership with Animation Jam and were inspired by the work of Gypsy/Traveller pupils from STEP’s national animation projects. All the support materials and templates were created through consultation with teachers and Traveller community members to ensure their relevance and accessibility. Simple animations can be done using an iPad, laptop or smart phone. There are many apps available including Stop Motion Studio, Animatic and Zu3D . These apps are easy to use and their websites provide lots of guidance including video tutorials.
VIDEO 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING THROUGH ANIMATION
VIDEO 2: GETTING STARTED – SETTING UP YOUR TABLET DEVICE
VIDEO 3: MAKING ARTWORK FOR 2D ANIMATION
VIDEO 4: A GUIDE TO ANIMATING IN 2D
VIDEO 5: MAKING A 2D BACKGROUND
VIDEO 6: MAKING ARTWORK FOR 3D ANIMATION
VIDEO 7. ANIMATING IN 3D
VIDEO 8: ADDING SOUND EFFECTS
VIDEO 9: MAKING A FLIPBOOK
TEMPLATES
Find a range of templates below to create characters, objects and animals to use in your animations. Pupils can download, print adapt and cut out these templates to make versatile puppets for stop-motion filming.
TRAINING AND MORE
STEP offers training for staff to increase their own animation skills and to plan how to integrate animation into a cross-curricular curriculum for Gypsy/Traveller children.
Contact STEP to find out how you and your learners can get involved with our animation projects.
Visit the Education Scotland website to find more information and ideas on how to link the curriculum to learning through animation.
More resources
COUNTING WITH PICTURES
ANIMATION 2: CREATING 2D ARTWORK
ANIMATION 3: CREATING 3D ARTWORK & ANIMATION
LEARNING THROUGH TRAVELLER STORIES
A GRAPHIC NOVEL ABOUT BULLYING BEHAVIOUR
ANIMATION 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO ANIMATION
USING TECHNOLOGY OUTDOORS
THE TRAVELLERS’ ABC