Stop+Motion+Animation+Meets+Persuasive+Writing

A Different Approach (Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see examples of students' work) ** I used stop-motion animation as a way to teach students how to use persuasive language to create commercials/infomercials for their own make-believe products. The idea for using stop-motion in the classroom came from my 2nd grade colleagues who combined their classes to produce a stop-motion short or two with a single character. I borrowed the idea and extended it to grades 6-8. The language lessons that led up to the creation of the stop-motion commercials featured A great companion resource for this unit was Fearon Teacher Aids' //Writing to Persuade Reproducible Lessons// by Kathleen A. Rogers. The section that was the most useful was the one called Writing Advertisements. This section highlights finding persuasive words in ads; identifying whether an advertisement is meant to appeal to the "mind" or the emotions; analyzing different audiences; writing commercials for different audiences.
 * Teaching Persuasive Writing and Speaking
 * Examples of commercials from the 50s & 60s because they don't jump from image to image as much as today's commercials, which makes them easier and faster to analyze. That's my opinion anyway. You might be able to find old commercials for Welch's grape jelly and other products on
 * Group analysis of newer commercials from Youtube (I found the juicer commercials helpful)
 * Exploration into how advertisers attempt to tap their target audience's senses and capture their attention (music, images, famous people)
 * Dictionary and thesaurus exercises for alternatives to overused words
 * Resources**

Another fabulous companion resource was the making of Wallace & Gromit's Were-Rabbit movie. The video is short and simple and shows how to make armatures (skeletons)

**Educator-to-Educator Collaboration** I found my colleagues to be excellent resources. Actually, one of my colleagues was an artist, musician, and builder rolled into one. My second grade colleagues taught me how to show students what to do and gave me tips on the Windows Media Player settings. If you've got someone on staff who's a photographer or a graphic artist, it would help, but it's not necessary.

Have students work in groups and use the cooperative learning approach to teaching. That is, each person needs a job or two. Examples: Editors, co-editors, voice actors, director, production manager, art director, armature and movement expert, photographer, post-production assistant. It would help to have more than one camera and tripod for every 10 students.
 * Classroom Management **

*I found modeling clay the best. Before you purchase modeling clay by the truckload, buy just a bit and l eave it out for a week or so. I bought some modeling clay the first time I undertook this project and it hardened in days. We had to start over with a new brand. It was a learning experience for all.
 * Materials **


 * Thin wire. I found some of the best in an art supply store. Paper clips work for small body parts.


 * Nippers or wire cutters.


 * A tripod is a must. I purchased my own tripods, which weren't too expensive where I was living at the time. The students used my cheap, out-of-date digital cameras.


 * Background. We used the covers of boxes of copy paper to hold up the backgrounds the students made.

**Caveat** Don't aim to make the animation as smooth as what you see in Wallace and Gromit movies. The folks who produce those flicks take thousands of pictures for 3-minute segments. My students took about 100 to 200 pictures for a 30 to 60-second commercial/infomercial. We recycled many of the images to stretch out the time.
 * I used Windows Media Player to load the pictures and to edit. The students in my classes were old enough and experienced enough to do most of the work, including the model making, creating the armatures, taking the pictures, and the post-production work. I must say that we had lots of problems with Windows Media Player freezing. I can't help but wonder if iMovie or iMovie HD would run smoother.

Look on the Web for other examples of teachers who have used stop-motion successfully in the classroom. You'll find some really fancy ones out there, but remember you need expensive equipment for truly sophisticated stop-motion animation. It was easy to get up in the stop-motion fever of it all. I **had to keep reminding myself that the stop-motion animation was simply a vehicle for persuasive speaking and writing**. My assessment focused on what was written and spoken.

And now for the finished products! (Disclaimer: The students were in grades 6-8 beginner 1 and beginner 2 English classes.)

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 * Shampoo Commercial**

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 * The Red Sofa Company

Eagle Shoes**--An excellent extended commercial with a story of an everyday guy who becomes a superhero because he gets Eagle Shoes as a gift from his friendly neighborhood hero. (You'll need to put on headphones.)

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