Activities for Tabitha

Josh thinks the new girl, Tabitha, is pretty great, and when he finds out her father is a famous cartoonist, that’s even cooler! But Tabitha is hiding something big and nothing is as it seems…

Two suggestions by the author for teaching opportunities:

1. The animation aspect

2. The ezine aspect

Why not collaborate between the English and ICT and/or Visual Arts departments to design an integrated unit working on narrative and animation, or non-fiction writing and ‘zine creation?

ANIMATION

Ask the kids to brainstorm a list of their favourite movies, then find out which ones used CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and find out which company did these graphics. eg. WETA in New Zealand.

(A lot of studios show up on a Google search. Students could look up where they might study 3D animation.)

Lastpixel (Western Australia): http://www.lastpixel.com.au/

AArons CGI: http://www.aaronscgi.net/

WETA DIGITAL: http://www.wetafx.co.nz/

http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Products/Animation-Companies

Teaching materials online:

Webquest: Stop-Motion Animation… Taking It One Frame at a Time!!! http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=36127

Animation Lesson plan – www.fis.ie/LessonPlan/LessonPlansArt3.pdf

Tutorials on 3D animation – http://www.3d-tutorial.com/tutorials.php?cat=6

Simple animation lesson: http://www.youthlearn.org/activities/make-zoetrope-short-lesson-how-create-simple-animation

Resources http://www.amazing-kids.org/resources.html

EZINES

Investigate the purpose and design of ezines before students (individually or in teams) create their own. (This task could be integrated further with Science or Society & Environment or HPE learning areas, with the content being related to work in other subject areas – particularly applicable for Year 6 or 7 classes or schools utilising curriculum mapping or integrated units).

Some possible lessons/units you might consider adapting for your class.

Upper Primary/Early Secondary

http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~webquest/

http://questgarden.com/author/preview.php?u=&l=03419-051002172951&a=&p=introduction&pt=student

Advanced students: http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/journalism20/on_assignment/ezine.htm