In Art with Mme Leibu, the Grade 4 and 5 students have been dabbling with stop motion animation. It is one of the most popular animation techniques used to physically manipulate an object so that it appears to move on its own. Students were quick to note just how time consuming the process is, as each object must be moved in such small increments between individually photographed frames. The result is the illusion of movement as the series of frames are played as a fast sequence.
The students will be using this process to bring one of the traditional Seven Grandfather Teachings to life, using contemporary situations. These teachings include humility, wisdom, love, courage, respect and honesty. The latter are considered to be key knowledge that collectively represents what is needed for community survival – a set of teachings on human conduct. The origin of such teachings is unknown; however Anishinaabe elders confirm that these important verbs have long been a part of the language.
As the students learn more about the Grandfather Teachings, and apply their newly acquired knowledge to their stop motion storyboards, it is becoming more apparent that they cannot be used in isolation. For example, you cannot practice bravery and not speak the truth. Practising such teachings allow us to “walk in a good way”.
In the coming weeks, small groups of students will be working in the Art Room and in the Learning Commons to bring their storyboards to life. They will be using iPads, and the OSnap! Pro app to do so. It is a simple, intuitive and powerful time-lapse/stop motion photography application that will allow students to create and share their videos with ease. If their practice videos are any indication, we are all in for quite a treat!
Please stay tuned!
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