1. Ann Chatos
VSTE Presentation
December 2010

2. 
 Large boot or athletic shoe boxes.
 A variety of art materials for designing the
backgrounds.
 Textured paper is great for creating just the right
background.
 Non hardening clay for making the figures.
 Pipe cleaners, floral wire, and fishing line for making
the clay figures move more naturally.
Materials Needed

3. 
 Start by sharing the information on the Claymation
Station Website.
 Sample movie
 Wallace and Gromit
 The history of claymation
 Tips and Tricks
Getting Started

4. 
 Students then spend time working on a story board
for their movie.
 Once their completed story board is teacher
approved, they then begin making their
backgrounds and clay figures. (Approx. 2-3 days)
 Its important for the students to make everything they
need before they start taking pictures.
 They should also practice moving the figures and
changing the backgrounds before taking pictures.
Creativity

5. 
 When the backgrounds and clay figures are
completed, the students take digital photos
following their storyboard plan.
 Approximately 100 photos make a movie about one
minute long. The more photos they take of very
small changes, the more smoothly the movie will
flow.
Photos

6. 
Putting it all Together
 All photos are then uploaded
into a movie making
program.
 Both Windows Movie Maker
and Photostory 3 are
effective.
 Students can use PowerPoint
to add text to their movie.
(Save individual slides as
jpegs that can be uploaded
into the movie program.)
 Sound effects, background
music, and narration can be
added as time allows.

7. 
Movie Maker Software
Windows Movie Maker
 Allows for adding sound
effects, background
music, and voice
recordings.
 Allows for smooth
transitions between
sounds.
 Easy to adjust the timing
of the sounds.
 Free Program Download
Photostory 3 for Windows
 Software is user
friendly.
 Free Program
Download
Pros of each

8. 
Movie Maker Software
Windows Movie Maker
 All files (pictures and sounds) need
to be in the same folder as you
make the movie.
 The program “freezes” easily
requiring the computer to be
restarted. (Huge problem, if your
computers use deep freeze)
 Program is not very user friendly.
 Complicated procedures for adding
background music if you have
added a voice track.
Photostory 3 for Windows
 Sound effects are “choppy”
 It is difficult to adjust the
timing of the background
music.
 You have to manually
remove all slide transitions
from the movie.
Cons of each

9. 
 Governor School Lesson Plan
 This lesson plan is used during the Summer Regional
Governor School. This is a one week program where
the students meet for 6 hours everyday for 1 week. At
the end of the week there is a share fair for invited
guests.
Middle Peninsula Summer
Regional Governor’s School

10. 
Governor School continued
 The lesson was designed as a two
teacher collaboration.
 One was responsible for the
technology, while the other was
responsible for the creativity.
 We had two classes. While one
teacher works with one class to
create their backgrounds and clay
figures, the other teacher works
with the other class on some
technology programs like
“Scratch.”
 By the end of the week, we had
all the children in the computer
lab at the same time using the
movie making software.

11. Diver Dan
This movie was made by Mrs. Kris
Ross and Ann Chatos.
I use the movie as a sample to show
students. I also use it as part of
my instruction on oceanography.
To make this movie, we used
Windows Movie Maker

12. The Attack of the
Giant Chicken
The movie was created during a
one week afterschool program.
Students worked for 2 hours after
school for five days.

13. 
Ann Chatos
Acquinton Elementary School
King William, VA
achatos@kwcps.k12.va.us