I just wanted to add one more thing about the webquest.  We broke down our project into three processes: research and background development (2 days), script writing and set creation (1 day), and filming and editing (2-3 days-which will include time for them to put it into imovie, save as quicktime, and upload to the moodle).  The feedback stage will of course take another day.

We found some better web pages to link our webquest to; a couple had animation that showed how the faults and boundaries move.  So the first step that the kids will do is research their topic in the book and the web pages.  

Then we started to fill in the task and processes in Questgarden.  Mindy cut and pasted the rubric into the evaluation section in Questgarden.  Mindy figured out how to upload a word document (which was the planning sheet).  She was also going to upload the movie that we made so the kids could have an example and practice giving it feedback.

The last thing we need to do is make a link to the moodle and create a forum that will allow the kids to post their movies and give feedback.  Our plan is to have my students give feedback to Mindy's, and vice versa.

Last time Mindy and I got together, we shot our example.  It requires a lot of patience.  For example, 12 pictures equal 1 second of footage.  We used a few shortcuts:  we took 2 pictures each time we shot and we cut and pasted one segment.  It wasn't as much fun doing the science content (convection within the mantle) as it was recreating scenes in literature using characters and animals and a better setting.  However, if it is the kids' first experience with stopmotion, they will still like it.  

We also looked for websites to link to our webquests, but we weren't finding a ton of great resources for kids.  Our new science program has some, but it is very limited.  We also created a planning sheet that the kids can use to write narration and make a storyboard.

project update (claymation on faults)

Mindy started putting together our web quest in QuestGarden.  She is looking for some links to attach from our new science program...and maybe some other valuable outside sources as well.  The rubric is done (tentatively).  I ended up doing it in Microsoft rather than Rubistar because I couldn't figure out how to delete one of the columns.  We only wanted a 1, 2, 3 rubric instead of 4 columns (keepin it simple).  We constructed our scene for the claymation and should be ready to shoot next time we meet.  We also read the section in our science book and wrote a script for narration.   

I think we also need to construct a planning sheet for the kids so that they have a place for the key ideas/terms, a rough draft for the script, and a place to make an annotated sketch of want they want to animate.  

Idea

Mindy and I wanted to refine our practice of using the program Istopmotion to create and post a claymation project. During the last week of school, we had our students throw together a project using a story that we read. However, we were not able to show them a great model before they started. We really just threw them in. Now that we got our feet wet, we want to actually create a real lesson that we can save and share with y'all.

Our idea is to have the kids create a claymation project around the science standards (specifically how plates work due to convection currents in the mantle and how they effect earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains...). Students will work together in teams of three to four to create a scene, use the stopmotion software to capture images from the manipulated clay, write a script and read it fluently (the narration will be put into Imovie). Movies will be uploaded to either our web pages or the moodle to be viewed by peers. Mindy's students will email (or use the forum) my kids with feedback and mine will do the same for hers (using some parameters to give feedback, like using the rubric that we will create).

test

what up playas