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Stop-Motion Animation of the Water Cycle

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Grades 3-590 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Use clay figures and a tablet camera to animate evaporation, condensation, and precipitation as a tiny story.

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Prep: 10 minActivity: 45 min1 session~$2/groupOne table or a clear section of floorBeginner-friendly

Setup

Place common or recycled supplies for Stop-Motion Animation of the Water Cycle on one work surface and choose a safe area for the test. Read the four activity directions aloud; drawings, paper models, and household substitutes may replace specialized materials, and no digital tool is required.

Activity

  1. Sketch a four-scene storyboard: evaporation, condensation, cloud, and rain.
  2. Sculpt a sun, cloud, and water droplet character out of clay.
  3. Shoot 10-15 photos per scene, moving the characters slightly between shots.
  4. Compile the photos in a stop-motion app and narrate the water cycle story over the video.

Done when: The group produces the Stop-Motion Animation of the Water Cycle solution, completes the described test, makes the revision called for by the evidence, and supports its final explanation with an observed or measured result.

Materials

Modeling clay, a tablet or phone with a stop-motion app, a small tripod

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Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Sketch a four-scene storyboard: evaporation, condensation, cloud, and rain.
  2. Sculpt a sun, cloud, and water droplet character out of clay.
  3. Shoot 10-15 photos per scene, moving the characters slightly between shots.
  4. Compile the photos in a stop-motion app and narrate the water cycle story over the video.

Standards it satisfies

  • Florida · SC.4.P.10.2

    Investigate and describe some basic forms of energy, including light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical.

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