CLaymation Nation

SEED and Challenge Students Create Public Service Announcements

All the Sayville Elementary SEED and Challenge students, under the direction of SEED instructor Cindy Nacional, were assigned a very unique research project. Selecting one issue that was raised in a recent survey of American’s top priorities and part of President Obama inaugural address, the students  were asked to create a public service announcement that they could share with their friends and family to educate them about that topic. In addition to fulfilling the standard requirements of including facts in their presentation, the students were expected to make the PSAs as a Claymation video. 

Claymation, short for “clay animation,” is a form of stop-motion animation. Individual snapshots of clay figures are taken in progressive sequence for each slight change in posture of facial expression. When the photos are viewed in rapid succession, the figures appear as though they are moving. The sequential photos are imported into a movie-making program and matched with audio clips.   

Creating a Claymation video required meticulous attention to details. After learning the techniques of making clay figures from local clay "expert " Tyler from Cherry Avenue, the students developed their topics, storylines, and characters.   

Some of the skills students learned and used involved researching a topic, correctly referencing sources of information, storyboarding an idea, writing a script, recording audio, finding background scenes, completing photography and lighting, utilizing technology, and most importantly working cooperatively.

The SEED and Challenge students’ Claymation Public Service Announcements projects are being showcased at Eastern Suffolk BOCES Celebration of Technology in Education on May 29^th, but for a preview of their delightful videos go to:  http://sayville.k12.ny.us/webpages/cnacional/seed.cfm?subpage=16832