Microworlds Virtual Animations - Short Stories

If I could do it all over again, not only would I have done a Microwrolds Short Story on my own and learned more about how to do it, but we would of planned this as second next step of three in the lesson plan, with a period all to itself. We tried to cram this AND creating a game into one session, and it was too much. Luckily, Gabe was there to save the day, and a few teens including Lianthia and Braela worked hard on this concept and created some great pieces.

Microworlds Virtual Animations - Short Stories

Big Idea: Create a short story with characters, dialogue and plot development through Microworlds

Dates: Wednesday, November 30th

Groups Participating: Panther Boys and Girls Club DesignIT teens

Attendance: 5 students - Joshua, Eddie, Michael, Leanthis and Braela

Software: Microworlds

Hardware: One laptop and one mouse per student

Materials: photocopies of storyboards, pencils

Directions: This is a great next step from virtual flipbooks, because it involves page duplication and character animation which were taught last time, however it also introduces a few new concepts, including how to add text to the page for dialogue, how to create and add music for mood, and how to add thier own voices through a microphone to thier story. Finally, it also introduces a very important concept, how to create and use simple buttons, that is, buttons that turn pages or start animations. As far as specific directions on how to do all of these, it would take quite some time to write out. Definatley view and explore examples, and spend time to create your own before teaching this activity. Before they begin, show them an example on the digital projector, mabye brainstorm and assign subject matter (as suggested in the improvements category in the "virtual flipbook-11/28/2005" blog), and hand out storyboard sheets for them to brainstorm with before they begin.

Associated Concepts: Storytelling techniques and computer programming

Best Part: Lianthia's "chase" turned out to be an awesome example of a Microworlds short story, to the point where I had no idea how she created it in one hour. I thought she had help from Gabe until I found out she worked on it by herself the entire period.

Worst Part: Getting guys interested in this. Definately do not present the gaming option before or alongside this one, because this will get tossed aside. Definatley create a uni-sex example to show, perhaps something with humor, then mabye assign a subject matter that will interest them, like...
-thier best moment in sports
-the scariest moment in their lives
-most violent scene in a scary movie

Improvements: I definately did not present this one right. Show an example, spend a period on this challenge, show how to build a button to turn pages, and make it fun/funny for both guys and girls.

Next up, the gaming lesson, the two week Microworlds Animation Challenge, then our culminating event, the 2005 Panther Holiday Animation Festival, which, to get you excited, went over beautifully. More to come!

myles