First and Fifth Graders Collaborate to Bring Stories to Life
Fifth grade authors are working with first grade buddies to build and animate characters and scenes as part of their children's book project.
Each year, fifth graders collaborate with first grade buddies on writing and illustrating a children’s story. In recent years, classes have used technology to create an interactive component to allow their readers to experience the story along with reading words on a page.
Following the presentation by acclaimed author Gita Varadarajan on Friday, Jan. 17, fifth graders met at IDEA Space to work on their stories with their first grade buddies. Using an AI-based animation program called SketchMeta, they were able to make their characters move, walk, dance and wave. They also used class time at IDEA Space to build 3D scenes from their stories, which are now on display.
This yearly project provides an opportunity for students to work together to develop a story from an idea, and to use different tools to share that story with their intended audience. Fifth graders will share their completed projects later in the semester.