Dancing Dots: Art in Motion

Third grade students explored the creative potential of Keynote by designing their own stop motion animations and GIFs. They began by learning about dot pointillism as an art technique, then applied that understanding to tell visual stories using stop motion. Using iPad cameras, art materials, and a steady setup, students captured sequential images in Keynote to simulate movement, developing both digital storytelling and visual art skills. This hands-on project empowered students to combine creative expression with technical skills, showcasing their learning in a dynamic and engaging format.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

• Creatively express ideas and narratives by designing and producing a stop motion animation using Keynote.
• Demonstrate understanding of artistic techniques (e.g., dot pointillism) through visual storytelling and animation.
• Apply sequencing and planning skills by organizing images frame-by-frame to simulate motion and continuity.
• Use iPad camera tools purposefully to capture still images that support clear and consistent animation.
• Incorporate multimedia tools (Keynote and art supplies) to blend physical and digital creativity.
• Reflect on the creative process by evaluating what worked well and what could be improved in their animation project.

The Process

Discover & Explore

Students began by exploring the art of stop motion animation, learning how it has evolved over time and how it is used to tell visual stories through incremental movement.

Experiment & Create

Using the iPad camera and Keynote, students experimented with storytelling by animating small objects such as Play-Doh, LEGO bricks, and hand-drawn illustrations, building foundational stop motion skills through hands-on exploration.

Plan with Purpose

For their focused project, students selected three colors to use in a dot pointillism-inspired animation. They prepared their workspace by placing their paper on the floor and positioning their iPad on a stable, elevated surface to frame the shot—ensuring only the paper was visible in the camera view.

Capture Frame-by-Frame

Students added one paint dot at a time to their paper, capturing a still image after each addition. This intentional, frame-by-frame process helped develop an understanding of sequencing, timing, and movement.

Build in Keynote

Each photo was imported onto a separate slide in Keynote, forming the foundation of their animation. Students adjusted the timing and order of slides to control the pacing of their final piece.

Share & Reflect

Once complete, students exported their projects as either a Movie or Animated GIF, depending on the number of frames. They shared their work with peers, celebrating how technology and art can come together to bring ideas to life.

Extension

• Use GarageBand or Voice Memos to record narration, sound effects, or music.
• Import audio into Keynote or iMovie to create a richer storytelling experience.
• Science: Animate the water cycle, life cycle of a plant, or states of matter.
• Math: Visualize patterns, fractions, or geometric transformations using stop motion.
• ELA: Retell a favorite story or poem using animated sequences.

Reflection/Lesson Recap

Teaching this lesson was a powerful reminder of how creativity and technology can transform learning. Using the Everyone Can Create guide, students explored stop motion animation by combining Keynote, the iPad camera, and hands-on materials like paint.

What stood out most was how naturally students took ownership of the process. From framing their shots to sequencing their animations, they were fully engaged—problem-solving, experimenting, and iterating along the way. Watching their dot pointillism projects come to life frame by frame was a great example of art and digital storytelling working together.

This project not only built technical skills, but also encouraged patience, planning, and creative risk-taking. It was rewarding to see students reflect on their learning and take pride in a final product that was entirely their own.