STOP ACTION ANIMATION WITH POWERPOINT

Remember flip books -- a series of drawings in which each page contains a picture of a man or a horse, with each drawing just a bit different, so when the pages are flipped quickly, the man seems to be jumping or the horse appears to be running? Flip books -- in which non-moving images appear to move -- are examples of stop-action animation.

With the popularity of cartoon shows and movies, it's no surprise that creating animation, stop action or otherwise, is one of the tech topics most requested by K-12 students. The traditional animation, however, requires money for specialized software, time to plan and execute detailed projects, and advanced know how by both teachers and students.

Don't let that stop you! Basic stop-action animation can be created in little time by almost any student or teacher. Don't believe me? Take a look at some of the crazy animations created by students at R.W. Emerson Junior High School in Davis, California. The animations were created with a program called Corel Paint Shop Pro, a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use program. You, however, don't need to spend a dime to make similar animations.

Next: What you need.